Patients with Dry Eye and Pain after LASIK

For over 15 years, Dr. Maskin has successfully managed all types of dry and irritated eyes. His personal one on one approach has also proved successful in diagnosing and treating dry eye after LASIK. See results of a recent study.

"Dr. Maskin was great and I appreciate the recommendation. He was able to pin point my specific dry eye problems and prioritize them for treatment. I also got a good education on dry eye and the best in depth examination ever!" ~From New Jersey

A recent lecture by Dr. Maskin on dry eye after LASIK was attended by patients with dry eye after LASIK throughout the country. Some comments include:

"Dr. Maskin did an awesome presentation on dry eyes. Very informative." ~From Florida

"The presentation by Dr. Maskin was extraordinary. I had one of those 'light bulb', 'A-HA', 'hallelujah' moments listening to Dr. Maskin describe his approach to assessing and treating patients with dry eye symptoms. His is not a one-size-fits-all philosophy. In fact, it is a time-consuming unraveling of every aspect of every symptom each individual presents with. Ultimately what happens through this process of assessment is that the patient's generalized descriptions of symptoms like 'burning and itching', gets refined through a process of discovering the details surrounding the symptoms. For instance, the patient is asked to keep a diary of each symptom detailing time of day, duration, severity, calendar date, etc. Dr. Maskin knows the exact information he needs and methodically sets out to elicit it from you through probing interviews and data gathering. The goal is to get to the bottom of what is causing that particular symptom to be so unbearable and to treat it as simply as possible. He's not big on inserting foreign bodies (aka: plugs) into the eye. Curiously, he prefers reversible cautery. Curious because I did not think cautery was reversible but apparently, what he does, is. Basically, Dr. Maskin calls a 'foul' on a garbage can diagnosis of post-LASIK dry eye with few 'fixes'. It can be treated and managed just as post-transplant dry eye is aggressively planned for, treated and managed. The problem is, it takes time...way more time, effort and digging pre and post-op than we are accustomed to receiving or requesting." ~From Michigan

"I was impressed with the step-by-step approach Dr. Maskin takes in diagnosing and treating dry eye." ~From Rockford, Illinois

Here are some more unsolicited comments regarding treatment by Dr. Maskin:

"Finally relief for my dry eyes...Thanks to Dr. Maskin in Tampa, Florida. His excellent diagnostic skills and thorough examination pinpointed my problems exactly and he was able to prioritize treatment that was individualized just for me. I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to him for his outstanding doctoring. After 9 months of suffering, I can start to enjoy life again." ~From New Jersey

"I have been under Dr. Maskin's care for a few months now for dry eyes after LASIK and I recommend him highly. Dr. Maskin starts with a complete, thorough examination and medical history.

Under Dr. Maskin's care, I finally began to understand that even though we all got to this place of dry eye misery after having LASIK, that doesn't mean that our eyes are all alike. They're not! Our eyes are as unique after LASIK as they were before LASIK.

Dr. Maskin tailors a regimen specific for each patient based on his findings during the exam. He puts a great deal of thought into each therapy he prescribes and closely tracks the patient's response. This step by step approach takes time. But remember, you are not getting the one-size-fits-all approach, so expect it to be a process.

Thanks to Dr. Maskin, I've learned what triggers my severe dry eye episodes. He taught me how to care for my eyes, how to avoid the stressors that aggravate my condition. I have accepted that this is a chronic condition that will require on-going care and therapy.

And something unexpected happened during this process...I met a "real doctor" who cares and really wants to help, a doctor who believes in the hippocratic oath. He actually called me on the phone several times to see how I was doing.

So the message is: There is hope for dry eyes after LASIK. It's not a magic pill or drop, it's in finding a good doctor who understands the eye surface, who specializes in dry eyes and complicated cases, who can analyze your situation and prescribe a personalized therapy." ~From Florida

"I have been to Dr. Maskin and got relief for my dry eyes. It took me a long time to find someone to help but if you're looking for a quick fix, there is none. It takes a good evaluation by someone who cares enough about your problem and is willing to work with you on solutions. Even then, it takes work on your part because dry eye is a lifetime complication for some of us." ~From New Jersey

Plus more comments:

"YES There is help and hope for even the most severe dry eye! I am no longer in pain! In November, I maxed out all my plastic in an act of absolute desperation, and flew down to Tampa from Illinois to see Dr. Maskin. I've has significant dry eye for my entire adult life, and have never been able to wear contact lenses. Even before I had LASIK, I had tried plugs, drops, nighttime goo, nutritional remedies, etc, etc, etc...

