Eye Drops Made From Blood a Better Option?

Written by Dr. David Evans   Last modified on August 6, 2018

When it comes to eye drops, there are a variety of different options, each having a specific purpose. Eye drops to moisten  contact lenses (I’m a regular user of these), eye drops for redness, eye drops for dryness, eye drops for infections (like Pink Eye), eye drops for eye diseases (like glaucoma), eye drops for allergies, eye drops for soreness… regardless of your eye care needs, there’s likely a slew of eye drop options available to help. Unfortunately, not everyone gets relief from eye drops. What then?

I came across an interesting article about a new advancement in the world of eye drops that’s getting some positive feedback: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) drops. These are custom eye drops that are manufactured in a lab using a patient’s own blood. Your first instinct in hearing that might be “yuck!” but bear with me.

Blood is drawn from the patient and then “spun” down in a centrifuge to create PRP. The lab then mixes the patient-derived PRP with saline and voila! you’ve got your very own custom blood-based eye drops. What makes them so special? Well, because they are created using platelets and plasma from your blood, there more like natural tears than the artificial variety you get over the counter of by prescription. What’s more, PRP drops are nutrient rich and contain growth factors that actually promote healing.

PRP drops have shown to be effective in managing conditions that include dry eye syndrome, corneal ulcers, recurrent corneal erosions and some corneal dystrophies. If you are frequently using eye drops but are concerned that you aren’t getting the relief you expect, speak with your eye doctor about PRP drops. At the moment the treatment is not cheap (the article estimates the cost of a 45-day supply at $350) and not covered by insurance. But for some people, the potential benefits could more than justify the cost.

As someone who has used eye drops for years in one capacity or another, I know that there are some fantastic products out there providing relief for a wide spectrum of eye problems. I don’t expect something like PRP drops to replace the many great products out there already, but it’s certainly an interesting new development in the growing world of regenerative medicine and I’m interested to see its evolution.

You can check out the complete article here: http://www.fox13news.com/health/142031331-story