Vectored thermal pulsation therapy gives better outcomes in meibomian gland dysfunction: Study

China: Lipiflow therapy can enhance both the objective and subjective results of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) while also lowering the risk of side effects, says an article published in Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, on 10 August 2021.

Jindong Hu and the team conducted this study with the objective to look at the efficacy and safety of a vectored thermal pulsation system (Lipiflow) in the treatment of dry eye illness caused by the meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Up until 4 January 2021, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for this study. Subjective symptoms, objective testing for dry eye, meibomian gland function, and the occurrence of adverse events were all assessed.

The results of this study stated as follow:

1. Ten qualifying RCTs with a total of 761 patients were examined.

2. In the comparison of lid hygiene and Lipiflow treatment, the subgroup with inconsistent units of randomization and analysis revealed that the Lipiflow® treatment improved corneal fluorescein staining (mean difference (MD), 0.42), ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score (MD, 7.4), and Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) score (MD, 2.7; 95 (MD, 4.09).

3. Meanwhile, substantial improvements in OSDI score, SPEED score, MGYSS, and MGYLS were observed in individuals who received Lipiflow therapy vs those who did not. The adverse effects in the two control groups were comparable.

In conclusion, Lipiflow may be useful for MGD management; however, more RCTs are needed to establish its safety and effectiveness. The incorrect selection of units of analysis may be a primary cause of heterogeneity, implying that future ophthalmology research should pay greater attention to this problem in order to make valid conclusions.

Reference:

Hu, J., Zhu, S. & Liu, X. Efficacy and safety of a vectored thermal pulsation system (Lipiflow®) in the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 260, 25–39 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-021-05363-1

Keywords: meibomian gland, thermal pulsation system, Graefe's archive, Lipiflow therapy, ophthalmology, dry eye, ocular surface, cornea,