Introducing state-of-the-art Tempsure Envi radiofrequency (RF) treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) related dry eye. MGD is the primary cause for 80% of all dry eyes!
What is MGD? The meibomian glands, which line your lid margins, should secrete an oil every time you blink that is very important to the front surface of the eye. If the oil is too thick or there is not enough of it, the watery tears evaporate away leaving the sensitive tissue called the cornea exposed and in pain. Over time this can cause damage and impact both your eye comfort and vision. These glands can often be clogged up over time with waxy deposits due to a variety of factors. In order to treat the dry eye, these waxy deposits need to be removed. This is best done by applying heat to melt the waxy deposits and mild pressure to unclog the glands. After this is done, the glands can rebound and start to work more effectively improving the oil in the tears as well as your comfort and vision. There are several different ways to go about this process.
How does RF work? We have found RF treatment of MGD to be effective for a few reasons. RF is low frequency electrical energy that is most commonly used in cosmetics. It is also commonly used to treat MGD because we are able to heat up your clogged meibomian glands to a specific temperature for a specific amount of time and then use the device to apply mild pressure to unclog the glands. It is highly specific and customizable to each individual patients needs.
The following video shows an RF treatment for MGD at another clinic. Our treatment protocol varies slightly but is similar and gives you a sense of what you can expect during a treatment.
In addition to providing a medical treatment for MGD related dry eyes, you can also experience an added cosmetic benefit of reducing fine lines and wrinkles in the targeted area. If you are more interested in a primarily cosmetic treatment please see more information on our cosmetic services page Cosmetic Services page.
Why we choose RF? There are multiple quality treatment technologies and techniques available to treat MGD. We choose RF due to it's high degree of customization with our hands on case-by-case approach to eye care. We are also able to supply a high quality treatment efficiently while keeping the cost of the treatment significantly lower that we could with other comparable treatments. Medical and Vision insurance generally does not cover many treatments for dry eye disease so we really want this to be a quality but still reasonable option as a cash pay procedure.
What to expect? Before an RF treatment you will meet with one of our doctors for an evaluation of your dry eyes. This can be done during a routine exam or on another visit specifically designed to focus on your dry eyes. We will give you an honest evaluation of what we see as far as the root cause of your dry eye, the severity, and all potential treatment options we may recommend. If RF is recommended we will answer any questions and you will be sent home with a packet containing further information about potential risks, side effect, how to prepare for the treatment, and what you can expect afterwards. Our RF treatments are designed to have the best benefit possible by doing a single treatment. However, it is possible depending on the severity of the issues that multiple treatment may be recommended or needed for better lasting results. We will be honest and upfront about expectations and the need for multiple treatments. We want you to have a quality experience and find lasting relief from dry eye related symptoms.
If you are having symptoms of dry eye, give our Brigham City Eye and Vision Care office a call today at (435) 723-2144 to schedule an appointment.