Tear Duct Surgery

The tear ducts act as the drainage system for the eye and remove the tears that are secreted by the lacrimal glands. Tears enter a small hole in the upper and lower eyelid known as the punctum and travel through small tubes known as canaliculi to the tear sac. They then drain into the nose through the nasolacrimal duct. Blockage can occur at any point along the outflow system resulting in tearing and possibly infection.

Tear duct surgery provides treatment for a blocked tear duct or infected tear duct system. Procedures include:

• Nasolacrimal duct probing and intubation (open tear duct and place a stent)
• Dacryocystorhinostomy (open new tear duct to bypass blockage)
• Conjunvtivo-dacryocystorhinostomy (place Jones tube to drain tears directly to nasal cavity)

Successful lacrimal surgery will help drain tears away from the eyes.