Treatment · Thermal pulsation

LipiFlow®

A single 12-minute session that unblocks meibomian glands, restores their lipid production, and brings lasting relief from the dry eye symptoms caused by gland dysfunction.

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12 min

Per eye treatment time

Session for most patients

70–85%

Experience significant improvement

Downtime

The root cause of dry eye

Understanding Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Dry eye disease affects millions of people. One of the most common underlying causes is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD): the glands that line your eyelids and produce the protective lipid (oil) layer of your tear film become clogged or stop producing meibum effectively. When this happens, your tears evaporate rapidly, leaving your surface uncomfortable, irritated, and unstable.

For years, managing MGD meant temporary solutions: warm compresses, lubricating drops, anti-inflammatory medications. These can help, but they don’t address the root cause — the blocked or dysfunctional glands themselves.

Why conventional approaches fall short

Warm compresses soften meibum temporarily, but the effect wears off. Drops and medications manage symptoms but don’t restore gland function. Manual expression is imprecise and provides only brief relief. For patients with moderate-to-severe MGD, these approaches often leave them stuck in a cycle of discomfort, drop dependency, and diminishing results. LipiFlow is the first in-office treatment that actually unblocks the glands and restores their ability to produce healthy lipid.

The mechanism

Heat + Pressure = Gland Restoration

LipiFlow combines two therapeutic mechanisms that work in concert: controlled heat and gentle pulsatile pressure. Together, they safely unblock meibomian glands and restore their normal secretion.

Heating to 48°C

The LipiFlow device carefully heats the inner eyelid to approximately 48°C (118°F). This controlled warmth softens and liquefies the thickened meibum inside blocked glands, making it mobile and ready to express — similar to how warm oil flows more readily than cold oil.

Micro-Pulsations

While heat softens the meibum, the device applies gentle, calibrated pulsatile pressure (approximately 6 mmHg) to the eyelid margin. These rhythmic micro-pulsations mimic the action of natural blinking, gently expressing the loosened lipids from the glands and restoring normal flow.

Restored Function

Once unblocked and expressed, the meibomian glands resume normal lipid production. This restores the protective oil layer on your tear surface, stabilizing your tear film and dramatically reducing the symptoms that brought you in.

Who benefits

Who LipiFlow Is For

LipiFlow is ideal for patients who have moderate-to-severe symptoms from meibomian gland dysfunction and haven’t found lasting relief with conventional approaches.

Moderate-to-severe MGD

Patients with clinically evident meibomian gland obstruction, clear lipid deficiency, or both who have symptoms — grittiness, burning, foreign body sensation, redness — that interfere with daily life.

Evaporative dry eye

Inadequate response to drops and compresses

Patients who have tried warm compresses, lubricating drops, and other conventional therapies without sustained relief, and whose imaging or examination confirms that the underlying problem is gland dysfunction.

Refractory symptoms

Screen-related dry eye

Patients whose dry eye symptoms are triggered or worsened by prolonged near work or screen exposure, often because meibomian glands are compromised and can’t support tear stability during reduced blinking.

Digital eye strain

Seeking lasting solutions

Patients who want to address the root cause rather than manage symptoms indefinitely. LipiFlow provides months of relief with a single session; many patients maintain improvement with proper home care thereafter.

Definitive treatment

Ideal candidates

Active meibomian glands that are obstructed but not atrophied are the best candidates. Your comprehensive dry eye evaluation determines suitability — if you don’t have the glands to restore, LipiFlow isn’t the right path.

Imaging-confirmed MGD

Not ideal: When LipiFlow doesn’t help

Patients with aqueous-deficient dry eye (low tear production) may benefit little from LipiFlow alone. Severe gland atrophy, active eyelid infection, or recent surgery may also make it inappropriate. A thorough assessment clarifies the fit.

Not suitable if:

What to expect

The LipiFlow Session: Step by Step

LipiFlow is an in-office procedure that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, with the actual heat and pressure treatment lasting 12 minutes per eye. Here’s what the process looks like.

Settle in comfortably

You’ll sit in a comfortable treatment chair. Take a moment to relax — the treatment is painless, but most patients find it soothing.

Topical numbing drops

We place numbing (anesthetic) drops in your eyes so you won’t feel discomfort. Your eye will be numb but you’ll remain alert and able to communicate during the treatment.

Device positioning

The LipiFlow applicator is positioned gently against your eyelid. The applicator contacts your eyelid margin but does not enter your eye. Your clinician ensures the fit is comfortable before beginning heat.

Heat and pulsation: 12 minutes

The device begins heating to 48°C and applies gentle, rhythmic micro-pulsations. You’ll feel warmth and gentle pressure — most patients describe it as relaxing. If you ever feel discomfort, let your clinician know and the intensity can be adjusted.

