Effects of Lacrimal Drainage Occlusion with Nondissolvable Intracanalicular Plugs on Hydrogel Contact Lens Wear

Safety and Efficacy of Lacrimal Drainage System Plugs for Dry Eye Syndrome

“…Three of the studies 9,14,15 reported a decrease in the use of artificial tears after placement of intracanalicular plugs. One study 16 included contact lens wearers and reported statistically significant improvement in contact lens comfort. Two studies 14,16 showed improvement in both Rose Ophthalmology Volume -, Number -, Month 2015…”

“…In 1 31 of the 2 studies, partial extrusion or migration occurred in an additional 3.1% of the patients. Five studies 9,15,16,31,32 reported epiphora, which occurred in 6.5% of patients (range, 1.5%e9.3%). Five studies 9,30e32,34 reported complications of inflammation.…”

“…The fifth study 31 reported pyogenic granuloma in 6.0% of patients. Two studies 16,31 reported symptoms of irritation, with patients experiencing discomfort requiring plug removal (range, 7.0%e18.0%). One study 31 also reported foreign-body sensation, itching, or pain in 2.6% of patients.…”

Effect of Punctal Occlusion on Tear Menisci in Symptomatic Contact Lens Wearers

“…17 Punctal occlusion also relieves subjective discomfort and ocular surface damage in contact lens wearers who experienced dryness during lens wear. [18][19][20][21][22] The improvements are associated with increased Schirmer I test scores and decreased vital staining. Not much information is available about the tear meniscus in contact lens wearers after punctal occlusion, mainly because of the difficulty in quantitation of each tear compartment on the ocular surface.…”

The Use of Argon Laser Punctal Stenosis in Patients With Contact Lens-Induced Dry Eyes

“…Previous studies on the use of punctal occlusion in contact lens wearers have found mixed results with some studies showing a benefit whereas others showing no significant beneficial effect. [13][14][15][16] This may in part be because of the heterogeneous patient populations, small sample sizes, and perhaps the all-or-none effect of total punctal occlusion. Therefore, we hypothesized that punctal stenosis, which is a more physiologic form of treatment that maintains an appropriate level of flow through the punctum, may provide relief to patients with contact lens induced dry eyes.…”