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Silicone punctal plugs show satisfactory long-term retention rate

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Silicone punctal plugs show a satisfactory long-term retention rate and few complications in patients with dry eye, according to a prospective study by researchers in Austria. However, canalicular stenosis may occur after spontaneous loss of plugs, the study authors noted.

Jutta Horwath-Winter, MD, and colleagues at Medical University of Graz evaluated outcomes for 95 silicone punctal plugs (FCI plugs, FCI Ophthalmics) implanted in 93 eyes of 47 dry eye patients followed for up to 8 years. They published their results in the September issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology.

The researchers found that 84.2% of the plugs remained in place at 3 months follow-up, 69.5% remained in place at 1 year and 55.8% had been retained at a median follow-up of 2 years, the authors reported.

Canalicular stenosis developed after spontaneous plug loss in 14.3% of eyes after 3 months, in 26.9% after 1 year and in 34.2% after a median of 2 years, according to the study.

No patients developed an infection, but granulomatous formation occurred with extrusion in one eye and with intrusion in two eyes. Also, three plugs required removal because of local discomfort or epiphora, and one piece of a broken plug had intruded, according to the study.