In October 2025, energy-based medical device company, Lumenis, convened a panel of leading eye care professionals to explore how technology and earlier intervention are reshaping the management of dry eye disease. In the session, “A New Era of Dry Eye Management: A Targeted Approach to a Multifactorial Disease,” moderator Cory Lappin was joined by Laura Periman and Celesta Ferreira to discuss the latest diagnostic and therapeutic advances redefining the specialty.
Panelists underscored that dry eye is rarely a single-etiology condition. Environmental, anatomical, and systemic factors often overlap, making comprehensive evaluation essential.
“Dry eye is so often the and, not the or,” said Lappin. “Every patient is different, and each contributing factor needs to be identified and addressed to achieve lasting relief.”
Identifying “mischief makers” — from digital device use to sleep quality and systemic disease — requires a combination of patient history, lifestyle assessment, and modern diagnostics such as meibography, osmolarity testing, and corneal staining, explained Periman.
A key emerging contributor to DED is lower eyelid laxity, which can destabilize tear flow and double the likelihood of severe ocular surface symptoms. The panel highlighted device-based treatments that go beyond symptom control to target root causes. OptiLIGHT IPL was repeatedly cited as a “cornerstone” therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and ocular rosacea, while dynamic muscle stimulation (DMSt) was described as an innovative tool for improving lid tone and blink function.
Ferreira emphasized the importance of proactive screening for all age groups. “If their face fits in my meibographer, they’re getting scanned,” she said, warning the gathered audience that “you are missing probably 50% of those with the condition if you're just waiting for them to present.”
The panel urged clinicians to treat dry eye as a dedicated specialty rather than an add-on service. Integrating technology like OptiLIGHT can reduce drop dependence, improve outcomes, and support financially sustainable care models. “My new intake exam is an hour long because I get reimbursed for what I do,” Lappin noted. "You can see fewer patients, spend more time with them, and still make it work financially."
Looking ahead, panelists expect a new wave of therapies addressing inflammation, lid laxity, and blink impairment in tandem. They stressed that cross-specialty collaboration — with rheumatologists, endocrinologists, and primary care physicians — will be key to holistic ocular surface health.
“We had band-aids,” Lappin concluded, “but now we’re starting to drill down into what’s really driving disease.”
Source: https://lumenis.com.
Panelists underscored that dry eye is rarely a single-etiology condition. Environmental, anatomical, and systemic factors often overlap, making comprehensive evaluation essential.
“Dry eye is so often the and, not the or,” said Lappin. “Every patient is different, and each contributing factor needs to be identified and addressed to achieve lasting relief.”
Identifying “mischief makers” — from digital device use to sleep quality and systemic disease — requires a combination of patient history, lifestyle assessment, and modern diagnostics such as meibography, osmolarity testing, and corneal staining, explained Periman.
A key emerging contributor to DED is lower eyelid laxity, which can destabilize tear flow and double the likelihood of severe ocular surface symptoms. The panel highlighted device-based treatments that go beyond symptom control to target root causes. OptiLIGHT IPL was repeatedly cited as a “cornerstone” therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and ocular rosacea, while dynamic muscle stimulation (DMSt) was described as an innovative tool for improving lid tone and blink function.
Ferreira emphasized the importance of proactive screening for all age groups. “If their face fits in my meibographer, they’re getting scanned,” she said, warning the gathered audience that “you are missing probably 50% of those with the condition if you're just waiting for them to present.”
The panel urged clinicians to treat dry eye as a dedicated specialty rather than an add-on service. Integrating technology like OptiLIGHT can reduce drop dependence, improve outcomes, and support financially sustainable care models. “My new intake exam is an hour long because I get reimbursed for what I do,” Lappin noted. "You can see fewer patients, spend more time with them, and still make it work financially."
Looking ahead, panelists expect a new wave of therapies addressing inflammation, lid laxity, and blink impairment in tandem. They stressed that cross-specialty collaboration — with rheumatologists, endocrinologists, and primary care physicians — will be key to holistic ocular surface health.
“We had band-aids,” Lappin concluded, “but now we’re starting to drill down into what’s really driving disease.”
Source: https://lumenis.com.
