title: Punctal plugs for treatment of post-LASIK dry eye.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of punctal plugs for patients with post-LASIK dry eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted on 25 eyes of 18 patients who underwent LASIK. All eyes fulfilled the Japanese dry-eye criteria and had not responded to conventional treatment with artificial tears by 1 month postsurgery. They were randomly divided into a plug and a non-plug group. Punctal plugs were inserted into the superior and inferior puncta in the plug group after the 1-month examination. Uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity (UCVA, BCVA), refraction, functional visual acuity (FVA) after 10 s eye opening (FVA 10), surface regularity index (SRI) after 10 s eye opening (SRI 10), corneal sensitivity, Schirmer test, fluorescein staining (FS), tear break-up time (TBUT), and symptoms were compared between the groups 1 and 3 months postsurgery. Changes in these data from 1 to 3 months were also compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The values in SRI 10, FS, and TBUT were significantly better in the plug group at 3 months. Changes in the values of UCVA, FVA 10, FS, TBUT, and symptoms between 1 and 3 months improved significantly in the plug group compared with the non-plug group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that punctal occlusion for both puncta is effective for patients with post-LASIK dry eye that cannot be controlled by artificial tears alone. Punctal plugs can improve not only the symptoms and tear function, but also the quality of vision, for example FVA.
authors.affiliation: Smile Eye Clinic, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yang Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D013666:Tears / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult