Punctal occlusion for treatment of Dry Eye. Shannon Wong, MD 11-17-19

One of the most common eye conditions that ophthalmologists see is Dry Eye Syndrome. It is so common that basically everyone experiences dry eye symptoms as part of the normal aging process. Here we see a normal corneal surface – it is smooth and clear – like glass. On the opposite eye, we see small opaque cells on the corneal surface. These cells are dessicated causing the corneal surface to lose transparency and smoothness thus reducing this patient’s visual clarity. A common treatment for dry eye involves placement of a silicone plug to block one of the two tear ducts that allow tears manufactured on the ocular surface to drain from the eye into the nose. A silicone plug can be inserted quickly and painlessly with eyedrop anesthetic. The procedure takes seconds to perform and patients can experience significant improvement in their dry eye symptoms within days. Thank you for watching. Have a wonderful day.