How was your BlephEx experience?

[Roland]

Dear members,

I am a practicing optometrist in Australia and would like to know what was your experience with BlephEx? Especially compared to the use of other lid hygiene products such as Sterilid and LidCare wipes, did you feel BlephEx showed any additional benefit?

Kind Regards,

Roland.

[lizlou29]

I'm hoping someone responds to this soon. Just found out an eye conic near me (where I have already had a useless Lipiflow treatment) has the BlephEx device. Can't find many reviews yet and slightly concerned that the treatment will just irritate my already inflamed lid margins.

[captainMGD]

I am getting this done on the 1st of July, will advise.

[lizlou29]

I am getting this done on the 1st of July, will advise.

Good luck today with the BlpehEx1 Looking forward to hear how it goes.

[DCRdryeye]

Roland why don't you just purchase a BlephEx device and use it? The results have been extraordinary for an Australian optometrist in Sydney.

[Rebecca Petris]

Is there anyone here who has had BlephEx? Would be interested to hear feedback too.

[lizlou29]

I've been quoted £125 for the BlephEx treatment but I have to have a consultation costing £295 beforehand (consultation cost is so high because he's a well known Ophthalmologist *sigh*) but I'm reading that the treatment is mainly for anterior blepharitis which isn't my main complaint. My main issue is posterior bleph. Would BlephEx be pointless for me? I asked the eye clinic but they said they couldn't say without a consultation first.....

[Rebecca Petris]

Aha. Here's another thread. How did I miss that one?

LizLou29, maybe you could call or email the company and ask them if it is used for posterior bleph?

[lizlou29]

Aha. Here's another thread. How did I miss that one?

LizLou29, maybe you could call or email the company and ask them if it is used for posterior bleph?

That's a good idea. Maybe I should engage my brain sometimes. Kinda want to see the consultant now as I've seen him on TV and read articles he had written about dry eye and he seems sympathetic to our plight but I don't have an endless supply of cash unfortunately. The centre have invited me to an open evening where they discuss all the treatments they offer. I will cover my eyes for the LASIK and Lipiflow promotion.

[captainMGD]

Hi All. I had the treatment done yesterday. Here is a brief description of how it went.

The treatment started with two ten minute rounds of warming with an eye bag. Anaesthetic drops were placed in the eye between the two rounds of heating and after. My glands were then squeezed to get out any oil/gunk blocking them. This was ok, but painful at times, particularly on the two chalazion's that I have.

The blephex treatment itself was very comfortable, I felt a tickling sensation. It was quite quick, maybe 2 min per lid. When I was done my eyes were as bloodshot as I have ever seen them. My lids were super swollen. The lids returned almost to normal by bedtime (procedure was at 14:30) The bloodshot eyes were much better by the time I went to bed but even the now they are still a bit red.

The lids feel great, very clean, and white instead of red-except where I have a chalazion. The lashes almost look longer to me. Maybe that is because the lids are not as swollen as before. The inside of the lids are very sensitive, when I put drops in it stings, when I washed my face this morning the water made it sting.

So far so good. Sorry this is brief, I have had to cut it short because I have to get three crazy kids mobilised. Please ask questions.

[Max52]

Do you have posterior. anterior or both?

[captainMGD]

To be honest, I don't know. I have always been told blepharitis, or lid margin disease.

A quick update:

Eyes feel very good at the moment, still some stinging when I put drops in, this is on the inside of the lid. I haven't had the urge to touch or rub or prod or squeeze etc since the procedure was done.

[lizlou29]

To be honest, I don't know. I have always been told blepharitis, or lid margin disease.

A quick update:

Eyes feel very good at the moment, still some stinging when I put drops in, this is on the inside of the lid. I haven't had the urge to touch or rub or prod or squeeze etc since the procedure was done.

How are your eyes doing now?

Did/do you have a lot of crusting around the lid margins? This is usually a sign of anterior blepharitis. What are your usual symptoms?

[captainMGD]

Hi Liz. Thanks for asking, yeah my eyes are good. Well they are good in terms of how they feel, they still look a bit bad because of the chalazion on my lower left lid and the one on my upper right lid. I am kicking myself for not getting those removed before the blephex, I ran out of time after the treatment and now I am at work for a month, I think if I had I would have pretty normal looking eyes. I would say though, that even at the site of the chalazion on the upper right lid it looks much better than it did, it is less swollen and has not itched since the 1st of July when I had it done. It was super itchy before.

I would say the the results are quite amazing.....but I won't say that because it has been just over a week and I have being using some antibiotic drops and steroid ointment at night. I have been told to use this for two weeks, then another steroid drop for 4 weeks after that. If after those 4 weeks there is longer term improvement, say another 3 months or so before I have to do it again-then we can start calling it amazing. I wouldn't mind doing the treatment 2-3 times a year if I had to.

I have never had a huge amount of crusting around my lashes, although some is is present at times. Sometimes it takes a bit of scrubbing when I clean my lids to see a bit of crust lift of the lid, you can't see it normally. I think I have MGD because I get these blasted chalazion things a couple of times a year. In fact one has been removed twice, doc thinks it could have been a double chalazion that he missed. I also have thickened secretions from my glands.

Its really hard to get anyone to make a call as to what the cause of my problems is, I am just always told that it is chronic and that I have to be realistic about the chances of it going away for good, and that I need to keep up the cleaning to prevent symptoms.

Another point about the Blephex pen that may interest people- When I was having the procedure done, I noticed that when the doc pushed down a little harder the rotating sponge slowed down and almost stopped and then when he lifted it I could hear it speed up again. So this thing has no torque, this makes me think that it could be very safe for home use, its not as if the sponge touches your eye it will tear a hole in it. Maybe they will come up with a home use version. Maybe it could fill in a gap in eyelid care that the electric toothbrush filled for dental care. Something that is not quite as powerful as what the professionals use but better than manual cleaning.

I will continue to provide updates here on how my eyes are doing.

[dominorose]

Any update? thx