Punctal plugs are devices used to treat dry eyes that are placed inside the tear ducts.
Punctal plugs are also called tear duct plugs or lacrimal plugs or occluders.
Verywell / Dennis Madamba
What Are Punctal Plugs?
Verywell / Dennis Madamba
Tears help to keep your eyes comfortable.
Punctal plugs can be used to treat dry eye when other treatments are ineffective.
The procedure to insert punctal plugswhich are about the size of a grain of riceis called punctal occlusion.
With punctal plugs in place, these tears will not drain out.
Occasionally, an eye care provider may use punctal plugs for other eye diseases or after eye surgery.
Who Needs Them?
Most people with dry eye will try other treatments before getting punctal plugs.
These include:
There may be reasons these treatments do not work for you.
For example, you may experience side effects like stinging and burning in the eyes.
Each throw in of punctal plug has a different purpose.
Semi-permanent plugs are made of materials such as acrylic or silicone.
This is a deeper part of the tear duct.
How Much Do Punctal Plugs Cost?
Punctal plugs can range in price from the low $200s to around $700.
The plugs help these medications remain in your eye for longer.
Punctal plugs are generally considered safe.
They can be placed quickly and the procedure is painless.
Punctal plugs can also be removed if needed.
Should I Still Use Lubricating Drops?
Punctal plugs are one way to lower your use of artificial tears/lubricating drops.
Risks
Complications are uncommon and usually not serious.
They include:
Punctal plugs sometimes have disadvantages, such as causing your eyes to have too many tears.
If your eyes now feel too watery, let your healthcare provider know.
you’re able to strategize another way to manage your eyes and tear control.
You may opt to have the tear duct plugs removed.
Will Punctal Plugs Feel Uncomfortable?
Most people do not feel punctal plugs.
Those who do feel them get used to them fairly easily.
If you do feel them, they should not be uncomfortable.
If they are irritating, let your eye care provider know.
That could indicate a potential problem, such as an infection.
Procedure
The procedure used to insert punctal plugs is called punctal occlusion.
You do not need to do anything to prepare for punctal occlusion.
Many patients can have punctal occlusion without them.
The number of plugs depends on how severe your dry eye is.
Punctal occlusion takes just a couple of minutes.
You may feel a little uncomfortable during the insertion process.
There is no recovery time after punctal occlusion.
you might drive home on your own and resume normal activities.
What is the success rate of punctal plugs?
The rate of plug loss can be high, however.
Between 15% and 50% over follow-up periods of two to six months.
Removing Punctal Plugs
There are a few reasons why punctal plugs might need to be removed.
You may find them uncomfortable, or you may develop an infection.
If they cause too many tears, you may prefer to have them removed.
Let your eye care provider know if your eyes feel scratchy orpainful.
These symptoms indicate the need for an exam and the potential removal of your punctal plugs.
A surgical instrument called forceps can carefully remove the tear duct plugs.
They can also be removed using a saltwater solution that will flush the plugs into the nose or throat.
An eye care provider may use surgery to remove punctal plugs located more deeply in the tear duct.
Summary
Punctal plugs help moisten the eye in people who experience chronic dry eye.
The procedure to insert the plugs is quick and easy.
Punctal plugs can be semi-permanent or dissolvable.
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University of Michigan Health System, Kellogg Eye Center.Punctal plugs.
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Corcoran Consulting Group.Medicare reimbursement for punctal occlusion by punctal plug.
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