DELIT (for Dry Eye Light Impulse Therapy) is a treatment that combines light therapy with manual massage of your eyelids to improve the function of clogged oil glands.
Patients that have burning, tired eyes, redness, sudden tearing, fluctuating vision, and a frequent need to blink probably suffer from Dry Eye. Dry Eye Syndrome is the most common reason people visit the eye doctor. Thirty million Americans suffer from symptoms of Dry-Eye Syndrome, which include redness, burning, and blurry vision.
Assil Gaur Eye Institute was the first eye care practice west of the Mississippi to offer DELIT for the treatment of dry eye.
DELIT uses a two-step process to improve the function of your eyelid's oil-producing glands (called Meibomian glands) which are essential to keeping your eyes well-lubricated. It is believed that Meibomian gland dysfunction is the primary cause of dry eye syndrome.
When intense pulsed light is applied around the eyelids, its absorbed by tiny abnormal blood vessels, causing them to coagulate and collapse. Because these vessels secrete inflammatory agents, by eliminating them we reduce swelling in the eyelids that can block special oil-producing Meibomian glands in your eyelids. This light therapy also inhibits bacterial growth which is another culprit in clogged oil glands.
After treatment with light therapy, the second step of the process involves manual massage of the glands to squeeze out oil and debris that's clogging them up. The net result is that the oil glands starting flowing again and increase the oil content of your tear supply. This, in turn, slows down tear evaporation, making your eyes feel less dry and irritated.
Most patients describe some mild discomfort associated with the squeezing of their eyelids, but they're so pleased with the improvement in their dry eye symptoms, that they feel the discomfort experienced is well worth it!
Once your anesthetic eye drops wear off, you should feel comfortable and your visual clarity will not be affected by DELIT treatment. There is virtually no downtime following a DELIT treatment. After several sessions, you should notice a significant improvement in your dry eye symptoms.
During clinical testing, most people tolerated DELIT treatments quite well. Negative side effects were mild, with only 13% of patients experiencing mild redness and swelling that resolved within a couple of days.2
We´ve had good results in our dry eye patients when they've undergone one treatment every month for 4 months and follow-up with maintenance treatments every six months.
You should know that DELIT therapy is not covered by most vision insurances and it may not be appropriate for patients with certain skin types. If you’re looking forward to freedom from dry, burning eyes, and difficult to explain blurry vision, contact the Assil Gaur Eye Institute today!
AGEI offers a new treatment for dry eyes that has had great success in improving the quality of life of our patients. DELIT Dry Eye Light Impulse Therapy was developed by a former colleague of AGEI, Dr. Roland Toyos, adapting technology originally developed to treat rosacea and acne. Dr. Toyos found that 93% of dry eye patients treated with the DELIT protocol reported being satisfied with the improvement of their symptoms.
Assil Gaur Eye Institute was the first eye care practice west of the Mississippi to offer DELIT for the treatment of dry eye.
Sources:
Intense Pulsed Light Treatment for Dry Eye Disease Due to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction; A 3-Year Retrospective Study. Rolando Toyos, MD, William McGill, Ph.D., and Dustin Briscoe, OD. Photomed Laser Surg. 2015 Jan1; 33(1): 41-46.
Kerry K. Assil, MD, is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in refractive surgery, having made significant advances in the field with his numerous inventions. Additionally he has the unique distinction of having trained thousands of eye surgeons in the latest refractive surgical techniques.
Dr. Assil has authored more than one hundred textbooks, textbook chapters and articles on refractive surgery and has appeared regularly on major television network news programs as a pioneer in refractive surgery. He also leads educational forums for other eye care professionals, which have included featured lectureships at Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and Tokyo University.