How do we determine if you are suffering from Dry Eye?
In our Dry Eye Clinic we will conduct a series of evaluations and determine the likely cause of your Dry Eye symptoms.
First, you will complete a Dry Eye lifestyle questionnaire – this brief assessment allows us to understand how your eyes feel on a daily basis. (Feel free to print out our online copy, complete the questionnaire, and bring it to your next appointment.)
If the questionnaire indicates symptoms beyond mild, we will proceed with LipiView® – This technology allows the physician to evaluate the lipid (oil) layer on your eye.
Here’s how it works: LipiView® takes extremely detailed images of your eye’s tear film.
The procedure is non-invasive, can be performed in our office, and takes less than five minutes. If you’ve ever had a comprehensive eye exam, LipiView® will feel similar. The tear film can be clearly seen as an array of colors that are reflected when a light source is directed towards the front surface of the eye. Readings are instantly calculated and displayed on the LipiView® monitor.
Typically, our physician will perform a Meibomian gland evaluation.
LipiView® is an imaging device that is intended for use by a physician in adult patients to capture images of the tear film. The following conditions may affect the assessment of a patient’s tear film using the LipiView®:
- Use of ophthalmic drops such as artificial tear lubricants, ointments, and medications. Patients should not use oil-based ophthalmic drops (e.g., Soothe®, Restasis®) for at least 12 hours prior to LipiView® assessment. Patients should not use ointments for at least 24 hours prior to LipiView® use. Patients should wait at least 4 hours after the instillation of all other ophthalmic drops prior to LipiView® use.
- Soft or rigid contact lens wear. Patients should remove contact lenses at least 4 hours prior to device use.
- Use of oil-based facial cosmetics around the eye.
- Eye rubbing.
- Recent swimming in a chlorinated pool. Patients should not swim for at least 12 hours prior to LipiView® use.
- Any ocular surface condition that affects the stability of the tear film. These conditions include disease, dystrophy, trauma, scarring, surgery, or abnormality.
Following these evaluations, we will then determine whether or not you have Evaporative Dry Eye or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and if you are a candidate for LipiView®.
LipiFlow®, the groundbreaking treatment, addresses the cause of Evaporative Dry Eye
If you’ve been unable to receive long-lasting relief from the over-the-counter or prescription remedies you’ve tried, it may be because they haven’t been targeting the primary cause of your condition – the blockage of your Meibomian glands located in your eyelids. Perhaps you’ve tried things like eye drops and warm compresses, which many find inconvenient and only offer short-term relief.
The LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System, by TearScience®, is a significant technological shift managing evaporative dry eye. With a single procedure, applying a combination of directed heat and pulsatile pressure, many find a single treatment effective in relieving the blockage of their Meibomian glands. The LipiFlow® System is intended for the application of localized heat and pressure therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye. Opening the blocked glands may allow your body to resume its natural production of tear film oil.
NO OTHER DRY EYE THERAPIES DO WHAT THE THERMAL PULSATION SYSTEM CAN!
LipiFlow® treatment is clinically proven with sustained results. In a clinical study about 79% of patients reported an improvement in overall dry eye symptoms after a single LipiFlow® treatment. Depending on the severity of your specific condition and your response to treatment, you may need to repeat the LipiFlow® treatment periodically as your symptoms return over time.
With LipiFlow® – and regular checks and ongoing care to monitor your progress – let us help you experience Dry Eye relief like never before.
Goodbye Evaporative Dry Eye. Get started today!
If you’re ready to kick Evaporative Dry Eye, all it takes is a phone call to get started. Make an evaluation appointment to in our Dry Eye Clinic and determine if you’re a candidate for LipiFlow®.
What actually happens during a LipiFlow® treatment?
The LipiFlow® Activator (a disposable eyepiece) is inserted under your lower and upper eye lid and is shaped to prevent contact with your cornea. Once in place, you simply recline in the treatment chair and experience the 12 minute procedure. In a clinical study, 32% of patients reported no discomfort and 48% of patients noted awareness of pressure without pain during the LipiFlow treatment. The average total Meibomian gland score for patients who received a single LipiFlow treatment more than doubled from 6.3 ± 3.5 glands at the baseline to 16.7 ± 8.7 glands at 4 weeks. As previously mentioned, 79% of patients treated with LipiFlow in the clinical study reported an improvement in overall dry eye symptoms.
Why is LipiFlow® superior to other Dry Eye therapies?
If you’re a moderate or severe Evaporative Dry Eye sufferer, life can seem like a constant battle to alleviate symptoms. Those drops and warm compresses become a regular ritual. You’ve tried blinking exercises and lid scrubs. And you avoid wearing contact lenses and extended sessions in front of the computer.
If this sounds familiar, you may need LipiFlow®. It’s the breakthrough treatment for evaporative Dry Eye. LipiFlow® is:
- The first and only treatment that addresses the cause of Evaporative Dry Eye at the source, allowing your eyelid glands to produce the oils required for a healthy tear film. Other treatments – warm compresses and drops – just give you temporary symptomatic relief.
- The only treatment that can give you sustained relief through improved gland function. Other treatments require daily, and some times even hourly, attention to keep your Evaporative Dry Eye under control.
- A powerful step in managing Dry Eye disease, providing symptom relief and helping stop the cycle of Dry Eye deterioration and worsening symptoms.
Where can I find detailed safety information about LipiFlow®?
Get immediate, lasting Dry Eye relief – Start Now!
Are you ready to experience the relief of LipiFlow®? Get started by completing our questionnaire.