Lipiflow® Treatment for Dry Eyes
When you blink, a film of tears spreads over the eye. This keeps the surface of the eye smooth and clear. The tear film is important for maintaining your best vision and comfortable eyes.
The tear film is made of three layers:
A watery layer makes up most of what we see as tears.
An oily outer layer protects the surface of the tear film.
A mucus layer helps tears stick to the eye.
It is common to continue to experience burning, irritation and blurred vision despite frequent use of artificial tear drops. This is often because there is a deficiency in the oil layer and without proper oil in the tear film, the tears dry up too quickly. The oil is made in the meibomian glands that line your upper and lower eyelids. The oil can become thick, plugging up the glands and preventing it from reaching your tear film. In recent years, more focus has been placed on the importance of properly functioning meibomian glands to maintain a healthy and comfortable eye surface.
Introducing Lipiflow®
Lipiflow® is an automated treatment that uses gentle heat to melt the oils deep within the meibomian glands. It then massages the eyelids, expressing the oil from the glands into the tear film. The procedure is performed in the office and takes 12 minutes.
After a Lipiflow® treatment, new oil that is produced will have an easier time of reaching your tear film so that going forward you will have healthier tears.
The results of Lipiflow® last 6-18 months. Typically patients prefer to have repeated treatments to get their best long-lasting results.
Although Lipiflow® is FDA approved for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction, it is not covered by insurance.
