The smart way to treat dry eye

Insertion of a SmartPlug (Medennium) can be an effective management tool for severe dry eye syndrome, according to a report published in the June issue of Cornea.

Simon Chen and Graham Lee of the University of Queensland, Australia conducted a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing SmartPlug insertion between June 2003 and December 2005.

A total of 91 eyes of 54 patients (44 women and 10 men) were included in the review. The average follow-up period was 13.0±6.0 months, with a minimum of six months. Thirty patients (60.4%) reported using a decreased amount of lubricant eye drops, including nine patients (15.4%) who were altogether free of eye drop use. Forty-one patients (75.8%) reported subjective symptom improvement after insertion of the SmartPlug. Meanwhile, complications included canaliculitis (6.6%), epiphora requiring plug removal (5.5%) and spontaneous plug loss (2.2%).

The study demonstrates that the SmartPlug can be useful in treating severe dry eye but the authors warn that long-term follow-up is required for potentially serious complications such as canaliculitis.

The SmartPlug is available throughout Europe and the US, as well as other countries around the world.