Barbara K. Tylka, O.D.

Barbara Tylka, O.D., F.A.A.O., is a board-certified optometrist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, specializing in complex dry eye disease and ocular surface disorders. She founded the Mayo Clinic Dry Eye Clinic, developing a comprehensive approach that combines advanced diagnostic evaluation, medical therapy, office-based procedures, and multidisciplinary care for patients with persistent or complex ocular surface disease.

Dr. Tylka's clinical expertise includes dry eye disease, meibomian gland dysfunction, blepharitis, ocular rosacea, corneal disease, and ocular surface complications associated with systemic and autoimmune conditions. She works closely with colleagues across Mayo Clinic, including Rheumatology, Hematology, the Sjögren's Clinic, Cornea, and the scleral lens team, to coordinate care for patients whose ocular surface disease requires multidisciplinary evaluation and management.

Through the Mayo Clinic Dry Eye Clinic, Dr. Tylka has expanded access to specialized ocular surface treatments, including intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, thermal meibomian gland expression, microblepharoexfoliation, punctal occlusion, and amniotic membrane therapy. Her approach emphasizes identifying the underlying contributors to ocular surface disease and developing individualized treatment strategies for patients who may not have responded adequately to conventional therapy.

Dr. Tylka is actively involved in clinical education, research, quality improvement, and guideline development at Mayo Clinic. She mentors residents and clinicians in evidence-based eye care and presents her work at national professional meetings. Her professional interests include emerging dry eye therapies, procedural management of ocular surface disease, clinical outcomes, and development of multidisciplinary models of care for patients with complex dry eye disease.

Clinical interests and conditions treated

• Complex and refractory dry eye disease
• Meibomian gland dysfunction
• Blepharitis
• Ocular rosacea
• Sjögren's and autoimmune-associated ocular surface disease
• Corneal and ocular surface disorders
• Perioperative ocular surface optimization

Specialized procedures and treatments

• Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy
• Thermal meibomian gland expression
• Microblepharoexfoliation
• Punctal occlusion
• Amniotic membrane therapy
• Advanced medical management of dry eye and ocular surface disease
• Coordination of scleral lens evaluation when indicated
• Multidisciplinary referral and collaborative care