BostonSight’s Dr. Karen G. Carrasquillo Promoted to Senior Vice President, Clinical and Professional Affairs

Expanded role will include developing BostonSight’s Educational Center of Excellence Dr. Karen G. Carrasquillo Needham, Mass. –June 7, 2022 – BostonSight®, a nonprofit eye healthcare organization and research center dedicated to saving sight and improving quality of life for patients, announced today that Karen G. Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Clinical and Professional Affairs.  Dr. Carrasquillo previously served as Vice President, Clinical and Professional Affairs. In this expanded role, Dr. Carrasquillo will build upon BostonSight’s educational initiatives by developing BostonSight’s educational center of excellence, which will provide education on scleral lenses and the treatment of ocular surface diseases. She will have broad responsibility for the development and growth of global market knowledge and demand for BostonSight lenses, treatments, innovations, research, and technologies. “Dr. Carrasquillo’s passion and drive to educate, raise awareness, and promote our work has been a key driver in elevating BostonSight’s reputation to a well-recognized, supportive, and collaborative organization,” said Sara Yost, BostonSight President and CEO. “Her unwavering commitment to BostonSight’s mission and vision has created a bridge to the international scleral lens community.” Dr. Carrasquillo has a remarkable resume. She has contributed a vast amount of knowledge to the scleral lens industry based on her years of clinical and medical device design experience. In 2015, she led BostonSight in the research and development of the patented BostonSight SCLERAL FitKit®. She has been vital to the product’s success over the past 5 years and continues to lead product [...]

2024-04-03T12:25:28-04:00June 7, 2022|Press Release, PROSE|
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BostonSight Continues PROSE Provider Network Expansion with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Increasing Access to Life-Changing Treatment that Saves Sight in People with Severe Corneal Disease BostonSight® announced today they welcomed The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as the newest PROSE® Provider Network site along with Drs. Chantelle Mundy, OD, and Stephanie Pisano, OD. With the addition of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, the BostonSight PROSE Provider Network now includes 19 sites in four countries. PROSE by BostonSight is a medical treatment that saves sight in individuals with ocular surface disease. For many people, PROSE is often their only option to restore visual function and end suffering from critical and devastating eye issues resulting from complications of severe dry eye, keratoconus, ocular GVHD, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, corneal damage or injury, and other corneal diseases. PROSE treatment teams include cornea specialist ophthalmologists and optometrists who have completed an intensive BostonSight PROSE Clinical Fellowship. During treatment, doctors customize prosthetic lens devices from gas-permeable polymers for each patient’s condition and unique eye shape. PROSE teams work in partnership with the patients’ other medical providers to ensure that treatment manages the underlying eye condition. “At BostonSight we continue to expand our network of PROSE providers so that more patients can access this life-changing treatment,” said Sara Yost, BostonSight President and CEO. “With the addition of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, we can help more patients in central Ohio and beyond. We are excited to welcome Dr. Mundy and Dr. Pisano, and the Wexner Medical Center team, to the PROSE Network.” Dr. Chantelle Mundy [...]

2024-04-03T11:57:42-04:00May 23, 2022|Press Release, PROSE|
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How to Put in Eye Drops

Numerous eye health conditions require treatment with eye drops. Depending on your symptoms and diagnosis, various formulations may be recommended by your healthcare provider. Some eye drops are purchased over-the-counter whereas others require a prescription. While the use of eye drops to treat eye health problems might seem simple at first, many people find the use of eye drops more difficult in practice. Our BostonSight® PROSE patients are more than familiar with these challenges as most first-line treatments for eye conditions require the use of some type of eye drops. In fact, research has shown that even experienced eye drop users often are ineffective with their applications. To best treat your condition, it’s important to use your eye drops as directed by your physician. The National Institutes of Health provides a fact sheet with photos and offers these additional tips to use drops safely and correctly. Putting in eye drops – tips  Wash your hands before using eye drops, to prevent dirt or germs from getting into your eye. Tilt your head back and gently pull your lower eyelid down. Look up. Hold the bottle close to your eye, but do not let it touch your eye. Squeeze the eye drops into your lower eyelid, again without touching your eye. Let go of your eyelid and close your eyes (do not squeeze them shut). To prevent eye drops from leaking into your nose and throat, gently apply pressure to the inner corner of your eye. Use a clean, separate tissue to blot each eye if needed. Keep [...]

