Lipiflow Treatment FAQ

Meibomian glands are embedded in the upper and lower eyelids and produce the oily layer of our tears. It is common for Meibomian glands to become blocked, which inhibits their function. Inadequate gland function means low tear oil layer production, leaving the eye vulnerable to fast tear evaporation and dry eye. This is known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). MGD is chronic, progressive, and not always felt at the beginning and is present in almost 90% of dry eye patients.

During our clinical examination, we will use several devices to diagnose MGD, once of which is Lipiscan. The Lipiscan device scans your Meibomian gland, giving our doctors a high definition image of the problem area.

Lipiflow “activators” are single use devices that are placed on the eye and comfortably deliver a combination of heat and massage. This helps remove blockages from the Meibomian glands.

A typical Lipiflow eye treatment lasts for 12 minutes.

You can resume normal activities immediately following treatment.

Lipiflow dry eye treatment should not hurt. To minimize any minor discomfort, your doctor will instill one drop of topical anesthetic in each eye.

The Lipiflow removes blockages in your Meibomian glands. If your glands are blocked long enough, you will likely experience gland “dropout,” which means they die. Therefore, the purpose of Lipiflow is to protect your glands in the short and long term from “dropout” and inhibiting dry eye from progressing. Most symptomatic patients do report feeling better, however the goal is stop it from getting worse. For additional information, see this Review of Ophthalmology article entitled, What To Expect from Your Dry-Eye Device.

Lipiflow results are typically assessed at your next eye exam.

Lipiflow is non-invasive and FDA (USA) and CFIA (Canada) approved. The risks of Lipiflow are quite minimal. Following a Lipiflow treatment, you may experience some mild dryness for a day or two that is treated with artificial tears.

While there is no cure for dry eyes, the whole purpose of Lipiflow treatment is to help the Meibomian glands continue to produce lipids on their own, naturally. As lipid production becomes more regular, your dry eye symptoms should lessen.

The Lipiflow treatment procedure is now offered through our Unionville dry eye clinic in Markham, Ontario.

Insurance for a Lipiflow eye treatment is available only through plans that include flex dollars.