Lendrum Eye Centre Sherwood Park Eye Centre
Focus Aesthetics is inside both clinics

Our specialty

Dry Eye Treatments

Drops manage the symptom. This is the program that treats what is actually causing it — run by optometrists, in an optometry clinic, in Edmonton and Sherwood Park.

Why drops are not enough

Most dry eye is not a tear shortage.

Burning, grittiness, redness, watering eyes, vision that blurs and clears when you blink, contact lenses that stop being comfortable by mid-afternoon — these are the symptoms people arrive with. In a dry climate like ours they tend to be worse through an Alberta winter, and worse again after a long day on a screen.

The great majority of dry eye is evaporative. You are making enough tears; they are simply evaporating before they can do their job, because the oil layer that should be sitting on top of them is not being produced properly.

That oil comes from the meibomian glands along your lid margins. When those glands become blocked and inflamed — meibomian gland dysfunction, or MGD — no amount of artificial tears fixes the underlying problem. Drops top up the water. They do nothing for the oil. Where the lid margin itself is inflamed and crusted, blepharitis is usually part of the picture too, and it needs clearing before anything else will work.

Clearing the lid margin, then using light and heat to calm inflammation and restart the glands, treats the cause. That is what the three treatments below do, and why we almost always use them together rather than alone.

The program

Three treatments, working together

Each does a different job. Debridement clears the way, IPL calms the inflammation, and RF softens what is stuck so the glands can flow again.

01

Lumecca IPL

Intense pulsed light

Short bursts of intense pulsed light along the cheekbones and both the upper and lower lids. Unlike a laser, which uses a single wavelength, IPL uses a broad spectrum of light, so it treats several things at once. Inflammation — rosacea most commonly — sits behind a great deal of dry eye, and reducing it is what allows the meibomian glands to work again.

A layer of ultrasound gel goes on first — it cools the skin and lets the handpiece glide. Your eyes are shielded throughout. IPL is not suitable for every skin type or tone, so we carry out skin typing at the consultation, and a high SPF before and after each treatment is essential.

More on Lumecca IPL
$350per treatment
02

Forma I

Radiofrequency

Forma I is the smaller of the two Forma handpieces, and the one we use around the lids. It holds the tissue between 41 and 43°C, which is the band where the hardened oil blocking the glands breaks down. Because the heat is generated in the tissue itself rather than applied to the skin, it is more precise than a warm compress can be.

It feels like a warm massage. Nothing about it is uncomfortable, and there is no downtime at all.

More on Forma I
$350per treatment
03

Lid Debridement

Clearing the lid margin

Think of it as an exfoliation of the lid margin. Using purpose-made products we clear debris from the lashes, the gland openings and the margin itself, breaking down the bacteria and biofilm that drive inflammation and infection. Before light or heat can do much, the lid margin has to be clear. Debridement removes the biofilm, keratin and debris that build up along the lash line and block the gland openings.

It is usually the first thing we do, and for some people with mild disease it is most of the answer on its own.

$180includes a two-month supply of lid wipes

The full course

Dry Eye Treatment Plan

The way we recommend doing this properly — a complete course rather than treatments bought one at a time.

  • 4 × Lumecca IPL treatments
  • 4 × Forma I radiofrequency treatments
  • 1 × Lid debridement
  • 1 month of the CORE 4 products — warm compress, preservative-free drops, lid hygiene wipes and Omega-3
$2,600
Bought separately, the treatments alone come to $2,980 — before any products.
Book at Lendrum Book at Sherwood Park

How a course runs

What the months ahead look like

  1. 01
    Assessment

    We look at your tear film, the quality of the oil coming out of the glands, and the state of the lid margins. This is an eye examination rather than a skin consultation, which is the advantage of having it done in an optometry clinic.

  2. 02
    Debridement first

    Clearing the lash line and gland openings so everything that follows can actually reach them. You go home with lid wipes to keep it clear.

  3. 03
    Four rounds of IPL and RF

    Spaced two to four weeks apart. IPL and RF are never done on the same day — we alternate them, and we will map the schedule out with you.

  4. 04
    Home care alongside it

    The CORE 4 do the daily work between appointments, and using them consistently makes a real difference to how well the course works. Some people add Umay Rest for the warmth side of that routine.

  5. 05
    Reassessment and maintenance

    We check the glands again at the end of the course. Most people then come back for a top-up treatment once or twice a year.

Cost and coverage

What dry eye treatment costs.

Individual treatments are priced above, and the full plan is $2,600 rather than $2,980 bought separately. There are no hidden fees — the assessment tells you what you need before you commit to a course.

Alberta Health Care does not cover dry eye treatment of this kind. Some extended health plans reimburse part of it, and coverage varies a great deal between plans, so it is worth asking your provider directly. We are happy to give you a receipt showing exactly what was done. If cost is the deciding factor, say so at the assessment and we will tell you which parts of the plan matter most for your eyes specifically.

Questions

Before you book

How do I know if this is my problem?

Burning, grittiness, watering eyes, fluctuating vision and contact lenses that stop being comfortable by mid-afternoon are the usual signs. The assessment tells us whether your glands are actually blocked, which is what decides if these treatments will help you.

Do I have to stop using drops?

No. Keep using them through the course — they are still doing something useful. Most people find they reach for them far less by the end.

When will I feel a difference?

Usually somewhere around the second or third treatment, and it continues to improve for a while after the course finishes. It is a gradual change rather than a switch being flipped.

Can IPL and RF be done on the same day?

No. Both are part of the plan, but they are always scheduled separately.

Is this permanent?

Meibomian gland dysfunction is a chronic condition, so this is management rather than cure. Glands that have already died back do not come back. That is the reason to treat it sooner rather than later — and why most people return for maintenance once or twice a year.

Does it hurt, and is IPL safe around the eyes?

IPL feels like a quick warm snap against the skin, and most people find it very manageable. Your eyes are shielded throughout, and the light is applied to the skin along the cheekbones and lids rather than to the eye itself. The RF treatment is simply a warm massage.

How many treatments will I need?

The plan is four IPL and four RF sessions with a lid debridement, usually spread across a few months. Most people notice a change by the second or third visit, and most return for maintenance once or twice a year afterwards.

Can I add a facial treatment?

Yes. The Refresh Cleanse is $75 when added to a dry eye treatment, rather than $99 on its own.

Book a consultation

Dry eye treatment starts with an assessment, so we can tell you whether your glands will actually respond — and say so plainly if they will not.

Book at Lendrum Eye Centre Book at Sherwood Park Eye Centre