2022-10-12T14:32:57-04:00December 17, 2021|Blog Posts, SCLERAL, PROSE|
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BostonSight PROSE Gives Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Survivor Her ‘Freedom Back’

For almost 20 years, Lindsay Hendrix’s poor ocular health limited what she could do and where she could go. After surviving toxic epidermal necrolysis (a severe allergic reaction that is fatal to 30% of those who contract it) at age 10, her ability to enjoy life on any given day was dictated by the condition of her eyes. In grade school, her main symptoms were excessive tearing and severe light sensitivity. BostonSight PROSE patient, Lindsay Hendrix “I had a really hard time,” remembers Lindsay. “I had red puffy eyes and looked like I was crying all of the time. I was embarrassed.” Lindsay tried BostonSight PROSE treatment but, “had a difficult time inserting the prosthetic device, and the idea of shoving a piece of plastic into my irritated eye confused and scared me. Dr. Jacobs and I weighed the pros and cons and decided I didn’t need PROSE yet.” Despite her challenges, Lindsay earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy and joined the adult working world. But her eyes got worse, and around 2014 her symptoms changed. “My main issue was dryness; it felt like someone was holding a fan in front of my eyeball.” Her left eye dried out each day, and by early evening it would completely close. Over time, her eye began to close earlier and earlier in the day. Soon Lindsay could no longer drive at night. She began to worry about her future, and the future of her eyes. When Lindsay became engaged to [...]

2024-04-03T12:12:07-04:00December 13, 2021|Blog Posts, PROSE|
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Dr. Karen Carrasquillo publishes case report in Contamac’s Global Insight

Dr. Karen Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, and VP of Professional and Clinical Affairs, published a case report in Contamac's Global Insight on September 30. Titled "Refitting Success: Reducing Suction and Maximizing Oxygen Permeability," Dr. Carrasquillo recounts the case of a 60-year-old woman with a history of keratoconus and dry eye syndrome in both eyes, history of corneal scraping in the left eye 25 years prior, history of post hydrops left eye, and questionable potential history of amblyopia left eye. Despite a good lens fit, the patient reported pressure sensation with device wear and difficulty with device removal at the end of the day. These symptoms are traditionally associated with lens compression and suction with increased wear time. Read the case report to see how Dr. Carrasquillo modified the lens design so that the patient was able to achieve 20/25+2 best corrected visual acuity with an average comfortable daily wear of up to 12 hours.

2024-04-03T12:32:17-04:00October 4, 2021|In the Media, SCLERAL, PROSE|
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BostonSight PROSE Preserved Our Son’s Vision

Sometimes fate has a way of playing a part in our lives. Dave Seyfert was studying to be an English teacher when, during his last year of college, a bell choir came to his college to perform. The choir comprised of children with Down Syndrome and Dave was immediately taken with their performance. His interest in special education began that day. He completed a master’s degree in special education and was certified to teach children with visual impairments, and a few years later earned a second master’s degree at Boston College in orientation and mobility.  While earning this degree, Dave lived, worked, and took classes at Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. Today, Dave’s an orientation and mobility specialist who works with blind and low-vision children in schools and communities throughout Long Island. He teaches daily living skills including advanced travel training. Pre-pandemic he’d take children into New York City for trips to Kennedy Airport, the Bronx Zoo, and the Met Cloisters Museum.  Once training is complete, the children may have 200 hours of subway travel, for instance, under their belt. “I’ve taught children with visual impairments for almost 40 years,” says Dave. “I’ve worked closely with ophthalmologists and optometrists and taught many students throughout their public-school careers so they can live more independently.” For someone without vision issues himself, Dave knows more about the effects of vision loss on daily living than most people. In 2006, Dave’s son was diagnosed with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1), a [...]

2022-10-12T14:33:58-04:00July 1, 2021|PROSE, Blog Posts|
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How PROSE Restored a Patient’s Sight

Courtesy of the University of Southern California. The original article appears in Medical Express  Three years ago, an outside clinic diagnosed Maria Contreras with keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease that causes thinning and bulging of the cornea. Though the clinic followed her for years, Maria saw no improvement in her vision and continued to suffer from poorly corrected irregular astigmatism, a lack of depth perception, and significantly decreased vision in both eyes. Her deteriorating vision was affecting her daily activities, especially at night. She was even told by her doctor that she might have to give up her driver's license. "Eventually, I knew their treatment wasn't working and I needed to do my own research," Maria said. "There had to be other options for me." A friend, who'd received treatment for a similar condition at the USC Roski Eye Institute, recommended that Maria schedule a consultation with Dr. Gloria Chiu. Dr. Chiu is an optometrist who focuses on prescribing specialty contact lenses for various eye conditions, including keratoconus. Although the prevalence of the eye disease ranges from about 1-4% globally, a high volume of patients who seek care and treatment from Dr. Chiu have this condition. With Maria's diagnosis established, Dr. Chiu learned that Maria had only been prescribed glasses to correct her vision. "This surprised me because for many keratoconus patients, glasses don't work adequately once the condition becomes more advanced and the eye shape has become distorted," said Dr. Chiu. "This is when specialty contact lenses or scleral [...]

