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. 2025 May 30:19:1743-1749.
doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S508547. eCollection 2025.

Is the Meibopatch Heated Pad Useful in Treating Patients with Meibomian Gland-Related Dry Eye Disease? - Assessing Tolerability, Acceptance, and Effectiveness

Tasneem Elghazali Bakhiet  1 , Abdus Samad Ansari  1 , Gwyn Samuel Williams  1 , Mahmoud Husseiny Awad  1 , Alistair Thomas  1
Affiliations

Is the Meibopatch Heated Pad Useful in Treating Patients with Meibomian Gland-Related Dry Eye Disease? - Assessing Tolerability, Acceptance, and Effectiveness

Tasneem Elghazali Bakhiet et al. Clin Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Background: Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) significantly impacts vision-related quality of life and poses a substantial financial burden in ophthalmology practice globally. Projected expenditure on DES treatments is estimated to exceed 6.6 billion USD by 2027. The Meibopatch (VISUfarma International, Valbonne, France) represents one of the latest devices designed to enhance treatment adherence and aid in managing Dry Eye Syndrome (DES). However, its long-term acceptance and efficacy among patients with posterior blepharitis, a condition closely linked with Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), has yet to be demonstrated.

Methods: Patients with symptomatic non-responsive blepharitis were enrolled during clinic visits and asked to self-administer Meibopatch treatment for four weeks. The ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire was utilized to evaluate symptoms both at baseline and following the four-week treatment period. Supplementary assessments on acceptability and tolerability were conducted through post-treatment questionnaires.

Results: A total of 43 patients were recruited. The baseline pre-treatment OSDI score ± SD (Standard Deviation) was 47.9±16.4, while the post-treatment OSDI value + SD was 37.7±14.9. Analysis revealed a significant mean difference between pre- and post-treatment OSDI scores (p=0.0005), indicating notable symptomatic improvement over the assessment duration. However, the findings diverged from evaluations of acceptability and overall patient satisfaction with the Meibopatch.

Conclusion: The results suggest that Meibopatch represents a safe therapeutic option for managing DES. However, the controversy arises from the incongruence between the substantial reduction in symptoms noted from the OSDI scores and the reported patient outcomes regarding satisfaction and effectiveness. Future efforts should focus on validating the OSDI in blepharitis patients and establishing patient-centered outcomes in the realm of DES.

Keywords: blepharitis; dry eye syndrome; meibomian gland; meibomian gland warming; patient-reported outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare for this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Additional Patient Questionnaire Responses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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