A short YouTube panel exchange where Dr. Bobby Osher asks Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Najafi about a new eyelid cleanser called Avenova. Dr. Najafi (glaucoma specialist and cataract surgeon) describes using Avenova preoperatively (starting five days before cataract surgery, cleaning lids/lashes twice daily) to reduce bacterial load and lower endophthalmitis risk. She characterizes the product as isotonic saline with 0.01% hypochlorous acid, FDA-cleared to remove bacteria, fast-acting (kills MRSA within 60 seconds with ~99.9% reduction), with anti-biofilm, anti-toxin and anti-lipase activity, and contrasts it with soaps/detergents and antibiotic resistance concerns. A brief before/after patient photo example is mentioned.
Questions this video answers
0.01% hypochlorous acid (in isotonic saline).
Five days before surgery.
Twice a day.
Kills MRSA within 60 seconds with a 99.9% reduction.
Yes — FDA clearance to remove bacteria.
Chapters
Bacteria or some bug that we just can't treat. And you saw what happened with Ebola. This is what's going to happen if we don't come up with some new anti infectives. And this is a particularly interesting product that they've developed. I'll let Katie tell you about it, but the question I'm going to ask her is how does this new eyelid cleaner which you call Avinova, I just got the name, I guess last week. How's this different from other options that we currently use to treat blepharitis?
Thank you Dr. Osher, for the opportunity to be here. My name is Catherine Najafi Tagolo. I'm a glaucoma specialist and a cataract surgeon. And I can tell you as a cataract surgeon, one of my biggest fears for patients is endophthalmitis. And one of my goals is to prevent endophthalmitis. And I always reference this key publication from Dr. Mark speaker that the bacteria that's usually found in 82% of the cases that he studied, the bacteria that was found in the vitreal tap, was genetically identical to the bacteria found on the lids, lashes and the conjunctiva and even the nose. So reduction of bacterial load and bacterial flora I think plays a key role in reduction of post op infections. And we also know blepharitis has been implicated as a risk factor for post op infections. And we know blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction is a very chronic, multifactorial, tough disease to treat. And this is really one of those pre existing conditions that I point to. Patients that they have blepharitis, they have meibomian gland disease, their vision, their quality of vision could be affected by this. And I always try to treat it preoperatively. And for my cataract patients, I actually have, in general, all my cataract patients start using this new product called Avenova Eyelid Cleanser. Starting five days before surgery. I actually have them clean their lids and lashes twice a day. But really what's unique about this product is that it's a wound cleanser, it's a skin and wound cleanser and we have FDA clearance to remove bacteria. It's a great way to remove debris from lids and lashes. And it's such a fast acting product that it doesn't lead to resistant bacteria, which is what Dr. Osher was alluding to that, you know, we're waiting kind of to see one of these really tough bacteria, multi drug resistant bacteria, so we don't see drug resistance with this product. In addition, it has anti biofilm and antitoxin activities. So what's unique, what's different about this product? Well, it's not a soap, it's not a detergent. It doesn't have 30 different ingredients. It's isotonic saline and pure 0.01% hypochlorous acid. And hypochlorous acid as a molecule has been around for eons. It actually was produced by our own neutrophils. It's part of the oxidative burst chemicals that are released, and our bodies use it all the time to fight infections. And basically it's what the neutrophils release and our body is used to seeing it. However, it pokes a great hole in the bacterial wall and it's quite effective. And this has been published in literature extensively. I think what I want to also point point to you is that the bacterial reduction that we see in solution is amazing. It kills MRSA within 60 seconds, we get 99.9% reduction, as well as pseudomonas, propionibacterium, acne, vancomycin, resistant, Enterococcus haemophilus, gram positive strep, staph, strep. Just about everything we've cultured, we've tested has actually been active. And the other unique feature is that it has anti lipase and antitoxin activity. And this is actually going to be presented at arvo, and that's unique to our product. None of the other eyelid cleansers have this. And we know lipase is generated by the staff patients that are colonized with staphylococcus with blepharitis. And so reduction of the lipase activity helps improve their tear function. I'd just like to share a couple of my patients quickly. This is a before and after picture. The first patient actually received Maxitrol and drops and ointments. And I actually had him use baby shampoo. After a month, he came back. The picture on the right hand side, you can see the debris on the lids and lashes. And then the picture on the other side is after use of Avinova. Thank you very much for your attention.
