Total confusion regarding plugs!

[lizzyk]

Can someone please tell me if all plugs have a drainage hole going through them? I saw an opthamologist yesterday who informed me that this the case!

He said they have to have a hole in them so they can be inserted into the eye with the preloaded dispenser, im totally confused as i assumed that most plugs did NOT have a hole going the whole way through them, otherwise how would they stop tear drainage?????

I would also like to know if anyone is unable to tolerate silicone plugs - they help me retain some moisture but when i didnt have them in for a weeks my eyes felt less smeary and perhaps a little better - though they did feel a lot drier than usual

Any advice gratefully received

[gormz]

Hmm thats a good question. I looked up some punctal plugs and it seems that they have holes in them but not all the way through to the other side.

http://odysseymed.com/parasol-steril...-instructions/

They would stop tear drainage to some extent even with holes all the way through them just because youre narrowing the size of holes the tears can drain through....much like a smaller hose would drain water slower than a large hose. However i think the ones with holes all the way through them are called flow controller plugs.