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How Does LipiFlow Treat Dry Eyes?

What is LipiFlow?

85% of Dry Eye Syndrome is due to Meibomian Gland Disorder (MGD), whereby the glands essential for producing the lubricating oils for our eyes are blocked, clogged, dirty, infected, or atrophying.

Effectively treating MGD requires directly addressing the dysfunction in the meibomian glands. There are currently a number of treatments that attempt to stimulate the meibomian glands to produce more moisturizing and protective lipids, but what LipiFlow does differently is simultaneously massage and warm the meibomian glands in a safe, comfortable, and targeted manner. LipiFlow is currently the only treatment which heats the meibomian glands directly from the undersurface of the upper and lower lids, using vectored pulsation to simultaneously pump and express the blocked oil glands. This treatment is designed to restore the natural oil flow to the tear film that covers the eye’s surface, bringing patients significant relief and comfort.

 

LipiFlow is the only electronic device to be FDA-approved for treating MGD. The procedure is backed up by significant research and clinical trials demonstrating that it is both safe and effective at treating chronic dry eyes and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).

 

Contact our optometric team to get the relief you’ve been searching for with the proven LipiFlow system.

The caring and knowledgeable staff at Midwest Dry Eye Center are always here to help patients experience the best vision care and treatment possible.

tear breakup timeDry Eye is more than an inconvenience. Dry Eye is a disease.

Many people suffer for years from the discomfort and pain of Dry Eye Disease Most try various products to manage their disease, and while many of the Over-The-Counter products can provide relief, it is just temporary symptom relief.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a leading cause of Dry Eye Disease. Dry Eye Disease is rarely due to a lack of the watery part of your tears. 86% of dry eye patients have MGD.

What is Meibomian Gland Disfunction (MGD)?

Gland secretion

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction is a progressive disease of the ocular surface. Long term, failure to treat MGD can lead to chronic discomfort and degradation of vision, significantly impacting the quality of life.

Healthy Meibomian glands that line your upper and lower eyelids secrete oil with every blink. Your Meibomian glands produce the oily part of the tear film needed to protect the surface of your eye by preventing the evaporation of the watery part of your tears. When this function is not working well, your eyes may feel dry. Keeping the function and structure of your Meibomian glands healthy before you become symptomatic is key, as MGD progresses over time.

 

What Causes MGD?

MGD is caused by anatomical changes in the Meibomian glands If left untreated, MGD can become progressively worse over time.

Conditions that can contribute to MGD:

 

Conditions

Dry Eyes? Don’t just treat your symptoms, Treat the Cause and MOVE FORWARD with MGD treatment with TearScience® LipiFlow®

For patients with MGD, TearScience® LipiFlow® significantly improves gland secretions and ocular surface symptoms including dry eye and less frequent or blurry vision.

  • successThe treatment is non-invasive procedure performed in the comfort of your doctor’s office, only takes 12 minutes and can have long-lasting results
  • After initial anesthetic drops, no drugs required for TearScience® LipiFlow® treatment
  • Long-lasting results—many can see the continued benefit up to 12 months
  • 400,000 treatments worldwide—and growing

Just 1 treatment increases mean gland secretion 3-fold and reduces more than 50% dry eye symptoms.

Treatment also increased patient comfortable contact lens wear time by approximately 4 hours on average per day.

TearScience® LipiFlow® treatment prior to cataract surgery improves mean dry eye symptoms and vision-related function scores post-surgery.

Our practice serves patients from Long Grove, Kildeer, Buffalo Grove, and Lake Zurich, Illinois and surrounding communities.

 

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Think You Have Dry Eye? Call 847-383-5852