Autologous serum tears are eyedrops prepared from your own blood, and thus contain nutrients that artificial tears or medicated eye drops cannot reproduce. They have been found to be very effective for patients with dry eye, especially in patients with inflammatory diseases such as Sjogren’s Syndrome or Rheumatoid Arthritis.
After a patient’s blood is drawn, the red blood cells and clotting factors are removed. This leaves behind the “serum.” This serum is combined with a sterile, preservative-free solution that is formulated to use on the surface of the eye. The serum component of the drops contains your own growth factors and nutrients which are normally found in healthy tears. One blood draw typically yields enough tears to last 3 months for both eyes of the average patient.
Not every patient will benefit from autologous serum tears. To find out if Autologous Serum Tears are right for you, schedule an appointment with us today.
Nashua Eye Associates can prepare serum tears for you in our office on the same day. Typically, blood is drawn, centrifuged, and prepared for approximately a three month supply. Preparation takes about 45 minutes.
