Dry Eye Treatment

If you are one of the 82 million people in the U.S. who are affected by blepheritis, Dr. Heinke might prescribe a BlephEx treatment for you. Unfortunately, the treatment is not currently covered by insurance, but if you compare the cost of all the artificial tears, cycloporines, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories that you spent over the years, and you still have not dealt with the cause of your discomfort, it is well worth the money spent to give you relief.

We ensure you get thorough care and guaranteed satisfaction. Call us today for a new patient registration.

Lack of visible signs can make the evaluation of Meibomian Glands difficult. The TearScience® SPEED™ Questionnaire and LipiScan™ provide a streamlined method for evaluating your Meibomian glands with confidence. 86% of dry eye disease is caused by poor Meibomian glands function. Eye drops only mask the problem. 

Family Eye Care will help you complete The Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED™) Questionnaire that identifies and rates dry eye symptoms by asking four simple questions on symptom frequency and severity. Validated by independent researchers, if symptoms are detected, LipiView® II and a gland evaluation are recommended.

 LipiScan™ with Dynamic Meibomian Imaging™(DMI™) is the first and only dedicated rapid high definition imager. It provides fast gland scans, and it’s painless.

The LipiFlow® Activator, a single-use sterile device, safely and comfortably delivers automated therapeutic energies to each Meibomian gland while protecting the delicate structures of your eyes. Supported by 36 patents and seven years of dedicated research, LipiFlow® treatment provides a level of accuracy and quality that allows Family Eye Care professionals to treat MGD patients with confidence and ease.

During treatment, its contoured design vaults your cornea and protects your eyes allowing a maximum therapeutic temperature of 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit to reach glands from the inner eyelid, without damaging your eyelid or delicate structures of your globe. Space-age insulation protects the cornea from exceeding a safe 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit, while an intelligent pressure feedback loop sends pulsed sequences to expel blockages. Force equalization protects the globe from pressure transmission by focusing energy only on the eyelid.

Delivered through the LipiFlow® Activator, Vectored Thermal Pulse™ (VTP) technology maximizes results while delivering patient comfort. VTP™ uniquely applies a combination of heat and pressure to the inner eyelid to safely remove gland obstructions and stagnant gland content. Patented vectored heat and adaptive force equalization targets the pulse, heat, and pressure on the Meibomian glands to maximize effectiveness. Therapeutic motion provides proximal to distal parastalsis to clear gland contents.

Our clinic utilizes both the LipiFlow and MiBoFlo research-based technology. We offer MiBoFlo as a treatment for mild to moderate lipid-deficient dry eye disease (DED) patients, and LipiFlo for moderate to severe DED patients. Your doctor will determine the severity of your condition and recommend the treatment best for your condition.

Treatments, combined with ocular supplements (EZ Tears,) have shown great success in patients with Meibomian gland dysfunction, meibotitis, and posterior blepharitis. We have also treated pre- and post-LASIK patients, those becoming contact lens intolerant, and patients with acute hordeolum.

Family Eye Care of Woodstock has a specific protocol for treatment, which works very effectively. First the patient receives a BlephEx Treatment. (See details at the top of this page.) Then we perform three consecutive MiboFlo treatments-- 10 minutes per lid, two weeks apart. One month after the last of the three MiboFlo treatments, you see the doctor.

MiBo ThermoFlo treats the root cause of lipid-deficient dry eye disease-- a poor lipid layer resulting from an insufficient amount of Meibum secreted onto the ocular surface. MiBoFlo uses thermoelectric heat via a handheld probe that has a double eye pad attached with ultrasound gel applied to the end to facilitate the heat transfer through the lid to the Meibomian glands.

Heat at a temperature of 108° is emitted from the probe. A technician massages your lids with the probe alternating between a circular and back and forth motion. We make these treatments available in a spa-like environment with music and a special pillow, which makes it a great experience for the patient.

Additionally, we strongly recommend that patients also begin a regimen of 2 capsules of EZ Tears by Eye Promise. (See more about Ocular Nutrition at the top of this page.) The healthier Meibum combined with the heat treatment and better Meibum flow leads to excellent results and relief.

We charge $600 for all four treatments (one BlephEx and three MiboFlos, and it is an out-of-pocket expense. There are no disposable eye pieces or activators necessary, allowing the cost to be minimum. In our experience, patients are very receptive to the treatment and the cost is not prohibitive. 

Source: Thomas Kislan, OD

Founder and medical director of Hazleton Eye Specialists, Stroudsburg Eye Specialists and The Dry Eye Clinic of Northeast, PA

foreyeys@ptd.net