What is Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)?
Thyroid eye disease, or TED, is a rare condition where the muscles and fatty tissues behind the eye become inflamed. This inflammation causes the eyes to bulge forward and outwards, causing symptoms such as double vision, eye pain, swelling, and redness.
How is Thyroid Eye Disease Diagnosed and Treated?
To examine vision and tissue around the eye, doctors typically will perform several tests, including vision testing, color vision testing, visual fields, eyelid measurements, eye pressure readings, checking the optic nerves, and sometimes photographs. The treatment options for thyroid eye disease include corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory medications, radiation, biologic infusion therapies such as Tepezza, and surgery. A combination of these treatments may be needed to protect vision.
How Does IV Infusion Therapy for Thyroid Eye Disease Work?
A nurse will take you to an infusion chair and place an IV in your arm. The first two infusions will last for an estimated 90 minutes and the remaining six infusions should last around 60 minutes.
Many thyroid eye disease patients choose to get their IV infusion treatment through a freestanding treatment center, such as IVX Health. TED patients often choose IVX Health as their preferred site of care because of its unique, patient-centered amenities, including private suites, its industry-leading 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratio, flexible appointment scheduling, and lower cost when compared to the hospital.
Thyroid Eye Disease Therapies Administered at IVX Health
Thyroid Eye Disease Management at IVX Health
Each IVX Health patient receives excellent care from Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs) and Registered Nurses (RNs).
The benefits of receiving infusion treatments for TED at IVX Health include:
- Private suites
- Comfortable, leather recliners
- Enough room and plenty of seating for guests
- A friendly clinical staff
- Personalized service
- High-speed internet
- Complimentary beverages and snacks
- Flat-screen television sets provide a way for patients to stream their favorite movies and watch the shows they love
- Flexible scheduling options (including evening and weekend appointments)
What to Expect During IV Infusion Treatment for TED
Step One
Using a thin, very small catheter, one of IVX Health’s nurses creates the patient an intravenous line (aka IV line) into the patient’s arm vein.
Step Two
After placing the IV line, the nurse connects it to tubing that leads up to the thyroid eye disease medication.
During treatment, patients are continuously monitored by one of IVX’s nurses. If a patient requires assistance, he or she just needs to press the call button.
There are times when a patient experiences a reaction to the medication he or she is receiving; therefore, patients need to recognize the symptoms associated with an allergic reaction.
Signs of a potential allergic reaction include developing a headache, feeling nauseous, difficulty breathing and developing a rash. Patients experiencing these symptoms need to contact their nurse right away.
How to Get a Referral for Thyroid Eye Disease IV Infusion Treatment
Every referral must be accompanied by an order for treatment.
Patient information should include:
- Name
- Current address
- Home and mobile phone number
- Insurance information
Information the physician must include on the patient’s order for IV therapy to treat TED include:
- Patient’s name and DOB
- Order date
- Diagnosis
- Physician’s name and NPI#
- Office address, phone, and fax numbers
- Provider’s signature
Supporting clinical documentation from the physician should include:
- List of current medications and surgical procedures used to treat condition
- Patient’s current weight and height
- Clinical activity score (CAS) for the patient, based on medical policy
- Clinicals to support patient has thyroid eye disease (TED)
Due to the complexity of treatment, prior authorization is often required. Prior authorization is the process of getting approval for treatment from the patient’s healthcare provider before beginning treatment. It’s important to check in with your healthcare provider to see if a prior authorization will be needed for your infusion or injection treatment at IVX Health.
If you have thyroid eye disease, and you would like to learn more about the IV infusion therapy for TED available at IVX Health centers, contact us today.
