Infusion Therapy for Thyroid Eye Disease

Treatment for TED symptoms

FlexCare helps our patients get infusion therapy for thyroid eye disease, faster. If you are seeking TED treatment for the first time, or have been denied treatment, contact a member of our team.

Thyroid Eye Disease Medications available at FlexCare Infusion Centers.

Tepezza

 

Why Seek Treatment?

Thyroid eye disease (TED) results in damage to the muscles and fatty tissue behind the eyes, causing swelling, pain, redness, double vision, watering or dryness, and bulging eyes (proptosis). Thyroid eye disease can be treated with a range of over-the-counter medications and prescription oral medications. However, infusion therapy for thyroid eye disease may be recommended for more severe cases.

What Is Thyroid Eye Disease?

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an autoimmune disorder that most commonly develops as a secondary disorder of Graves’ disease. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that results in the enlargement of the thyroid, inducing excess secretion of the thyroid hormone. In other cases, TED may develop due to an overactive (hyper) or underactive (hypo) thyroid.

TED develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the muscles and fatty tissues behind the eyes. And while the exact cause of TED is unknown, researchers believe that the proteins in the tissue around the eyes mimic that of the thyroid gland, causing antibodies to attack the area.

Some individuals may have a genetic susceptibility for TED, especially those with a family history or who have an autoimmune disease. Additionally, smokers and women have a greater risk of developing thyroid eye disease.

Thyroid Eye Disease Symptoms

Thyroid eye disease can cause a number of uncomfortable symptoms ranging in severity. Some of the signs and symptoms of TED include:

  • Swelling of the eyelids
  • Redness surrounding the eye
  • Double vision
  • Irritation and a “gritty” feeling
  • Pain behind the eyes
  • Watery or dry eyes
  • Bulging eyes (proptosis)
  • Difficulty closing the eyes

In extreme cases, thyroid eye disease can lead to blindness. It’s important that individuals with TED receive treatment to manage their symptoms.

Diagnosing and Treating Thyroid Eye Disease

Your doctor may perform several tests if you are experiencing symptoms of thyroid eye disease.

Tests may include:

  • Blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels
  • CT scans to examine the eye
  • Ultrasound of the eye

Treatment for thyroid eye disease varies per individual depending on the severity of symptoms. Those with mild TED may wear darkening glasses to address light sensitivity or use artificial tears to combat dryness. Eyepatches may be worn to help reduce double vision.

In more severe cases, corticosteroids (medications to reduce swelling) may be prescribed. However, these medications do not treat eye bulging. In extreme cases, orbital decompression surgery may be performed to reposition the eye and return it to a more natural position. This is often performed for individuals who are at a risk of blindness or significant vision loss caused by optic nerve pressure.

Infusion therapy for thyroid eye disease is now an option for people suffering from TED. Unlike other treatments for thyroid eye disease, TEPEZZA therapy is administered directly into the bloodstream and treats both the cause and the symptoms of TED. Many people have had a significant reduction of proptosis (eye bulging) after completing a thyroid eye disease infusion course.

Get Started with Infusion Therapy for Thyroid Eye Disease

 

For Patients Seeking Treatment

If your doctor recommends infusion therapy as a treatment for thyroid eye disease, ask them to send a referral to FlexCare Infusion Centers. We are industry leaders for second course thyroid eye disease IV approvals, and help our patients receive the treatment they need faster than other leading infusion centers.

For Referring Providers

If you’d like to refer a TED patient to FlexCare Infusion Centers, complete a referral form and fax or email it to our intake team.

Have Questions?

If you have any questions about thyroid eye disease or infusion therapy, contact us directly. We look forward to helping you on your journey to better health.

Makenna joined FlexCare in 2021 as the Managing Nurse Practitioner in Birmingham. In 2023, she assumed the role of National Director of Clinical Services. Makenna oversees protocol optimization, patient safety, and clinical procedures.

Makenna holds an MSN and FNP-C certification from Samford University. Previously, Makenna worked as an ENT nurse before earning her certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) in 2018.

Makenna is married to Wes, and together they have two cats, Ralphie and Beans. She enjoys going to concerts, trying new restaurants, playing trivia and board games with friends, and has recently taken up skateboarding as a hobby.

Heather joined FlexCare in 2020 and led the development of the Intake team before taking over Revenue Cycle Management in 2022. Heather has 10 years of medical RCM experience in ambulatory, specialty pharmacy, and home infusion. Previously, Heather was the Assistance Director of RCM in Intake for a Specialty Pharmacy and Home Infusion service in Kansas. 

Currently, Heather oversees RCM for FlexCare’s ambulatory infusion services and specialty pharmacy. She lives in Olathe, KS with her husband and two children.

Rebekkah joined FlexCare Infusion Centers in 2019 as a Managing Nurse Practitioner and Specialty Biologics Clinical Reviewer before assuming the role of Director of Patient Access in 2022. Rebekkah heads FlexCare’s industry-leading Intake team and ensures FlexCare patients experience the shortest time to treatment.

Rebekkah graduated from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where she earned her Master of Science Degree in Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner emphasis. She has over 16 years of experience in patient care and is passionate about infusion therapy and best serving our patients.

Rebekkah lives in Oklahoma City with her 3 kids and her dog. When she’s not keeping busy with her kids, you can find her in her craft room.

