The Amniotic Membrane is the inner most layer of the placenta that faces the developing fetus. When it come to healing properties, the amniotic membrane is legendary. Amnion has been used in medicine for over 100 years for healing wounds and burns as well as aiding grafts, preventing scarring, and even used during neurosurgery.
Recent advancements in manufacturing techniques have allowed these tissues to be cleaned and dehydrated for clinical use while retaining all of their healing properties. The result has been some amazing results for various ocular conditions!
Amniotic Membranes are positioned in office with a painless, straightforward procedure that takes less than five minutes. Typically these membranes are covered with a contact lens and the amniotic membranes are left in place for 3-5 days depending on the severity of the condition.
Conditions where these membranes are particularly useful are infections like corneal ulcers, recurrent corneal erosion (seen right), severe dry eye, ocular trauma like corneal abrasions, or chemical burns.
Risks of this procedure are very low and involve inflammation from the membrane placement on the eye. If problems present the membrane is removed and the underlying condition is treated by other means.
This procedure is not performed for mild eye disease and is instead reserved for more advanced ocular disease as an alternative to surgical intervention.
For more information on the Amniotic Membrane please visit the BioDOptix website.