Artificial tears, warm compresses, and prescription drops help many people manage dry eye. For others, the surface of the eye stays irritated no matter how many bottles they go through. When dry eye progresses to the point where the cornea is inflamed or damaged, your eye doctor may recommend a treatment called Prokera.
Prokera is a biologic corneal bandage made from amniotic membrane tissue. It rests on the eye for several days, giving the ocular surface a protected environment to repair itself.
Keep reading to learn more about Prokera and find out whether it could help you find relief from dry eye!
What Is Prokera Made Of?
Prokera consists of a thin layer of amniotic membrane held in a flexible ring, similar in shape to a large contact lens. Amniotic membrane is the innermost layer of the placenta, the tissue that surrounds and protects a baby during pregnancy. It contains natural proteins that calm inflammation and limit scarring.
The tissue comes from healthy mothers who consent to donate after planned C-section births in the United States. Donors undergo medical, physical, and social screening under FDA and American Association of Tissue Banks requirements. The membrane is then cryopreserved, a freezing process that preserves its biological components. The FDA has cleared Prokera as a therapeutic device for ocular surface disease.
How Prokera Helps Dry Eye
Long-term dry eye does more than make your eyes feel gritty. Without a stable tear film, the cornea’s outer layer, called the epithelium, can begin to break down. Small areas of damage trigger inflammation, and inflammation makes the tear film even less stable. This cycle can continue for months.
Prokera interrupts that cycle. The amniotic membrane covers the damaged surface, shields it from blinking friction, and releases anti-inflammatory compounds while the cornea’s own cells regrow. After treatment, many patients report that their eyes feel noticeably more comfortable, and the cornea often looks smoother and healthier on exam.
What to Expect During Prokera Treatment
Placement happens during a regular office visit and takes only a few minutes. Your eye doctor numbs the eye with drops, then slides the ring under your eyelids so the membrane sits over the cornea. A few things are normal while it is in place:
- You may feel like something is in your eye, especially during the first day.
- Vision in the treated eye is usually blurry.
- The membrane gradually dissolves over several days, and your eye doctor removes the ring at a follow-up visit.
Prokera comes in several versions. One has a clear central opening so you can see during treatment, and another uses a double layer of tissue for eyes that need more intensive healing.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Prokera?
Eye doctors usually consider Prokera when first-line treatments have not provided enough relief. You may be a candidate if you have moderate to severe dry eye with signs of corneal damage, persistent inflammation, or symptoms that return quickly after other therapies. Because Prokera treats surface damage, not the underlying cause of poor tear production, eye doctors pair it with ongoing care, such as prescription drops, to keep the cornea healthy afterward.
The same device also treats other ocular surface problems, including keratitis, chemical burns, and slow-healing corneal defects such as corneal abrasions.
Schedule a Dry Eye Consultation at Stahl Eyecare Experts
Finding the right dry eye treatment starts with a close look at your tear film, eyelids, and corneal surface. The experienced eye doctors at Stahl Eyecare Experts evaluate how quickly you produce tears, their concentration, and how you blink, then match your treatment to their findings.
Are your dry eye drops no longer giving you relief? Schedule an appointment at Stahl Eyecare Experts in Manhattan, NY, today.
