What Are Serum Tears?
What Are Serum Tears?
Serum Tears, also called Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASEDs) are eye drops made from the serum component of your blood. They closely resemble your own natural tears and are used to treat dry eye and corneal conditions.
Why Use Simply Tears?
Simply Tears was created to be simple solution for patients to receive their Serum Tears quickly and easily. Our tears are preservative-free, micro-filtered, and sterile and come with easy-to-understand instructions for use.
Tell Me More About Serum Tears
Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASED’s) are eye drops that are made using the serum component of your blood diluted with sterile saline. While it may seem strange to use your blood to make eye drops, our own natural tears are made, in part, by distilled blood. Our blood and tears actually share a very similar chemical makeup. More importantly, the serum component of our blood contains healing components like vitamins, structural proteins, enzymes and growth factors that can be used to heal the cornea and ocular surface.
How Can I Get Serum Tears?
Talk With Your Eye Doctor
Once your eye doctor has recommended serum tears, they will send their order to us. Simply Tears will reach out to you immediately to schedule your blood draw.
Arrive For Your Blood Draw
Your blood draw will occur at our facility by our professionals. You do not need to fast prior to blood draw and the entire process takes about 10 minutes.
Enjoy Your Serum Tears
Your Serum Tears will be ready for pickup about an hour after your blood draw is complete. Take them home, use them, and feel the relief of using Simply Tears!
What Conditions Do Serum Tears Treat?
Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome (DES)
Non-Healing Corneal Injuries and Defects
Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency
Sjogrens and other causes of Dry Eyes
Who We Are
Simply Tears was founded in 2023 by Dr. Canaan Montgomery to provide quick, easy, and safe access to Serum Tears for patients with dry eye and corneal conditons. While Serum Tears have been used for decades by eye doctors, traditional methods of obtaining Serum Tears did not meet the quality standards that have come to be the founding principals of Simply Tears.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Serum Tears?
Serum Tears, also called Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASED’s), are eye drops that are made using the serum component of your blood diluted with sterile saline. While it may seem strange to use your blood to make eye drops, our own natural tears are made, in part, by distilled blood. Our blood and tears actually share a very similar chemical makeup. More importantly, the serum component of our blood contains healing components like vitamins, structural proteins, enzymes and growth factors that can be used to heal the cornea and ocular surface.
How Are Serum Tears Made?
A sample of blood is taken from the patient and centrifuged to remove the blood cells and isolate the clear serum. The serum is then diluted to a specific percentage indicated by your doctor using sterile saline. The ASED’s are placed into small dropper bottles for use.
How do I get Serum Tears?
Talk with your eye doctor and ask if Serum Tears are right for you. Then, your doctor will contact us with your information and we will reach out to you directly to set a time for your blood draw.
How Do I Use Serum Tears?
Your doctor will advise you on frequency of dosing, but most patients use ASED’s a minimum of three times per day and as often as every hour. Use of ASED’s range from short-term therapy lasting weeks or months, to long term therapy, depending on the condition being treated.
What Conditions Do Serum Tears Treat?
ASED’s are most commonly used in Dry Eye Syndrome, non-healing corneal defects and injuries, limbal stem cell deficiency, and systemic conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome, among others.
How Can I Travel with Serum Tears?
Serum Tears must remain cold at all times. We provide a complimentary pocket sized cold storage pack that uses small freezer packs to keep your ASEDs cold on the go!
How are Serum Tears Stored?
ASED’s contain no preservatives and must be stored frozen. One bottle at a time is kept in the refrigerator and must remain refrigerated between uses. Frozen bottles expire after four months in the freezer and must be discarded. Bottles last 7 days in the refrigerator before they must be discarded and replaced with a bottle from the freezer.
How Are Serum Tears Supplied?
Serum Tears are produced in batches which result approximately twenty-eight 2.5mL bottles. This lasts the average patient four months, although some patients may need more or less to make it a full four months, depending on frequency of dosing.
What is the Cost of Serum Tears?
A four month supply of ASED’s costs $500, which may be paid in full or, for your convenience, in four monthly installments of $125. This includes a quantity that lasts the average patient 4 months.
Does Insurance Cover Serum Tears?
Unfortunately, neither medical nor vision insurances currently cover autologus serum tears as a treatment for dry eye or corneal conditions.
How Do I Prepare for My Blood Draw?
Fasting is not required for your blood draw and most patients will have between 4-8 tubes of blood drawn, depending on the required concentration. Most patients feel fine after this small draw. For best results, try to stay hydrated and limit alcohol and fatty foods in the 24 hours before your blood draw.
How Long Does it Take to Receive My Serum Tears?
We will reach out to you as soon as we receive your doctor’s order. We will then schedule your blood draw, usually within a week. Your Serum Tears will be ready for pickup the same day as your blood draw in most cases!