Matt is an acute care Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of committed service to the patients in his community. Matt joined FlexCare in 2021 as a Managing Nurse Practitioner and led the launch of the first FlexCare location in Alabama before assuming the role of Vice President of Operations in 2023.

Matt received his BSN from Auburn University before earning his MSN from Vanderbilt University. His experience includes Intensive Care, Transplant Medicine, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Outpatient Care. Prior to joining FlexCare, Matt developed and launched two new service lines for an outpatient cardiology group in Alabama.

Matt and his wife Rachel reside in Birmingham, AL with their two pets, Addie and Jenkins.

Austin joined FlexCare in 2020 as a software consultant before assuming the role of Vice President of Technology in 2021. He led the initiative to build a custom-developed enterprise software solution that supports and enhances FlexCare’s vital Intake team, and later led the projects to create data and reporting systems to support all departments. He oversees FlexCare’s software, data, IT, and communications projects.

Austin graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in mechanical engineering. His focus on electromechanical systems quickly led to a passion for automation and building software and data solutions. After gaining experience as a software and applications engineer, he started a software consulting company and has launched several enterprise web, desktop, and mobile applications.

Austin lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Skye, and two kids. In his free time, you can find him on the running trail, golf course, or playing games and sports with his family and friends.

Rick’s professional trajectory took him into leadership just 3 years after obtaining his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from the University of Arizona. His desire to be a business leader in the world of pharmaceuticals and operations drove him to complete two post-graduate residencies in Milwaukee, WI, with a heavy concentration on administration leadership.  Rick was selected to represent the state of Wisconsin in a joint venture with the state of Iowa at the 2007 Young Pharmacy Leaders Conference.  

After a successful launch to his career in Milwaukee, WI, Rick returned to Arizona to be closer to his extended family.  In Arizona, he oversaw all pharmaceutical operations of the hospital-based outpatient clinics at HonorHealth, where he met his future business partner, Mark Kharoufeh.  Rick and Mark co-founded InfuseAble Care in Scottsdale, AZ, in 2020.  When FlexCare acquired InfuseAble Care in 2021, Rick transitioned to EVP of Pharmacy, leading the supply chain and procurement initiatives across the enterprise.  With the recent acquisition of a specialty pharmacy, Rick extended his purview to include oversight of this valuable service line.

Rick currently resides in Scottsdale, AZ with his wife.  His son attends Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ.

Mark began his journey in healthcare almost 30 years ago as a pediatric oncology nurse at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. His evolution in healthcare through various clinical, leadership, and executive roles and a passion for customer service led him down a successful path of business operations. In 2012, Mark was a finalist for AZ Business Magazine’s “Healthcare Professional of the Year” for his leadership in an all-inclusive care under one roof ambulatory healthcare service model. Mark obtained his MBA from Grand Canyon University in 2015 and completed the University of Arizona Eller Executive Leadership Program in 2019. 

Mark’s dedication to enhancing access to healthcare and a model that always places the patients and their caregivers at the center of every visit was the impetus for teaming up with Rick Yerondopoulos and establishing InfuseAble Care in November 2020. Through Mark and Rick’s reputation in Arizona for reliable and service-oriented healthcare, InfuseAble Care’s brand quickly became the trusted ambulatory infusion center for physicians to refer their patients to around the state. Mark and Ricks’s goals of scaling InfuseAble Care nationally came to fruition upon meeting Aaron Smith, Callie Turk, and Adam Midkiff of FlexCare and RC Capital and ultimately joined FlexCare Infusion via acquisition in December 2021.

Since uniting with FlexCare to provide a reimagined infusion experience across the country, FlexCare has grown to 30 ambulatory centers across three states.

Mark currently resides in Litchfield Park, AZ with his wife, two sons, daughter, and labradoodle Eevee. 

Adam joined FlexCare in 2023, though he has been involved with the organization from the early stages. He is excited by FlexCare’s mission to provide better access and high-quality care to patients in cost appropriate settings. Prior to joining FlexCare, Adam was a private equity investor with RC Capital, and he helped architect the partnership between FlexCare and RC. Prior to Adam’s experience in healthcare private equity, he was an investment banker in New York City and involved in numerous M&A and capital raising transactions.

Adam currently resides in Cincinnati, OH with his wife and two kids. He serves on the board of the Cincinnati Healthcare Professionals Network, a group of healthcare leaders with a common goal to advance healthcare innovation within the Cincinnati ecosystem. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in finance. In his spare time, Adam can be found on a soccer field or a golf course.

Jack joined FlexCare in 2023, after most recently serving as CFO and COO of Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions in Central Ohio. Lighthouse focuses on improving the lives of those suffering from substance abuse disorder by combining a suite of services in an outpatient setting along with recovery housing. Prior to Lighthouse, Jack had stints in corporate accounting and finance roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Omnicare, and Procter & Gamble. Additionally, he embarked on an entrepreneurial journey over the last decade, beginning with a hospitality business that has grown from a single, urban sports bar to 8 bar, restaurant, and brewery locations opened in 10 years. He also opened and sold a boutique fitness studio.

Jack graduated from Miami University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. He resides in Cincinnati, OH, where he can often be found on the golf course or trying to stay active by chasing around his young kids with his wife, Anna.