Comparing The Effects of Lipiflow and IPL Before and After Treatments in Patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Keywords:
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), LipiFlow Pulsation Therapy, LipiFlow Pulsation Therapy, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Six-Month Follow-Up, Six-Month Follow-UpAbstract
Background: Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a leading cause of evaporative dry eye and ocular surface disease. It results from obstruction or altered secretion of the meibomian glands, causing tear film instability, inflammation, and discomfort. Effective treatment is essential to prevent long-term ocular surface damage. Among the available therapies, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and LipiFlow thermal pulsation have shown promising outcomes. This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of IPL and LipiFlow in improving tear film stability, lipid layer quality, and meibomian gland structure in patients with MGD over a six-month period.
Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with MGD. All participants underwent baseline assessments including the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Tear Break-Up Time (TBUT), Schirmer’s Test I (with topical anesthesia), and LipiView imaging. Patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups:
Group 1 (n = 25): Received IPL therapy
Group 2 (n = 25): Received LipiFlow therapy
Results: Both treatment groups showed a significant improvement in TBUT, indicating enhanced tear film stability. A notable reduction in lipid layer thickness (LLT) and meibomian gland dropout was also observed in both groups. However, Schirmer’s test values remained largely unchanged in both groups. While both modalities provided comparable clinical outcomes, IPL was found to be more cost-effective, whereas LipiFlow offered greater efficiency in treatment duration and efficacy
Conclusion: IPL and LipiFlow therapies are both effective in the long-term management of MGD, significantly improving tear film parameters and glandular health. While clinical improvements were similar, IPL may be preferred for its cost-efficiency, and LipiFlow for its enhanced treatment performance. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to validate these findings and support individualized treatment planning
Downloads
Metrics
References
Blackie CA, Coleman CA, Nichols KK, Jones L, Nason R, Higgins A. The sustained effect (12 months) of a single-dose vectored thermal pulsation procedure for meibomian gland dysfunction and evaporative dry eye. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016 Jan 5;10:1385–96.
Song P, Xia W, Wang M, Chang X, Wang J, Jin S, Wang J, Wei W, Rudan I. Variations of dry eye disease prevalence by age, sex and geographic characteristics in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of global health. 2018 Dec;8(2).
Geerling G, Tauber J, Baudouin C, Goto E, Matsumoto Y, O'Brien T, Rolando M, Tsubota K, Nichols KK. The international workshop on meibomian gland dysfunction: report of the subcommittee on management and treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 2011 Mar 1;52(4):2050-64.
Mori A, Shimazaki J, Shimmura S, Fujishima H, Oguchi Y, Tsubota K. Disposable eyelid-warming device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. Japanese journal of ophthalmology. 2003 Nov 1;47(6):578-86.
Purslow C. Evaluation of the ocular tolerance of a novel eyelid-warming device used for meibomian gland dysfunction. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye. 2013 Oct 1;36(5):226-31.
Adler, R. (2020). Retrieved 10 January 2020, from https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ dryeye-syndrome.htm.
Willcox MD, Argüeso P, Georgiev GA, Holopainen JM, Laurie GW, Millar TJ, Papas EB, Rolland JP, Schmidt TA, Stahl U, Suarez T. TFOS DEWS II tear film report. The ocular surface. 2017 Jul 1;15(3):366-403.
Akon M, Gupta A, Kayal PK. Pre and post treatment comparison between IPL and lipiflow for meibomian gland dysfunction. Int J Health Sci Res. 2021; 11(1):54-60.
Tear breakup time (TBUT). (2020). Retrieved 10 January 2020, from https://webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu/eyeforum/atlas/pages/TBUT/index.htm.
Schirmer’s Test. (2020). Retrieved 10 January 2020, from https://www.eyedocs.co.uk/ophthalmology articles/cornea/505-schirmers-test.
Greiner JV. A single LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System treatment improves meibomian gland function and reduces dry eye symptoms for 9 months. Current eye research. 2012 Apr 1;37(4):272-8.
What is LipiView?- (2020). Retreived 10 January 2020, from https://www.myjacksoneye.com/blog/whatis-lipiview/.
Schaumberg DA, Nichols JJ, Papas EB, Tong L, Uchino M, Nichols KK. The international workshop on meibomian gland dysfunction: report of the subcommittee on the epidemiology of, and associated risk factors for, MGD. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 2011 Mar 1;52(4):1994-2005
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
