Dry eyes and ICL

1. The Eye Clinic Dry eyes and ICL After graduating from National University of Singapore, Dr. Cheryl Lee spent more than a decade in United Kingdom, France and America. She has been back in Singapore for six years and is the medical director of The Eye Clinic by Dr. Cheryl Lee at Mandarin Gallery. She was inducted into the SG50 Straits Times hall of fame in 2015 for her work on eyecare. "I have a particular interest in dry eyes. Dry eyes have not been taken as seriously as other sight threatening diseases. Many just use over the counter eye drops or have given up as they don't think there is a treatment. It's a daily problem for many and affects their work and social life. Treatment works but it requires patience and encouragement as it takes one to two months to see results. Dry eye patients are so grateful and relieved when they get better. It changes their lives." We have all experienced dry eyes. Dry eyes leads to release of toxins(inflammation) that's why we get red, tired eyes or a feeling of grittiness and itch. The common causes are environmental such as air- conditioning or in planes, exacerbated by computer use/ handphone and contact lens wear or after LASIK surgery , menopause (women) and oily eyelids more seen in men. The severity varies and when bad leads to intolerance to contact lens wear, constant red eyes and even can have psychological effects leading to depression. The understanding of dry eyes have increased exponentially in recent years. Treatment is specific to each person. The Eye Clinic has a range of treatment options some of which include medicated eye drops and specific omega-3 to decrease inflammation and trigger the tear glands to produce tears and a specific laser around the lower eyelids (E-Eye) to decrease oil production and stimulate tear production. We have the facility (Tear Lab) to diagnose and monitor effectiveness of our treatment by testing the tears concentration(dryness). "We see many patients with dry eyes as it's intertwined with age, menopause and Lao Hua (presbyopia).A large part of our practice is helping patients get rid of glasses for far and near. We all develop a cataract and this also shows up as Lao Hua. The long term treatment is cataract surgery and a varifocal lens which treats seeing far, near and astigmatism. The success of the surgery depends on the adequate treatment of dry eyes. Some patients have no symptoms of dry eyes! All patients are tested by Tear Lab and adequately treated first as it has been shown to have a significant impact on how well they see after cataract surgery. Post-surgery the eyes are also less dry, less red and more comfortable. Even better , we should prevent dry eyes from happening in the first place. For younger patients who do not like the experience of dry eyes from contact lens wear, they should consider reversible vision correction options. This means choosing a procedure where none of your natural eye tissue is destroyed.

2. The Eye Clinic Implantable contact lens TM (ICL TM ) is a reversible vision correction technology of Swiss innovation with a 20 year history and the long term safety results have been well proven. It is made of biocompatible collagen and even offers UV protection. ICL TM works like a contact lens but it is unlike the usual contact lenses in that you don't get dry eyes or have the hassle of removing them daily and there are no concerns with swimming or any other forceful physical activities. It is inserted via a 2 mm wound. Even those who can't have LASIK, i.e. people who have thin cornea, dry eyes, keratoconus ,high myopia or astigmatism can have the ICL How does ICL compare with LASIK? All laser vision options thin the cornea. Since corneal tissue has been removed, it is not reversible. Nerves that produce tears are in the cornea so thinning the cornea leads to nerve destruction and dry eyes. Laser also reduces your options when you develop presbyopia/Lao Hua later in life. This means you would have to wear reading glasses as your vision cannot be well corrected for both far and near. For those who prefer a non- surgical option there is a special contact lens called Orthokeratology (OrthoK) which is used especially in children as it slows the increase in spectacle power progression by 50 percent compared with just wearing conventional glasses. The Ortho k lens is worn at night when sleeping, in the morning the lens is taken out and the vision is good the whole day without glasses or contact lenses. It's practical especially for active kids and those who swim and do sports. For Many adults find this more comfortable as it means no dry and tired eyes at work from wearing daily contact lenses. We all age and in the future we will develop diseases like cataracts and dry eyes .Reversibility means that you have not destroyed your chances for any future options and have avoided dry eyes induced by surgery that thins the cornea. In short, reversibility means you are looking out for both your current and future needs.