Smart Plugs - Eye & Vision Message Board

20 20 · 06-14-2003, 04:03 PM

Hello All,

I had LASIK surgery in September, 2002 and an enhancement surgery in March of this year. After the second surgery and with the coming of allergy season in Dallas, my eyes became painfully dry.

In April, my doctor inserted Smart Plugs in my lower tear ducts. Smart Plugs differ from the older silicone plugs I tried several years ago in that they are made from a flexible, thermosensitive acrylic material that adjusts to the exact shape and size of your punctum. You can't feel them! They won't fall out on their own and can't be rubbed out. Your doctor, however, can irrigate them out with a saline solution if you don't want them.

My eyes feel 100% better but with having to start taking Zyrtec-D everyday and sometimes twice a day, I'm looking into Restasis. Has it produced tears you can feel in anyone who has tried it? Thanks!

20 20 · 06-15-2003, 06:51 PM

Hello Cherokee,

Yes, I think the Smart Plugs are dramatically beter then the silicone ones. Because they are made of a substance that shrinks in length and expands in width with your body temperature, they become a virtually undetectable soft gel after inserted. I am so-o-o surprised I can tolerate and really not even feel these plugs. The silicone ones drove me nuts - I had to have the doctor take them out about a week after they were put in.

I've had these since the third week in April. It only
took a few minutes to get them in. A week after I had them put in, my tear film had gotten much better and my vision was clearer. (Lack of a good tear film effected my vision - made it 20/40 instead of 20/20.)

I researched them for about a week before I decided to try them - you can also by checking out the website, Medennium.com. They cost $300, but my health insurance covered 80% under medical. (I don't have vision coverage). Let me know if you have any other questions.

Also, I wanted to ask you about the Restasis. Besides not making a big difference yet, do you have any bad side effects? Do you know what caused your dry eyes?

Hope to hear from you. Thanks!

20 20 · 06-16-2003, 06:13 AM

Hi Jen,

So you've been dealing with your dry eyes for over a year now? Bummer. Do you wear contacts?

I had worn gas permeable contacts (hard ones) for about 20 years and then age, I guess, got to me. It got harder and harder to keep my lens in all day; that's when I tried the silicone plugs. The symptoms I experienced were that I could feel the plugs in my eyes, they itched, and besides that, they didn't really cause more tears. Oh yes, they itched.

Because my doctor does alot of eye surgery, and deals with dry eyes alot, he had the Smart Plugs in stock. Because of their design and material, they might not irritate the sensitive tissue in your eyes.

Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Kathy