2024-03-19T08:50:26-04:00June 24, 2021|In the Media, PROSE|
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BostonSight Expands Professional Roles of Needham, MA, PROSE Treatment Providers

New Roles Reflect Contributions to BostonSight’s Mission Needham, Mass. –April 20, 2021 – BostonSight®, a nonprofit eye healthcare organization and research center dedicated to saving sight and improving quality of life for patients, announced today they have expanded the roles of their Needham, MA, PROSE™ Treatment providers. The new roles reflect the providers’ commitment to the organization’s mission to further education and research that will benefit eye care practitioners and improve patient care.  Each practitioner will continue to provide exceptional patient-centered care at the Needham, MA, clinic. Dr. Alan Kwok, OD, FAAO, FSLS has been named Director of PROSE Network Clinical Relationships. Dr. Kwok is responsible for organizing, developing, and supporting educational initiatives with PROSE Network Providers across the country, and promoting a better understanding of PROSE Treatment and the ocular surface.     Dr. Bita Asghari, OD, FAAO has been named Associate Director of Clinical Education. Dr. Asghari is passionate about furthering clinical education through publications, seminars, and webinars.  She recently published a patient case study in Contamac’s Global Insight, where she discussed correcting higher-order aberrations in a patient fit with scleral lenses. Dr. Asghari was also nominated as a 2021 Top Doc by the National Keratoconus Foundation.   Dr. Chirag Patel, OD, FAAO has been named Associate Director of Innovative Technologies.  Dr. Patel has a keen interest in product development and technology, including lens design. He is currently working on product initiatives and is helping to launch BostonSight’s Smart360™ empirical fitting technology early this summer.     About BostonSight® [...]

2024-04-03T12:01:26-04:00April 20, 2021|Press Release, PROSE|
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Airline Cabin Air Negatively Impacts Dry Eye: Strategies for Coping

Many of us travel by plane for business or pleasure. With COVID vaccines ramping up, it’s expected we’ll see airline travel begin to increase soon. If you have dry eye or use BostonSight PROSE devices or scleral lenses, air travel can be challenging due to the recirculated dry cabin air. A little extra planning and preparation before catching a flight can help ensure a safe and comfortable vacation without interruption from eye health concerns. Impact on your dry eye symptoms If you have dry eye and have traveled by plane, you probably noticed an impact on your symptoms. A March 2013 study in the Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science journal took a close look at the impact of in-flight cabin air on dry eye disease. Researchers developed a controlled environment to simulate airline cabin conditions (23°C, 5% relative humidity, localized airflow, and 750 mb of barometric pressure) as well as a standard controlled environment for comparison (23°C, 45% relative humidity, and 930 mb). Study subjects with diagnosed dry eye disease spent time in these environments. Before and after the exposures, subjects answered dry eye symptom questionnaires and underwent diagnostic tests to determine the environmental impact on their eyes. After exposure to the airline cabin environment, dry eye patients were more symptomatic and experienced a decrease in tear stability and volume. Based on these findings, researchers advise dry eye patients to use therapeutic strategies to minimize the impact of air travel on their eyes. Simple strategies Some suggestions for more comfortable [...]

2024-04-03T14:17:59-04:00March 8, 2021|Blog Posts, PROSE|
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PROSE Patient, Alyssa Carfi, is Inspired to Support Others Through the Brave Minds Project

Alyssa Carfi had a brainstem cavernoma, a condition where blood vessels are clustered together, and in her case, lodged deep in her brainstem. The condition caused bleeding in her brainstem three times: when she was 12, 15, and 18 years old.  On the third occurrence, her doctors knew they had to try to remove it before it caused further damage.  Just three days after graduating high school, Alyssa went in for surgery. Alyssa, standing, with Dr. Michelle Lee, and a PROSE patient who received financial support from Brave Minds. Based on their location, brainstem cavernomas can cause significant surgical challenges. Alyssa’s cavernoma bled near her 6th and 7th cranial nerves, which affected her right eye and smile. Following her surgery, Alyssa’s right eye rotated in toward her nose, and she had facial paralysis, affecting her eyelid and ability to open and close her right eye. She underwent strabismus surgery to center her eye, and had weights put into her upper lid to help with the closure, but she was still unable to blink, leaving her right eyelid permanently open, day and night. This left her eye exposed to debris, sun, and wind, causing irritation and dryness, and risk of ongoing damage and pain. For two years, Alyssa used eye drops and serums constantly. She would go through a large box of drops in days. She and her family saw more than 10 doctors at various hospitals and in various states, looking for a better way to live. She [...]

2024-04-04T13:53:44-04:00January 29, 2021|PROSE, Blog Posts|
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