BY HOLLI W. HAYNIE

Parasol® Punctal Occluder by Odyssey Medical Inc.

Years ago, the shelves of convenience store pharmacies had only a small section for eye drops. Today, numerous products fill shelves addressing an array of eye moisture issues. Tears function to protect the eyes and keep them lubricated and comfortable. Chronic dry eye is a decline in quantity and/or quality of the tears produced, causing eyes to feel irritated, scratchy, burning, red and uncomfortable. It affects about 20.7 million people in the United States, according to the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC), and is the most common of all eye disorders, affecting approximately 20 percent of the population. In addition, nearly 40 percent of Americans experience symptoms of dry eye on a regular basis.

Some of the most common causes for the disorder include aging, medications, environmental factors, contact lenses and diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The disorder is more common in women over age 50 due to hormonal changes. Eye surgeries such as LASIK and cataract surgery can also cause dry eye issues.

Depending on the intensity of the condition, treatment may be as simple as using artificial tears a few times a day. Recently, prescription therapeutics also have become available. In more persistent cases, however, a simple non-surgical procedure is available that provides long-term relief of chronic dry eye through the use of tiny plugs called punctal occluders.

Odyssey Medical, Inc., a local micro-surgical design and manufacturing company, produces the widely used Parasol® punctal occluder, a punctum plug slightly bigger than a grain of salt that resides in the tear duct, the drainage duct that carries tears away from the surface of the eye. The plug acts to hold in tears much like a drain plug holds water in a sink, thus preventing tears from draining away too quickly. This widely performed procedure is safe, executed in about five minutes, painless and completely reversible.

“Frequently, (patients) will notice immediately that they feel like they have more tears in their eyes, which is a relief,” said Gary Tatge, President and CEO of Odyssey Medical, Inc.

The typical side effect is a foreign body sensation, which is created by the dome of the plug. That is correctable upon using a different size or if necessary, removal.

The Parasol plug has a unique hollow-nose design which collapses on insertion, eliminating the need for punctal dilation in most cases. They come in two sizes (small and medium) that fit practically all patients.

“When you insert the plug, the nose collapses to fit the patient’s punctum and then opens up once it’s in the punctal area,” explained Dawn Sanders, clinical affairs manager for Odyssey Medical. “The retention is better due to that collapsibility.”

Punctum plugs are safe during eye surgery and are even used pre and post cataract and refractive surgery to obtain eye moisture during the procedures.