One of the main causes of dry eye syndrome is blockage of the meibomian glands. Blocked glands prevent the desired efficiency of tear production. Because when the glands are blocked, the necessary secretion is not made and the tear evaporates rapidly because the fat layer is missing. As a result, dry eye condition occurs. LipiFlow is a method that focuses exactly on this problem.
Light pressure and heat applied to the blocked meibomian glands allows the blockage to open. But is this treatment with FDA-approved devices suitable for everyone?
Can LipiFlow be applied in all cases?
Most of the time, the treatment can be applied to all patients with obstruction in the meibomian glands. However, as with any treatment, there are some conditions that pose an obstacle to the application of this treatment.
We will list the situations in which the treatment will not be possible just below.
In which cases is LipiFlow not directly applied?
- If there is an infection in the eye or eyelids, the infection must be treated first. The application is done afterwards.
- Patients who have undergone eyelid surgery and are in the healing process should wait for the healing process to be completed. The doctor will provide the correct schedule.
- If applications such as laser eye surgery, cataract surgery have been performed, it is not correct to apply LipiFlow before the healing process specified by the doctor is completed.
Apart from these effects, most of the time there is no harm in LipiFlow application to patients. However, for a correct diagnosis and a clear assessment of the situation, it is necessary to consult a specialist ophthalmologist and decide on the treatment accordingly.
