Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs divided into two categories. Temporary (ABSORBABLE) and permanent (NOT ABSORBABLE) and can be used to safely reduce symptoms of dry eye for some patients. The effectiveness is largely dependent on the cause of their dry eye.

Punctal plugs are tiny, biocompatible devices that can be inserted into the tear duct to block the drainage if tears. This helps to increases the eye's tear film and maintain the surface moisture to help relieve certain forms of dry eye.

Punctal plugs are generally used when eye drops fail to provide relieve for your dry eye condition.

Two general types of tear duct plugs are:

Permanent (NOT ABSORBABLE), typically made of long-lasting materials such as silicone.

Temporary (ABSORBABLE), made of materials such as collagen that the body eventually absorbs.

Temporary or absorbable punctal plugs usually last from a few days to as long as several months.

Temporary or absorbable punctal plugs sometimes are used to evaluate if the treatment works for your dry eye condition before a more permanent solution is considered.