How to Fix Gland Shortening? (as best as possible)

[Kabuto]

Not dropout, shortening. Already did a Lipiflow a little over a week ago, we'll see how good it turns out.

[Hokucat]

If there is a definitive treatment to grow shortened glands, we’d likely all be doing it. There have been some preliminary research and claims that certain topical treatments, probing, probing with injections, etc. help grow the glands, but there needs to be more research on this. The good news is this is an area that is being researched, of course not fast enough for all of us!

The best thing you can do is try to get what glands you have working better, which sounds like the direction you are going with LipiFlow, etc. and being active in this forum and asking questions.

[deep_dry_eye]

i dont believe probing can regrow the glands, if u read the ****** paper very carefully, and look at the images very arefully, i think u will also find no change post probing in gland tissue area. im shocked that the paper passed peer review.

[Hokucat]

Yeah, I agree probing regrowing the glands is very questionable. Plus ****** discovered probing and does have the patent on the probes, so need to be aware of this when reading his research papers. Of course, I am very thankful that he did discover probing, because it was key in unblocking my scar-tissued glands, when nothing else could unblock them.

[deep_dry_eye]

Yeah, I agree probing regrowing the glands is very questionable. Plus ****** discovered probing and does have the patent on the probes, so need to be aware of this when reading his research papers. Of course, I am very thankful that he did discover probing, because it was key in unblocking my scar-tissued glands, when nothing else could unblock them.

I agree, I don't doubt probing can help some patients -- but I think ******'s probing paper can not be trusted or is very borderline. If you dig really deep in this his paper, I don't see any gland tissue regrowth in any of his patient examples presented.

[phenix01]

My lipiflow dr said she saw patients with glands that grew back after the procedure. She can't explain why, however. My bet is you can't go wrong with good life habits (nutrition, exercising) and warm compresses on the glands, and luck.

[deep_dry_eye]

who is this dr?

[diydry]

I haven’t reviewed the ****** papers recently, but I recall being skeptical because I believe they were largely based on case studies and not a qualitative analysis. Certainly it falls short of gold standard research i.e. random, double-blind, large sample size. That said, some of the testimonials (including Hokucat above) are overwhelmingly positive. I’ve thought about probing a lot because my glands are blocked/occluded, even though my glands are apparently doing OK and the oil quality isn’t all that terrible. On the surface I would seem to be a great candidate but not a single provider (at some supposedly top clinics) has recommended it and I’d never have heard about it were it not for this forum. I might ask my doctors about it during the next visit

****** seems to be one of the few provides pioneering this procedure and it begs the question of why there is not more research being done on this. It could be that it simply has not caught on yet, but there is certainly reason to be skeptical too. .

[farmgirl]

Not dropout, shortening. Already did a Lipiflow a little over a week ago, we'll see how good it turns out.

Hey Kabuto, I am happy that you finally made a decision and did the lipiflow, I hope it helps. Others here report that it took time but eventually made a difference so you may have to be patient. Let us know if it helped.

[Hokucat]

None of my eye doctors recommended probing, especially several years ago when only Dr. ****** and a handful of doctors had material experience doing it. And it’s only slightly more available now. Maybe it has something to do with the economics of revenue from selling the probes being far less than if patients are treated by him directly, unlike lots of revenue from LipiFlow/LipiView/LipiScan machines and equipment. Plus probing IS a very invasive procedure, which is more uncomfortable and can carry more risks. I don’t know, I’m just guessing.

I considered going to Florida to see ******, but I was so disabled, I knew a trip across the country was not possible. I ended up going to a doctor in a nearby state, and it cost ~$1,200 for the consult and procedure, but I only paid a fraction of that because it was covered by my medical insurance. I’ve read going to ****** for probing could cost upwards of $8,000-$12,000 including tests, plus travel costs. I’m sure he is the master at probing since he discovered it and have heard he is a good doctor, but there are others who have developed the probing expertise now at a reasonable cost.

If one has MGD, would recommend trying less invasive procedures like LipiFlow and/or IPL first. Especially if several glands are expressing oil, even if the quality is poor. Where probing works where nothing else would is if several glands are blocked with scar tissue. It may also help unblock glands with thick, deep down dried up oil. But while probing may initially unblock the glands, the glands may still need help generating fluid healthy oils to function as they should, so probing alone may not be enough. Otherwise, like in my case, the glands just got blocked up again (and several atrophied), until I was able to find the right diet changes to help my glands generate the oils. Some like me in this forum found a two or three step process was needed to get the glands functioning... LipiFlow+IPL, probing+IPL+diet, probing+diet, IPL+hormone therapy, etc. And what works will vary by an individual and their underlying condition.