Donna had never even heard of PRP eye drops. She knew she had to do something, though. “My eyes are so dry they feel like sandpaper” said Donna (name changed to protect patient privacy). “I’ve tried every kind of eye drop available, from steroids to artificial tears. Nothing has helped”.
Donna made an appointment with us after everything else had failed. It was her last-ditch attempt to regain her quality of life. “I love to read, but my eyes burn so badly I can only manage a few pages before I have to stop”.
In fact, her dry eyes affected every aspect of her life. They were not only getting more severe but had also become relentless throughout the entire day. She had been told that there were no more options and was advised that, “I should learn to live with the discomfort”.
On her first appointment at Oregon Regenerative Medicine, we made platelet-rich plasma (PRP) eye drops from her own blood. We know that PRP is rich in tissue growth factors. Clinical studies have shown that these growth factors can restore normal tear production with regular use.
What to expect with PRP eye drops
When she returned in 3 months for her follow-up visit, Donna reported that all of her symptoms had improved, including the burning pain and itchiness.
She had started out by using the drops 4-6 times per day but, by the time Donna returned for her follow-up, she only needed them 2-3 times per day with near-complete symptom resolution. She was now back to reading for an hour at a time without discomfort.
At first, she was hesitant about paying out-of-pocket for the PRP eye drops because she was used to her insurance covering all her medications but, at her second appointment, she was happy to purchase a refill, commenting, “This is well worth the money”.
Donna’s dry eye questionnaire showed significant improvement, confirming what she already felt about the progress she’d made from using PRP eye drops. Her score for symptoms severity went from a 12 to a 4, a 66% improvement.
“I had lost hope. It wasn’t the worst pain in the world but it was so constant that it wore me down and really took away from my ability to live the life I want to live,” she reflected at her follow-up. “I’d recommend anyone who has given up hope to try PRP eye drops. They gave me back my life.”
For more information on dry eyes and PRP eye drops, read Dry Eyes Find Relief with PRP.
Photos by Anthony Tran and Marina Vitale on Unsplash