LipiFlow device - what the????

[LaDiva]

Beyond happy that this is working for you redeyes, but would like to add that I had this done about five years ago. The doctor told me he was not sure how well it would work because on top of having Ocular Rosacea and MGD, I also had tear deficiency. He said that he had very good luck with people who DID NOT have tear deficiency, but was not sure how much it would help me. He was right. There was an improvement of TBUT 3 to TBUT 8 when done, but not enough to make a huge difference in comfort levels. Again, I am very happy you are better red, and wish you continued healing and improvement, but for some of us, IPL is not the magic bullet. That being said, I would do IPL again just to clean out the glands if nothing else.

[littlemermaid]

Thank you again for taking the trouble to share the info, and wish you the best with your treatments.

[redeyesat50]

Redeyesat50, What an advert for Dr T. Thanks for the info - how much does IPL cost? You are thinking you need around 6 sessions and to buy the gadget for home use - what does it actually do? Hope you don't mind me asking, why were you a candidate for IPL rather than MG probing? What type of rosacea do you have? Did he say why he decided to leave the plugs in if bacteria is the problem?

The IPL is $395 per treatment. I will probably have 5-6 treatments with a follow-up once per year. The gadget for home use is $400-500 (I think). The gadget is a small hand tool that works like the laser but much less intense. It is supposed to help keep the results and increase the time period from when the patient needs treatments.

I will ask him about MG probing. He excretes my glands after the IPL treatment, but he has not done any MG probing.

Based on his videos and after talking with him, I'm a good candidate for IPL because I have really fair skin. The IPL doesn't penetrate dark pigmented skin as well. My rosacea is mild on my face, but worse in my eyes. I have little red veins on my face around my nose and cheeks, and the skin around my eyes is red. The IPL focuses on the red blood vessels and gets rid of them. If my skin was too dark, the light wouldn't be able to tell between the skin and the veins. I think the IPL works on light to medium skin tones (based on his video).

He said that he would remove the plugs after the 3rd treatment. I'm not sure why he waits until then.

[littlemermaid]

Redeyesat50, What an advert for Dr T. Thanks for the info - how much does IPL cost? You are thinking you need around 6 sessions and to buy the gadget for home use - what does it actually do? Hope you don't mind me asking, why were you a candidate for IPL rather than MG probing? What type of rosacea do you have? Did he say why he decided to leave the plugs in if bacteria is the problem?

Dr Toyos is going to remove my punctual plugs after the 3rd IPL treatment.

[redeyesat50]

Hiya, how are you doing now? I've delayed my treatment (starting it) as i was able to get one eye done with the lipoflow under my work healthcare plan (had no idea this was poss, though it only covered enough for one eye!) I don't have much faith in it being a magical cure but it's been three weeks now and the eye I had done is a good 45 percent less stingy /painful/ heavy then
The other, I've heard this can be short lived though so ill wait for a few months of difference before I fund getting the other o e done. Funny how I some times walk around with my bad eye closed now (if near wind) but I'm not convinced it will last as I have recently found out I also have a tear deficiency as well as mgd and this reduces its effects apparently.

I'm am doing remarkably better. The inside corners of my eyes are no longer red. My eyes don't feel dry. They only burn late at night after watching 2+ hours of TV. I only use Systane Balance eye drops at night. Nothing else. I go back this week and am ready for my next treatment. I am trying (when I think about it) to blink more securely to help my glands excrete more oil. I haven't done any warm eye compresses or lid wipes (or scrubs) in a month. My husband even commented on how much whiter my eyes look. The red, infected look is gone. The whites of my eyes still have the little red lines. I don't know if those will go away as they may be the result of damage caused by many years of dry eyes without proper treatment.

I wish I knew about this treatment years ago. It is expensive, but I was spending $50 per month on eye drops and lid scrubs, etc.,. so after a couple of years, the cost of the IPL will be worth it. The doctor said that the IPL will probably work well on me because I have fair skin. He was right.

