About the Usage of Permanent Silicone Plugs for the Treatment of Chronic Dry Eye

Some of our Manhattan NY patients have more prolonged dryness after LASIK than the typical LASIK patients. If post-operative dryness persists after 4-6 months after LASIK it is considered as chronic dry eye to our Manhattan NY patients. Options other than the usage of chronic daily tears and lubricants is the insertion of silicone plugs to block the lacrimal drains. This blockage of the lacrimal drains allows our Manhattan NY patients achieve relief of there dryness symptoms almost immediately within the first week and may reduce or eliminate one’s dependency on post-operative artificial tears. Many of our Manhattan NY patients are happy with their resolved dryness thanks to plugs as their lifestyle is more enhanced without the need for chronic instillation of artificial tears. The plugs are permanent made of silicone material that do not dissolve like collagen plugs. Most of the times they do not have to removed if one does not get any irritation from them. They are safe for our Manhattan NY patients and are easy to put in taking only a couple seconds with a numbing drop. Some of our Manhattan NY patients prefer to use them right after surgery to obtain the maximum level of vision. Some of our Manhattan patients that theie vision is sharper and clearer with the additional moisture provided by the plug than not having them at all