Autologous serum or PRP?

[Guest]

Hi I was just wondering if anyone knew if one of these was better than the other - autologous serum or PRP drops? I have MGD (getting IPL for this) and reduced corneal sensitivity (probably from LASIK four years ago though never used to be a problem) so together have basically no tear film and am in so much pain!

[farmgirl]

I'm curious to know what is the difference?

[MGD1701]

I am also curious to know. No idea what PRN is. Thanks!

[Guest]

http://www.toyosclinic.com/eye-news/...-clinic-system

There is a bit of info here describing the difference but I was wondering if any clinical studies existed. I can get 3 months autologous serum eye drops in the UK for £1000 but going to Spain for PRP eye drops might be cheaper.

[farmgirl]

Hmmm...still not clear on what the difference is, just more concentrated I guess, but it sounds good. It doesn't seem to be very common probably because it is fairly new technology. Hopefully there is someone out there who has tried it and can advise. If costs are equal it sounds like it is a better product.

Here is an explanation of how PRP is produced: PRP method

Obtain WB by venipuncture in acid citrate dextrose (ACD) tubes

1. Do not chill the blood at any time before or during platelet separation.
2. Centrifuge the blood using a ‘soft’ spin.
3. Transfer the supernatant plasma containing platelets into another sterile tube (without anticoagulant).
4. Centrifuge tube at a higher speed (a hard spin) to obtain a platelet concentrate.
5. The lower 1/3^rd is PRP and upper 2/3^rd is platelet-poor plasma (PPP). At the bottom of the tube, platelet pellets are formed.
6. Remove PPP and suspend the platelet pellets in a minimum quantity of plasma (2-4 mL) by gently shaking the tube.

£1000 sounds horrifically expensive. Here is a truth. For 2 years when I had access to a centrifuge, and no access to a pharmacy that made them, I made my own serum drops. I had a friend who was a nurse. She would pull the blood for me and spin it (in her machine). Then with a sterile needle we would aspirate the serum and inject it into recapable eye drop vials at about 50% concentration with the eye drop. Those were frozen and taken out one by one as needed and they were practically free. All I had to buy was the tubes containing an anticoagulant for pulling the blood like they have in a lab. She knew what was needed, I could not have done it by myself. I never, ever had a problem and have considered buying my own centrifuge, available from amazon for under $100. All I need is to find a nurse friend willing to pull the blood (my old friend moved away)

I see that for as little as about $450 you can even buy a PRP centrifuge but that would be a different process that I am not familiar with.