[waterbee]

Hiya, how are you doing now? I've delayed my treatment (starting it) as i was able to get one eye done with the lipoflow under my work healthcare plan (had no idea this was poss, though it only covered enough for one eye!) I don't have much faith in it being a magical cure but it's been three weeks now and the eye I had done is a good 45 percent less stingy /painful/ heavy then
The other, I've heard this can be short lived though so ill wait for a few months of difference before I fund getting the other o e done. Funny how I some times walk around with my bad eye closed now (if near wind) but I'm not convinced it will last as I have recently found out I also have a tear deficiency as well as mgd and this reduces its effects apparently.

[hasan]

thanks for sharing the story

[hasan]

thanks for sharing this good story, more like a serie.
any newer update?

[redeyesat50]

Nice, keep us updated. What IPL clinic do you visit?

I would love to hear some feedback on IPL in London (http://dryeyecentre.co.uk/ipl-treatment-for-dry-eyes/) Anyone have been there?

I attend the Toyos Clinic in Franklin, TN. Dr Toyos has trained doctors all over the U.S. and I believe some in other countries. Perhaps you can contact his office (or send them an email) to see if he has trained anyone in London. Dr Toyos is doing my treatment. I have really fair skin, which makes me a good candidate. IPL works better on lighter skin tones. Good luck to you.

[DryMichael]

Lipiflow did not work for me. Four months after the procedure the eye doctor expressed my oil glands and it was a thick as toothpaste. I am turning to IPL. I've had my first of what will be 4-5 treatments last week. So far, so good. The redness in the corners of my eyes is gone. I'm only using drops at night (Systane Balance). My eye lids are not as red as they were. The white parts of my eyes still have the red lines, but he said the eye redness is the last thing to go away. Overall, however, my eyes do look and feel better.

Nice, keep us updated. What IPL clinic do you visit?

I would love to hear some feedback on IPL in London (http://dryeyecentre.co.uk/ipl-treatment-for-dry-eyes/) Anyone have been there?

[redeyesat50]

It's been a week since my first IPL treatment and my eyes are doing better. The redness that was in the inside corners is completely gone. The doctor said that IPL will kill the bacteria, so it looks like he was right. My eyes feel better too. I'm only using eye drops at night (Systane Balance). My eyelids are not as red as they were before the procedure. I plan on having 3-4 more IPL treatments, so I'll post more updates.

[redeyesat50]

Lipiflow did not work for me. Four months after the procedure the eye doctor expressed my oil glands and it was a thick as toothpaste. I am turning to IPL. I've had my first of what will be 4-5 treatments last week. So far, so good. The redness in the corners of my eyes is gone. I'm only using drops at night (Systane Balance). My eye lids are not as red as they were. The white parts of my eyes still have the red lines, but he said the eye redness is the last thing to go away. Overall, however, my eyes do look and feel better.

[redeyesat50]

Last night (after having my first IPL), my eyes were filled with yellow discharge, red, and a little swollen. They felt like something was in them. This morning the eyes feel much better although they are still red.

Dr Toyos is going to remove my punctual plugs after the 3rd IPL treatment.

[redeyesat50]

IPL Treatment (first treatment)

I had my first IPL treatment today by Dr Toyos. My eyes were a little red and irritated immediately following the procedure. The doctor gave me some anti-inflammatory drops to use for 3 days. I have MGD, so he recommended Sustane Balance or a mineral oil eye drop after the 3 days of anti-inflammatory drops. He told me not to use any warm compresses, lid wipes or lid foams. He said the goal is to get me to the point where I don't need so many eye drops since they are washing away my natural tears.

The IPL procedure wasn't too bad. It felt like a small rubber band pop. After the IPL treatment, the doctor expressed my oil glands and that hurt. They were filled with a thick toothpaste substance. He said, it should hurt much less after the next few IPL treatments, since the oil will be thinner and easier to express with each time.

Also, since my eyes are dryer at night, I might be sleeping with my eyes a little open. He recommended using Press-N-Seal glade wrap. Cut a small piece and cover the entire eye area to keep in the moisture and block the drying air.

I sure hope IPL works. My 2nd treatment will be in 4 weeks. I'll keep you posted.

[redeyesat50]

I had Lipiflow 4 months ago and my oil glands are blocked again. The eye doctor expressed them and it was like thick toothpaste. I cannot recommend Lipiflow since the results only lasted about one month before my oil glands began to clog again. It was a complete waste of money.