An optometrist and patient get to grips with new dry eye treatment technology, and find themselves more than pleasantly surprised by the outcomes and the return on investment for clinic and client.
Optometrist Run Yan quickly discovered the adoption of a new dry eye device and treatment protocol was a winner when he got the feedback from one of his colleagues. He soon began to see the results for himself.
The optometry partner at Specsavers Mornington Optometry and Audiology has had access to intense pulsed light (IPL) and low-level light therapy (LLLT) for dry eye disease for several months when he speaks with Insight.
The introduction of the Eye-light device by Espansione – delivering both IPL and LLLT treatments in a single machine – in June 2025 has brought a growing chorus of positive feedback from patients, but one interaction stands out.
“One colleague said she had a patient break down in tears in the chair, so overwhelmed was she with how much of a difference it made to her day-to-day life.”
The adoption of IPL and LLLT by Specsavers Mornington has been part of a major roll-out of advanced dry eye care by the optometry network.
Following a successful pilot in a small number of stores, the network was convinced of its clinical value, providing access to this service to a broader cohort. After equipping 100 stores in as many days in late 2025, it has now rolled out the devices across Australia and New Zealand quickly, with more than 140 now in place across the region.
It marks a significant evolution in Specsavers’ clinical model, which aims to improve access to advanced dry eye care for patients experiencing meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and other forms of dry eye disease.
For Yan, any early reservations were steadily eroded after the advanced dry eye therapy was rolled out. “In practice, it absolutely works.”
His view has been determined most decisively through the outcomes he is witnessing firsthand.
“If anything, it is surpassing my expectations,” Yan says. “We’ve had multiple and ongoing feedback . . . and it’s been overwhelmingly positive in terms of patients who’ve had dry eyes chronically over years to decades.”
The Specsavers Mornington practice is situated in a demographic with prevalent dry eye. Yan describes a patient base skewing older than average, with a higher burden of ocular disease.
“We sit in the late 50s, early 60s,” he explains. “We definitely serve a demographic with greater prevalence of dry eye disease.”
Due to this, advanced dry eye therapy has become a core part of first-line treatment options in managing the disease.
“Dry eye becomes more and more prevalent, particularly with hormonal changes,” he says. “In women with HRT (hormone replacement therapy) or peri-menopausal changes, the oil production just isn’t there anymore. After eye surgery as well, you see compromised ocular surfaces.”
Before the arrival of IPL and LLLT, treatment options were comparatively limited in effectiveness, he says.
“Previously it was eye drops and warm compress masks – and that was pretty much it. We’d sometimes use a temporary steroid course and then long-term lubricating drops. We didn’t really have access to anything more effective.”
A big problem was the ongoing use of those drops.
“There’s the treatment burden,” he says. “Four to six times a day, every day. There’s no break from it. Chronic conditions tend to have poorer compliance the longer it goes on.”
From Scepticism to adoption
After the IPL and LLLT device was installed at the practice in mid-June 2025, it was integrated into monthly clinical meetings, alongside hands-on training from the providers, says Yan.
That training, he notes, went beyond device operation. “They went through the science behind low-level light therapy and IPL. We also independently reviewed the literature – things like the TFOS DEWS III report and recent studies.”
The clinical model is structured and protocol-driven. All clinicians are trained, with a smaller certified team delivering treatments.
The practice has around 40 staff, including nine optometrists and three audiologists, with about a dozen of those certified to use the IPL and LLLT technology.
The device itself provides both IPL and LLLT treatments through interchangeable attachments.
Treatment typically involves a series of four sessions, spaced roughly a week apart.
“The first treatment gives modest improvement,” Yan says. “By the second, you get more sustained relief. By the third and fourth, that’s where longer-term effects build.”
Unlike routine consultations at Specsavers, IPL and LLLT are not subsidised through Medicare, and are paid for privately by the patient.
Patients may still access Medicare rebates for clinical assessments, but the therapeutic intervention itself is out-of-pocket.
Despite that, uptake has been stronger than anticipated. When Insight spoke with Yan, the practice had fully treated 85 patients over a three- to four-month period.
“We’re finding around 1% of our patients are really needing and benefitting from advanced dry eye therapy.”
Yan acknowledges that cost can influence patients’ decision-making, particularly when compared with ongoing drops. But he notes that the longer-term economics are more comparable than they initially appear.
“When you consolidate 12 months of eye drop use, it’s actually in a similar ballpark,” he says. “It’s more the upfront cost versus ongoing spend.”
Patient impacts
One of those patients is 64-year-old Joanne, who works three days a week in an office-based role heavily reliant on computer use.
“I’m pretty active,” she says. “Cleaning the house, gardening, walking, spending time with my grandchildren. We travel a fair bit.”
Her dry eye symptoms emerged gradually but became increasingly disruptive. During screen-based work, the symptoms become difficult to ignore.
“When I’m watching television or working in front of the computer, it’s very glaring,” she explains. “I get this irritable feeling in my eyes.”
Over time, her condition escalated to what she describes as severe dry eye, requiring intensive management, including eye drops “very intensely for the last two, three, maybe four years”. She caught herself installing them once an hour at times, creating an “annoying” treatment burden.
“I always have to make sure the eye drops are in my pocket or bag. If I don’t have them, I don’t think I can survive the day.”
Before starting IPL and LLLT, Joanne’s routine revolved around managing symptoms rather than resolving them. That included relying on nightly ointment due to incomplete eyelid closure during sleep.
Despite this regimen, her symptoms persisted, particularly at work and during environmental triggers like hay fever season, when she sometimes rubs her eyes and makes the irritation worse.
When Insight spoke with her, she had completed three of her four planned sessions.
“The optometrist explained the process really well,” she says. “What would happen step by step. I was comfortable with it. The process itself did not cause any pain.”
“After the first session, I did feel a difference – my eyes felt more watery.”
While she remains cautious about long-term conclusions, early signs are encouraging.
“I am not using eye drops as often,” she says. “It’s only the beginning, but I do feel some relief.”
Reduced burden
For Joanne, the most meaningful change is not complete symptom elimination, but reduced dependency.
“I still use eye drops when needed – but not as frequently. I can get through the day without constantly thinking about it,” she says.
At work, this has translated into improved comfort and focus. “That makes a big difference.”
Yan sees this kind of response as central to the value of the therapy – not necessarily curing dry eye, but reducing its daily impact.
“It’s more about treating the underlying dysfunction, rather than just supplementing tears,” he says.
Despite his initial perceptions, Yan now positions IPL and LLLT as a core part of dry eye management at Specsavers Mornington.
“It takes out the burden of compliance. That’s one of the biggest issues with eye drops. People can struggle to stick with them,” he says.
“Dry eye management isn’t just an adjunct anymore. It’s become part of our first-line management discussion.”
And while he acknowledges the early scepticism, he does not dismiss it entirely.
“I think it’s important to question new technologies,” he says.
“But also to let patient outcomes guide your thinking.”
