LipiFlow device - what the????

[Jeffery0808]

IPL costs 50$ per session and Lipiflow costs 270$ per session here

[shakenbake]

Looks like the bill it as a treatment for rosacea since that's what it was originally for.

[pythonidler]

Oh I thought nothing meibomian gland related was covered? Do they bill it as something else?

I looked up my previous claims, and with both insurances CPT code 17999 was used. 17999 is described as an "unlisted skin procedure"

[shakenbake]

Oh I thought nothing meibomian gland related was covered? Do they bill it as something else?

[pythonidler]

How much does IPL cost? I’m considering it as my next treatment.

Anywhere between $250 - $500 per session, usually. The protocol calls for one session per month for the first months, and then done regularly every few months after. The good news is that your insurance might cover it if you try to submit charges. I've had it covered with two different doctors and insurance plans.

[shakenbake]

How much does IPL cost? I’m considering it as my next treatment.

[Jeffery0808]

yes indeed. but still gritty and uncomfortable going outside. but can use computer and smartphone all day doing yawning. but not easy to read book

[farmgirl]

So I got 1st IPL at and of Jan, and it helped me quite a little bit, but still felt uncomfortable. After 3 weeks, I got 2nd IPL and went to Taiwan for trip. and at there my eye condition got severly worse

(guess caz of motorcycles everywhere and smokes). So when I come back home, I have been taking tetracycline.

Before I got IPL, I can't use notebook even an hour a day, but I can use computer now. But still uncomfortable while taking class, or just hanging outside.

HI Jeffery: You said that you can't notice any difference after your 3rd IPL but in the quote above you said that you could use the computer after the 1st treatment. Has that improvement stayed?

[Jeffery0808]

Got Lipiflow and 3rd IPL yesterday. Can't feel any difference. Doctor told me to come next monday again and check out. This hospital doens't have lipiview so I cant say my LLT score, but my LLT at Jan was 25, 25 and end of Feb my LLT was 55, 55 (After got one IPL session).

[farmgirl]

Great, thank Jeffery, we will be watching

[Jeffery0808]

Sorry my English is not fluent, so have some mistakes.

I did PRK last year and had lived well till December last year.

From end of 2017, I felt that my eyes are burning and itching. So I went to my doctor and he said that I had MGD.

He prescribed Restasis(?) and Diqua(?) for 3months, but it didn't help me at all. Also I did warm compress with cleaning lid margin and didn't feel any outcome.

So I got 1st IPL at and of Jan, and it helped me quite a little bit, but still felt uncomfortable. After 3 weeks, I got 2nd IPL and went to Taiwan for trip. and at there my eye condition got severly worse

(guess caz of motorcycles everywhere and smokes). So when I come back home, I have been taking tetracycline.

Before I got IPL, I can't use notebook even an hour a day, but I can use computer now. But still uncomfortable while taking class, or just hanging outside.

I took mibography and 90% of my meibomian cells are good. Doctor said that it's a destructive MGD and have to do 4 or 3 sessions of IPL.

Next monday, I'm going to have 3rd ipl + lipiflow together. I will keep writing how my eyes go on.

Thank you

[sophie0416]

Hi! I haven't been here in a while.

Since I mentioned on one of my posts during the holidays my family came to visit me, so I just was too busy and forgot to take my vitamins.. OH BOY, this past few days my eyes are like DESSERT dry, dear God I'm doing like suuper super bad : (

Thank you everyone for their response regarding their lipiflow experience..that someone mentioned it.. they did that test to check how much oil I was producing and he said some of the glands were producing a little bit and the majority of them was fine.. as you can see on the picture of my glands, I have

"a lot of good ones"

I missed my appt to do it, it was about 2 weeks ago, but I've been so busy and he's so far away that my boyfriend needs to drive me there.. to be honest I haven't had the time, and the more I read about it the more I'm convinced not to do it... It's not just about the money, but I do warm compresses everyday and this past few days that I've been bad, it doesn't really help, I feel like I dont know, like my glands are already producing whatever they can, you know?

I stopped making appt with more doctors, I don't even want to think about this anymore it's so time consuming, I'm even having problems at my job because of this, I'm always late because of so many appts...

I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this, but now, I'm just doing whatever it's in my hands, I'll use my warm compress, my vitamins, my eyedrops, and then I pray. If someone can help me get through this, it's God. I'm tired.

[wakeupscreaming]

Hi Sophie,

This is my own personal opinion:
My doctor recommended LipiFlow as well. Through the LipiView test, the assistant distinctly showed me that my eyes were secreting oil from the Meibomian glands -- they showed the colorful oil coming out -- even though several of mine were worn out. So the assistant clearly showed me I had oil coming out -- i saw it on the LipiView screen.
But when the ophthalmologist came in to the room, he was trying to convince me I need the LipiFlow treatment, at a cost of $1000 Cdn.
I chose NOT to get it.
I wasn't convinced it was because of any Meibomian gland clogs -- even the assistant showed that it wasn't. If there was clogging, the oil wouldn't have been coming out as easy.

I don't have the web link, but I came across a study on hot compresses doing the exact same thing that LipiFlow does -- heats the meibomian glands and melts and liquifies the fats so they aren't clogged anymore (that's even IF they are clogged to begin with).
If you read up about LipiFlow, that's all it's doing. It's not doing anything more magical. It's just got fancy clips that go right on your eyelids.
Basically you can melt fats that are possibly clogging your MBs with a hot compress on your eyelids at a steady 40 degree celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit, but don't quote me on that, I'm not American) for 6 minutes. Even hot baths and putting a hot wash cloth on your eyes would help.


I'm getting frustrated with my dry eye, MG issues as well.
My own opinion, is that it is bacteria that colonizes our bodies, and it just happens to screw up all the balances in our eyes, and causes all these problems, like Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, Redness, tearing, Dry Eye, Blepharitis, etc.
So all of these treatments that Ophthalmologists are pushing really aren't curing our problem, it's just treating the symptoms.

[sophie0416]

thank you everyone for their response.. you guys really motivate me to do it but I'm so scared! : (

[sophie0416]

that's what I've heard, but just the idea of something near my eyeball, on gosh no like I just can't, I can't!