PReye Drops® PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma Eye Drops)

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Eye Drops enriched with a proprietary formula of antioxidants and nutrients to enhance the health of the eye, exclusively formulated by board certified ophthalmologist, Melinda C. O’Rourke, MD, only at Essence Laser & Wellness.

What is PRP?

PRP stands for platelet rich plasma. It is simply blood that has been treated so that the platelets become highly concentrated. Platelets are a gold mine of growth factors, stem cells, and cell signaling molecules (cytokines) responsible for tissue healing and regeneration. PRP is used in many specialties, including orthopedics, dermatology, aesthetics, gynecology, and hair loss. Only recently has it been accepted as an excellent treatment for Dry Eyes, used mostly in Europe, and Canada. At Essence, we use PRP for Aesthetics, Dry Eyes, and Lash Enhancement.

How are PReye® drops different from Serum tears?

Serum tears are created by centrifuging the blood, which removes the red and white blood cells, but it also removes the platelets. The remaining plasma contains some vitamins and fibronectin which help somewhat in tissue healing but contain virtually no platelets, so serum tears are very low in growth factor concentration, and much less effective in the healing of the corneal and conjunctival cells in dry eye, compared to PRP eye drops. See references below.

How are PReye® Drops prepared?

Only 11cc of blood is needed to prepare PRP eyedrops, which is obtained by a routine blood draw. For a smooth blood draw and optimal volume, hydrate with 8 glasses of water the day prior, and 2 glasses of water 30 minutes prior, and avoid alcohol for 24 hours prior to the blood draw. The blood sample is processed to cultivate the PRP product and enhanced with antioxidants and vitamins exclusive to PReye® Drops, in sterile eye dropper bottles. There are many PRP technologies on the market with varying degrees of purity and potency. At Essence Laser, we use the top PRP technology to produce the highest purity and concentration of platelets to create a superior product in our PReye® Drops. The PRP is then enriched with antioxidants and nutrients that benefit eye health and protect the ocular surface.

How do I use my PReye® drops?

The recommended dosage is 1 drop in each eye 2 times daily but in more severe cases, or during flare-ups, it can be used as much as is necessary. It’s a product of one’s own healing factors so it is not possible to use too much. Each draw should provide about 6 months of drops, using it twice daily.

To get the most out of your PReye Drops, use the following technique: Looking in a mirror, tip the head back slightly and bring the tip of the eyedropper bottle near the eye. Tip the bottle up about 20-30 degrees and gently squeeze until you see a drop form at the tip. Bring the drop close enough to the eye so the tear film absorbs the drop by osmosis without touching the tip to the eye. The tear film should feel full, without tear overflow, for the perfect drop.

Place all bottles in the freezer, except one bottle in the refrigerator for current use.

The bottle in the refrigerator can be kept up to 4 weeks but must be discarded after that.

Defrost the tears by moving them to the refrigerator for a day. DO NOT MICROWAVE.

Write the expiration date on the bottle, which is 4 weeks after removal from freezer.

The bottles can be kept frozen for up to 6 months.

Gently shake the bottle before instilling drops.

NEVER share PRP drops with anyone.

If you are using other medicated drops, wait 10 minutes between drops.

If you wear contact lenses, instill PRP drops before and after contact lens wear.

If you experience pain, irritation, blurry vision, or redness, or any other adverse symptoms,please call your eye doctor immediately.

How much do they cost?

The cost is $400 per blood draw. This will allow for about a 6 month supply depending on the frequency of eye drops, and using the recommended technique:

Essence Laser & Wellness, under the supervision of Melinda C ORourke, MD, is a referral center for specialty Dry Eye Therapy, and a Medical Aesthetics Practice, and is not a routine Ophthalmology practice. We ask that you provide a copy of a recent eye exam prior to treatment when seeking IPL for Dry Eye, and/or the PReye shot. No exam is necessary for PReye drops or PRP for Aesthetic purposes.

Ask us about our IPL/PReye® bundling packages.

References

1. Murtaza F, Toameh D, Chiu HH, Tam ES, Somani S. Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Drops for Evaporative Dry Eye Disease from Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Pilot Study. ClinOphthalmol. 2022 Jul 6;16:2199-2208. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S367807. PMID: 35821787; PMCID: PMC9271282.

2. Mohammad, E., Lamie, N., Ismail, A., Mansour, M. (2022). ‘Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma versus Autologous Serum Eye Drops in Treatment of Severe Dry Eye Disease’, International Journal of Medical Arts, 4(8), pp. 2542-2549. doi: 10.21608/ijma.2022.152958.1490

3. Paterson Christopher A, O’Rourke Melinda C. Vitamin C levels in human tears. Arch Ophthalmol. 1987 Mar;105(3):376-7. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1987.01060030096034.PMID: 3827714.

4. Fogagnolo P, De Cilla’ S, Alkabes M, Sabella P, Rossetti L. A Review of Topical and Systemic Vitamin Supplementation in Ocular Surface Diseases. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 10;13(6):1998. doi: 10.3390/nu13061998. PMID: 34200595; PMCID: PMC8228525.