Repeat on the other eye

After the first eye is complete, the device is repositioned on your other eyelid and the 12-minute treatment repeats. Both eyes are treated in the same session.

Done — zero downtime

The device is removed. Your eyes may feel slightly warm or tingly for a few minutes — completely normal. You return to normal activities immediately. No restrictions on screens, driving, or exercise.

Patient experience and comfort

Most patients find LipiFlow comfortable or even relaxing. The numbing drops ensure you feel minimal sensation, and the warmth is soothing. Some patients compare the sensation to a warm, gentle massage of the eyelid. You’re awake and aware throughout, and communication with your clinician is easy if you have any concerns.

The timeline

Results and Recovery Timeline

While some patients notice improvement within days, most experience the full benefit of LipiFlow over the first few weeks as the unblocked glands normalize and resume full lipid production.

Immediately after: your eyes may feel slightly warm or tingly — normal and temporary
Hours to days 1–3: initial symptom relief as glands begin secreting lipid again; decreasing dryness, burning, grittiness
Week 1–2: noticeable improvement in comfort, tear stability, and visual clarity
Week 4: full therapeutic benefit for most patients; glands have resumed normalized function
3–6 months: initial benefit period; most patients enjoy significant symptom relief
6–12 months: with consistent home care (warm compresses, lid hygiene, omega-3 supplementation), relief often extends to a year or longer

Clinical studies show that 70–85% of patients experience significant symptom improvement after a single LipiFlow session. Improvement in tear stability, gland function, and symptom scores is measurable at follow-up visits.

Duration varies by individual. Some patients maintain improvement indefinitely with proper home care. Others benefit from a maintenance session 6–12 months later. We’ll assess your response at follow-up and recommend the best path forward for your unique situation.

Connected care

LipiFlow Within the UVG Ecosystem

LipiFlow is rarely the only tool. Meibomian gland dysfunction is often part of a larger dry eye picture, and our integrated network lets us coordinate care across expertise without scattering you between separate institutions.

Post-cataract or post-LASIK dry eye? Our colleagues at Uptown Eye Specialists and U Eye Laser Cosmetic refer their most difficult post-surgical dry eye cases to UDEI — because LipiFlow works best when coordinated with other interventions in a single chart.

Underlying inflammation or other gland disease? We often layer LipiFlow with UltraView DEL™ or other gland-targeted therapies to address multiple mechanisms simultaneously, rather than treating one thing at a time.

Combination therapy? Patients sometimes benefit most from LipiFlow + UltraView DEL or LipiFlow + Manual Expression — treating different aspects of gland dysfunction in a coordinated sequence rather than in isolation.

Home-care support? Warm compresses, omega-3 supplementation, and lid-hygiene products that pair well with LipiFlow therapy are curated by our clinicians and available through U Shoppe.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Numbing drops are applied before the procedure, so you won’t experience pain or significant discomfort. Most patients find the treatment comfortable or even relaxing. The warmth is soothing, and the gentle micro-pulsations feel similar to a soft massage of the eyelid. If you ever feel discomfort during the procedure, let your clinician know immediately so adjustments can be made.

Most patients experience significant improvement from a single LipiFlow session. However, some individuals benefit from a second session at 6–12 months to further improve gland function or sustain initial results longer. Your eye care team will make a recommendation based on your initial response and clinical findings at follow-up visits.

Yes. LipiFlow works well alongside other treatments. Many patients use warm compresses, lubricating drops, lid hygiene practices, or anti-inflammatory medications before and after their LipiFlow session. In fact, layering treatments often yields the best results because different approaches target different mechanisms of dry eye. Your clinician will advise on the optimal sequence and combination for your specific needs.

While 70–85% of patients experience significant symptom improvement, dry eye is complex and individual responses vary. If you do not see expected benefit after 4–6 weeks, your eye care team will investigate further. This might mean that your dry eye has a component beyond meibomian gland dysfunction — such as aqueous deficiency, inflammation, or corneal nerve injury — that requires a different or complementary approach. We’ll explore alternative or additional treatments based on your full clinical picture.

Yes, but with timing considerations. Most clinicians recommend waiting 24 hours after your LipiFlow session before resuming contact lens wear, allowing the glands to stabilize and any minor irritation to settle. After that period, you can resume normal contact lens wear. In fact, many patients who had difficulty wearing contacts because of dry eye find that LipiFlow allows them to wear lenses more comfortably long-term.

Take the next step

Is LipiFlow Right For You?

A comprehensive dry eye evaluation is the first step. Our specialists will assess your meibomian gland structure and function, measure your tear film stability, and evaluate your symptoms to determine whether LipiFlow is the right treatment path for your unique clinical picture.