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New technique helps prevent punctal plug migration during insertion
Am J Ophthalmol. 2009;147(1):178-182.
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A new lacrimal punctal plug insertion technique successfully prevented intracanalicular plug migration during insertion in a study.
The interventional, nonrandomized, comparative study included 45 dry eye patients with a mean age of 52.7 years who underwent punctal plug insertion with the new technique and 33 patients with a mean age of 50 years who underwent insertion with the conventional technique. All patients received SuperFlex Punctum Plugs (Eagle Vision).
The SuperFlex plug inserter has a built-in L-shaped needle with the longer section hooked to the plug inserter and the shorter section connected to the push button. Pushing the button moves the needle backward, making the plug body move toward the apex of the inserter body and detach for occlusion.
Data showed 18 incidents of migration among 132 standard insertion procedures (13.6%). The differences between the two techniques’ rates of intracanicular plug migration were statistically significant (P < .05).
“It should be remembered that the intracanalicular plug migration rate reported in this study is solely for the SuperFlex Punctum Plug and that comparative future studies for other plugs will provide interesting information,” the study said.