Thoughts on using 4mm probe on lower lid
The average length of a lower eyelid meibomian gland is 2-3mm. Furthermore, the average height of the lower eyelid tarsal plate (where the meibomian glands reside) is 3.5-5mm. Notably, some people naturally have lower eyelid tarsal plates less than 4mm.
I have personally had my lower glands probed to 4mm, with “popping” heard with the probe completely inserted to full 4mm depth. But I don’t understand how the probe could be inserted to a depth that exceeds the length of lower eyelid glands and the lower tarsal plate, without puncturing the bottom of the gland or the plate.
If Dr Maskin’s claims are true about the “popping” noise being fibrotic bands of scar tissue being released, why can you still hear the noise when the probe has been inserted to a 4mm depth, far past the length of the average meibomian gland? Dr Maskin has imaged a 4mm probe in a gland but this doesn’t necessarily prove that the probe hasn’t punctured the end of the gland and potentially the bottom of the tarsal plate.
Should we be more cautious about probing the lower eyelid glands more than 2mm deep?