Use of Autologous Serum Eyedrops for the Treatment of Ocular Surface Disease: First US Experience in a Large Population as an Insurance-Covered Benefit

Abstract

Autologous serum eyedrops (ASEs) were first reported in the treatment of ocular disease in 1975 and have since been investigated in numerous ocular surface disorders.¹ There are few studies from the United States, yet we know anecdotally that ASEs are used in tertiary care centers across the country.² The lack of publicity about ASEs in the United States is, in large part, owing to unique barriers in implementing serum eyedrops as a standard treatment modality: laboratories must follow a manufacturing protocol in compliance with regulatory measures, patients must undergo phlebotomy, and patients must cover the cost. We report here a retrospective review of the first experience with ASEs in a large US patient population as an insurance-covered benefit.