Ocular Surface & Dry Eye

Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Disease in San Diego

Lasting relief from Medi Eslani, MD, FAAO (a fellowship-trained surgeon and published ocular surface researcher), using the most advanced therapies available, from autologous serum and amniotic membrane to LipiFlow and IPL.

Understanding the Problem

More than “just dry eyes”

Ocular surface disease affects how comfortable you feel and how clearly you see, and it's far more common than most people realize.

What is ocular surface disease?

Your tears aren't just water. They're a finely balanced film of water, oil, and mucus that keeps your eye smooth, clear, and comfortable. When that film breaks down (too few tears, poor-quality tears, or blocked oil glands known as meibomian gland dysfunction), the surface becomes inflamed and unstable. That's ocular surface disease (OSD); dry eye disease is its most common form.

Signs you may have it

Burning, stinging, or grittiness
A foreign-body or “sandy” feeling
Watering or reflex tearing
Fluctuating or blurry vision
Redness, irritation, tired eyes
Contact lens intolerance

For Glaucoma Patients

If you have glaucoma, your dry eye is connected

Most patients on glaucoma drops develop ocular surface disease. Years of daily drops (especially preserved ones containing BAK) inflame and damage the surface, causing burning, redness, and fluctuating vision. It can even make your glaucoma harder to monitor and your drops harder to tolerate.

The solution: fewer drops, a healthier surface

As both a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist and a published ocular surface expert, Dr. Eslani treats the whole picture. He can reduce, or even eliminate, your drop burden with SLT laser, sustained-release implants (Durysta, iDose), and MIGS, while simultaneously healing your ocular surface with advanced therapy. Very few surgeons offer this combined expertise.

Advanced Treatment

Therapies beyond eye drops

When over-the-counter drops aren't enough, Dr. Eslani offers the full range of modern, evidence-based dry eye treatment.

Targeted prescription therapy

Anti-inflammatory drops and prescription treatment to calm the surface and restore your natural tears.

LipiFlow & gland treatment

Gentle thermal pulsation that clears blocked oil (meibomian) glands, treating the most common cause of dry eye at its source.

IPL: Intense Pulsed Light

In-office light therapy that reduces inflammation and restores oil-gland function for lasting relief from evaporative dry eye.

Autologous serum tears

Custom drops made from your own blood, rich in natural healing factors, for moderate-to-severe dry eye that resists standard drops.

Amniotic membrane

A regenerative graft that rapidly heals a damaged ocular surface, reducing inflammation and scarring.

Punctal plugs & scleral lenses

Tiny plugs that preserve your natural tears, and specialty lenses that bathe the eye in moisture for severe cases.

A Foundation in the Science

Care from an ocular surface researcher

Long before he was your surgeon, Dr. Eslani helped advance the science of the ocular surface. He trained under two of the world's leading cornea and ocular surface experts, Dr. Edward Holland and Dr. Ali Djalilian, and built an internationally recognized research career in stem-cell therapy and ocular surface reconstruction.

His work on limbal stem cells, corneal healing, and amniotic membrane transplantation appears in 70+ peer-reviewed publications and the field's leading textbook. Your dry eye and ocular surface care is guided by someone at the very forefront of the field.

FAQ

Dry eye & ocular surface questions

What's the difference between dry eye and ocular surface disease?
Dry eye is the most common form of ocular surface disease, an umbrella term for conditions that disrupt the tear film and surface of the eye. Treating the whole surface, not just the symptoms, is what gives lasting relief.
I'm on glaucoma drops and my eyes burn. Is that related?
Almost certainly. Years of pressure-lowering drops, especially preserved ones, commonly cause ocular surface disease. Dr. Eslani can reduce your drop burden with SLT, sustained-release implants, or MIGS while treating the surface itself.
What is LipiFlow?
A gentle in-office treatment that warms and clears the blocked oil glands in your eyelids (the root cause of most dry eye), improving your natural tear quality.
What are autologous serum tears?
Eye drops made from your own blood serum, rich in the natural growth factors your tears contain. They are highly effective for moderate-to-severe dry eye that hasn't responded to standard drops.
How does IPL help dry eye?
Intense pulsed light applied around the eyes reduces inflammation and restores oil-gland function, providing lasting relief for evaporative dry eye and rosacea-related disease.

Stop managing dry eye. Start treating it

Get a personalized plan from a true ocular surface expert.