MG probing by Dr ******

[wetEyes]

Hey Susie28,
I'm also German and know how you feel about German "health insurance". It is quite frustrating. That's why I want to move to another country within the next 3-4 years (until I am 30).

[irish eyes]

Hi

I'm just chipping in again with the UK persepective.

Treatments and drugs that are still at the experimental stage would not be normally be covered by any health insurance here. Perhaps that is also the case in Germany?

If the probing procedure meets with efficacy and cost-effectiveness criteria, then it may be included eventually. For example, acupuncture is an alternative medicine covered by a number of health insurance companies and it hasn't always been the case.

[djb]

Susie28,

My local doctor who performed the probing was 'in network' with my insurance company, so the insurance company paid for my procedure. But, I had a different doctor tell me they accepted my insurance last month and treated me as in network, but I just got insurance info that says they are out of network and now I'm stuck with a $500 bill..........frustrating in any country..............djb.............

[Susie28]

Thats very frustrating, djb. Would you have paid the 500 $ by yourself when you had known that the insurance company doesn't pay...?

The problem is that we are depend on these dry eye treatments and if the insurance doesn't pay we have to pay on ourselves:-(

In Germany neary every dry eye treatment is at the experimental stage (at our country nearly nobody knows that dry eyes could be a problem) so we have to pay for everything : drops, plugs, scleral lenses, MG probing, goggles and so on.

In spite of this we have to pay lots of money for the health insurance (the amount depends on our incomes - in my case the monthly fee for insurance is more than 250 Euro) and we have no choice - the insurance is obligatory - nowone can't be without insurance. That's so unfair:-(( I don't want to have insurance which cost more than 250 Euro a month and which pays nearly nothing of my dry eye treatmens! Weteyes, I want to move to another country, too!!!

[djb]

Susie28,

I would have paid the $500 if I had no other options. The other doctor performed cautery and I had other options for this procedure "in network".
500 instead of 40 for cautery....frustrating.....djb......

[pbeinetti]

I'll be having MG probing by Dr ****** on Feb 2. I'll post results. It's sort of a last resort as I have tried just about everything. I have not had IPL, and have decided to try MG probing instead. From what I've read IPL needs 4-6 applications at minimum at $500 per application (at least), and there are very few doctors that do it. That means flying to Memphis many times. It appears (hopefully) that the MG probing has longer lasting results, and often requires only one procedure. AND there are quite a few doctors around the country who are doing it. I decided to go to DR ******, the 'pro', rather than going to one of two local doctors who are doing the MG probing. But, if I need any future probing, I can go to the local doctors, which I couldn't have done with IPL. Also, in checking with Dr ******'s office I was told that Medicare will pay for the procedure. Sure hope so!

[Lucy]

Also, in checking with Dr ******'s office I was told that Medicare will pay for the procedure. Sure hope so!

If so, this is great! I know that insurance companies look at Medicare and what they pay and sometimes "go along with the program." (Don't hold me to this.) I just think it's a good sign that insurance may start paying for some of this.

pbeinetti will you let us know later the specifics on Medicare payment? Lucy

[pbeinetti]

I'll post if Medicare does pay. One other person who goes by the user name 'pete' was able to get insurance to pay for the whole thing. It wasn't Medicare. It was a hassle, but they finally paid.

[Philipp_from_Germany]

Hi!
I got an appointment for MG probing on 23th March by Prof. Geerling in Germany. I'll post here when the procedure is done.

I have one question to all non-Germans here: Does your insurance company pay for MG probing? Prof. Geerling told me that I have to pay 270 Euro for MG probing and the insurance doesn't pay anything of this amount:-/
Thats so frustrating because I've already spent 1000 Euro for (at the moment) not successful scleral lenses and soon I have to spent lots of money for my moisture chamber googles (MEGS) with high prescription:-/ the German insurance companys nearly pay for nothing :-(

Hi Susie28, I went to see Herrn Doktor Geerling back in 2004 while he was still in Lübeck. I wanted him to check on my scleral lenses which I got from England and which have basically saved my life and his suggestion was:" Do not wear them, you do not need them. Just use artificial tears." So I think this guy is pretty much zeitverschwendung and probably geldverschwendung as well. But, maybe he's better at probing? Who knows...

[Susie28]

Yeah you're right, Prof. Geerling is quite difficult. He always tells me that I have just mild dry eye symptoms, that I don't need sclerals and all the stuff. Sclerals are just for severe dry eyes which I don't have.
Hm, when this what I have is called "mild drye eyes" then I really don't want to know what real severe dry eyes are!!!
But I don't care if he takes me serious. he can do the probing in Germany, I don't have to travel far and that's all that counts.

How are your eyes doing? Didn't you get the probing, too?

[Philipp_from_Germany]

I haven't done the probing so far. First, out of lack of time. Second, I consider the procedure to be in an experimental stage. I wanna see some statistically significant large trials on that first because it is rather invasive (poking around in your meibomian glands with some needle device...)

I'm doing fine with my sclerals in this cold / windy winter. Seems saver for me than anything else at this moment...

[Susie28]

You have great success with your sclerals? Ken Pullum told me about a Philipp who wears his sclerals all day long with great success. But this Philipp needed severals trials until Ken found the perfect pair of sclerals for him. Are you this Philipp?:-)

So do you think MG probing is risky? Puh, you made me insecure.... What could happen in the worst case?

[Philipp_from_Germany]

Are you this Philipp?:-)

Oh yes indeed, that's me. Ken Pullum has basically saved my live with these sclerals as they allow me to operate normally despite my shabby tear film...

With regards to your 2nd question: I just think poking around somone's glands involves a great risk of destroying tissue or causing other damage. But you should be clear about what you are doing to your body yourself and make up your own mind...

[Susie28]

Cool, the world is small:-)
How many trials did you need to find the perfect pair of sclerals for you? I'm considering to travel to Ken and try a different pair of sclerals. (My actual pair doesn't work for me). But a trip to England would be very expensive and a new pair of sclerals, too :-(

Hm now I'm really inseruce if I should get the MG probing. I think I'll start a new thread here about the risks of this procedure:-)

[cured]

Dr. Latkany in N.Y. doesn't believe ******'s procedure is necessary

Hi Everyone,

I posted here two years ago under the name "Cured." I've since regretted choosing that moniker. I was exuberant at the time because, after washing my eyelids with Dial antibacterial soap, I had a hiatus of symptoms. Unfortunately, they came back with a vengeance -- so it was probably just a remission, which I have occasionally. I apologize to anyone whose hopes I raised.

I recently saw Dr. ******'s video on YouTube and was immediately skeptical. Not only does the procedure look as if it could make one's eyelids flaccid over repeated treatments (not a medical opinion of course) but it doesn't address the underlying cause of dry eye.

I contacted Dr. Latkany, in N.Y., who is also a highly regarded specialist in dry eye to ask his opinion about the procedure. He said he thought it wasn't necessary. Although I know there may be competition between the two specialists, my feeling is that he's right. Even if the procedure provides temporary relief, the glands will clog again and/or close up, since they're mucous membranes. And I wonder too whether bacteria can enter the glands while they're artificially opened. Just speculating.

I'd like to know whether anyone has any experience with Dr. Latkany. I've had dry eye and blepharitis for 18 years, and it's ruining my life. I'm considering shelling out big bucks to travel to N.Y. and see Dr. Latkany, but would like to know if anyone here has tried that route and what the results were.

Thanks a lot.

Not Cured