By the time I finally took this most recent step, my eyes had become so dry that every blink was painful, similar to the sensation of a new shoe rubbing a blister on the back of my heel. My eyelids "stuck" and I was having to make a conscious effort to blink. In the morning, I would awaken with my eyelids rubber cemented shut, even after a night of drops every two hours. I had reached a point where any kind of drops felt like acid in my eye, and I would have gone to the moon in search of relief.

Note that I'm still in the early stages of learning to manage my extreme dry eye. Dr. Maskin took a detailed, thorough health history and made an extensive (2 1/2 hours) examination of my eyes. His knowledge of systemic disease and effect is staggering (especially for a specialist). By the time we were done, we had identified as many as 12 contributing factors, each to be considered and dealt with on a step-by-step basis.

I elected to have both lower ducts cauterized. While this resulted in no greater tear volume, and tear breakup time was marginally increased from instantaneous to instantaneous plus, it has made ALL the difference in comfort in conjunction with the daily regimen I'm following. At this point, I am grateful to have finally found relief from the constant debilitating pain.

There is no secret to this treatment. Dr. Maskin took a COMPLETE HEALTH HISTORY. This means he asked about every illness, surgery, condition or treatment that I, or my immediate family members have experienced. He took a complete inventory of all my systemic physical symptoms, most having nothing to do with my eyes specifically. He noted all the medications I take, all the remedies I've tried so far, whether I use caffeine or eat chocolate. In other words, he was looking for clues as to why I have the pattern of severe dry eye that I have.

He did the usual tests, a multi-step Schirmer's, and others the names of which I can't recall. He peered into my eyes with the slit lamp, and he spent a long time looking. When he didn't find what he expected to find, he looked some more. When he found what he didn't expect to find, he looked again, from every angle with a different mental perspective. I returned for two more visits. Throughout the week, he called me to follow my progress.

With each development, he asks more questions, looks for more clues. I live in a much drier climate than he does, and the ongoing dialog is necessary to manage this chronic condition. Dr. Maskin recognizes that his patients are not stupid, and he expects them to take an active role in their ocular health. We discussed goals, both immediate and longer term. My immediate goal was to be pain free, my long term goal to be able to wear RGPs to restore my seriously aberrated vision. He is completely accessible, truly passionate about his work..." ~From Illinois

Dr. Maskin starts by going over the patients history with a fine tooth comb. So, he reviews the medical history and asks questions to get more information from the patient that might contain clues as to what's going on in the patient's daily life that is aggravating the condition. He asks a lot of questions! Then he does the exam. He is looking for anything and everything that is causing your misery. Not just that you had LASIK. He's looking for clues! Maybe you have other non-related conditions that have never been diagnosed such as iritis or scleritis or EBMD or GPC or MGD. Dr. Maskin might identify several different disorders in a single patient.

So he begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together. First, he identifies the underlying problems; second, he prioritizes them for treatment; and third, he prescribes the appropriate therapy. On subsequent visits he will evaluate the patients progress and modify the therapy accordingly.

Dr. Maskin is a problem solver for the cornea and eye surface. And he educates the patient about how to take care of their eyes. That is the end goal, to have the patient educated to the point of self treatment.

I asked Dr. Maskin if patients can benefit from one visit and he is certain that they can. If you could spend a week in Tampa that would be even better so that he could see you 3 times during the week. There's a lot to do in Tampa, bring the family or grab another dry eye patient and make a vacation of it! After the visit, Dr. Maskin can keep in touch by phone or by email to continue working with the patient." ~From Florida

"If your in the Tampa Bay, FL area, Steven Maskin MD is tremendously helpful and empathetic. He helped me with my dry eyes problem post-LASIK. My issues EBB and flow - but he's kind, caring and knows what he's talking about! Go see him!" ~From Florida