After four months, I returned to the doctor and had the stent taken out – a painless five-minute procedure. My eye feels so free! My nose feels so clear!
Unfortunately, there are two problems which I fear may be permanent:
1. There’s a bump next to my eye at the surgical site, which the doctor says is bone. Apparently, when you break a bone (or drill a hole in it), you get a lump of bone growth while the wound heals. Eventually the lump is supposed to get reabsorbed into the bone, and my doctor prescribed steroid cream to accelerate the process. We’ll see. Everyone keeps telling me it’s not noticeable, although I feel like I have Mt. Everest on my face.
2. When I blow my nose, my tear duct inflates. Weird?
No more pain, swelling, or watering, though, so overall the trade-off is worth it.
Blocked Tear Duct Surgery - Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) 
392 Comments
Hi there. I just read your post and am curious as to how your doctor removed your stent and how long you had it. I am looking forward to having my mine removed on march 3….can’t wait! It is itchy at times and my eye still tears, am congested as well. I hope that changes as I would not want to think I went through all of this for nothing.
Hello! This blog is great for people who want to share in their DCR experience. I am 6 days post-op and I am a wee bit concerned about the tube in my nose. For the first few days, it would come down and tickle the inside of my nose but to follow post-op care instructions, I gently pushed it back up. Now for the last few days I havent felt it at all and when I do gently stick my pinky finger up my nose (gross I know…sorry) I dont feel it at all. I can still see it at the corner of my eye when I look right up close in the mirror but as for the tickling tube…it seems to have dissolved or vanished or something! Any thoughts???
I’m in the exact same situation! Tube seems to have vanished, was it okay when you got it out? I’m really worried as I could see it the first few days after surgery but now I cant, please get back to me I’d really appreciate it, thanks
your
I am 2 days post op and the tube in my nose make my nose run and my eye water continuously. Not pretty. Help!
How it went with the removal. I’m having mine removed next week, my eye still tears and I’m also congested. Wanted to know if it hurts when they remove it and if it worked. Please let me know.
I get mine out in 2 weeks. Please reply to know how it goes with getting your out.
I finally had my tube removed today. Most of the comments that I read was about being a very easy process. Mine, was not like that. I don’t know if anybody else had an irrigation right after removing the tube, but I did. the irrigation was very uncomfortable and kind of painful. My eye is still tearing, I don’t know if it is because I just had an infection and I’m taking antibiotics, not really sure. My tube was removed after 8 months due to constants eye infections. Will keep you posted.
Hello brenda had my done yesterday my right eye still waters a bit how did you get on when yours finally came out, do your eyes still water a bit.. Thanks Rob.
I had it for almost exactly four months. I was congested and teary, too – don’t worry about that for now.
Taking it out was really easy. He gave me a numbing eye drop, cut the loop in my eye with a little pair of scissors, and had me blow my nose. The stent shot out and landed on my sleeve. I didn’t feel any of it.
Thanks for the reply. I notice that most people that have this sort of thing done have their stent for 4 months. Mine will only be in for 6 weeks! I guess my surgeon will decide in a few weeks!
Thanks for posting this! I am just over 2 weeks post-op DCR. Back into my routine, work and exercising. Was not painful and not too bad, though the first few days I was pretty much out of commission from the surgery. I am still tearing and a little congested in that side. Looking forward to having the tube removed in several weeks!!
Thanks
Jeff
Hi! Has anyone had the dcr performed endoscopically? I’m going in on Monday and am getting nervous about the recovery. I can’t seem to find any personal experiences with post op care after an endoscopic dcr. Thanks in advance!!
Janet
Hi Janet, yes, exactly 1 month ago today. I am still recovering from a dcr endoscopically. I also had to have a deviated septum fixed before the surgeon could get near the tear duct. So my recovery was slightly harsh. I’m not sure where you are located, but here (Nova Scotia) once you come out of the anesthetic, your nose may be packed with cotton which resembles a tampon. They leave this in for several hours (you will be breathing out your mouth) When they remove it, it will feel great! Your eye will still water until the stent comes out and you will be congested for awhile too. I do wish you the best and a speedy recovery!
CJ
I had an e-dcr surgery (endoscopic dcr) at the Cleveland Clinic a month ago. I awoke to a sore throat for about 20 minutes but that was it. No scar, no bump on my nose, no pain, no bruising or swelling. I never took a single Tylenol and from the time I went home you never would have known I had anything done unless I pointed out the stents. The whole procedure was a snap.
So glad I found this website. I’m having the DCR but with the incision. How long does it take for the bruising and looking bad last?
Hi Gail, I had my first eye done with the incision and the bruising lasted about a week and a half. I found there was a fair amount of it…but it really wasn’t sore. The stiches came out two weeks later and the scar disappeared very very quickly. I was left with a bony ridge that did decline a bit, but I know it’s there.The only reason that I went endoscopically this time was because of the deviated septum.
Hope this helps.
CJ
Had mine done 2 days ago. No pain. No bruising. Just watery eye and runny nose
Hi, I had dcr with jones tube on oct 1,2010 and my body rejected the jones tube. After 3 months of being terribly uncomfortable and using lotamax eye drops for a growth that formed, I had to have tube removed. So, now I am back to all the symptoms that prompted me to have surgery. I saw a second dr and he said he can do a dcr with a stent but the odds are 1 in 4 it will work. Has anyone had any success with this surgery?
Hi there, my mom just had DCR done yesterday. She said that when she moves her eyeballs, she feels them touching the stents. It’s not painful but it’s uncomfortable for her. I’m wondering if this is normal? Her eye doctor isn’t very patient and did not explain a lot to her.
Thanks
Yikes, did she have both eyes done at once? I can’t imagine! Anyway, yeah, tell her to get ready for a couple of weeks of discomfort. She should stop noticing the stent most of the time after that, although I could always feel mine when I moved my eye to the left (it was in the inside corner of my right eye). Just tell her to imagine how great it’ll feel when they come out.
Hi CW
I had my DCR a week ago. I had stiches removed today. I too can feel and even see the stent. It’s very uncomfortable! It’s normal, but if it moves too far into the eye you need to have a doctor push it back in. Sally
Instead of getting Jones tube surgery, I traveled over 800 miles to have a less invasive procedure–nasolacricmal intubation. My tear ducts were opened with progressively wider probes and then stents were put in. I’m getting the stents removed in 16 days. They were never painful but caused more tearing than I ever had. The intubation procedure has about a 70% success rate with blockage like mine, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
I’ve done a lot of research on Jones tube surgery, which is definitely a procedure to avoid if at all possible because of the high rate of complications. Mackeysmom, I’d recommend that you get several additional opinions from either oculoplastic or ENT surgeons who are experienced doing this type of surgery. Make sure that your surgeon uses an endoscope–it increases success rates with a Jones tobe revision.
Jane, thank you for your input. I have been just putting up with the tearing since my odds are so low. I will definately look into the surgery you had. Best of luck to you.
Jones tube surgery is done for a variety of reasons. If the problem involves a blockage in the tiny tear ducts in the eyelids (especially a blockage in the common canaliculus), then nasolacrimal intubation is a reasonable treatment option. Mackeysmom, this may or may not be the source of your tearing problem.
Jones tube surgery has a high rate of complications, e.g. rejection or movement of the tube, etc. However, the medical literature suggests that it is ultimately successful in reducing/eliminating tearing in the great majority of patients. Mackeysmom, I’m wondering if getting a tube in a different shape or size or made from a different material would work for you. If it is at all feasible, I’d suggest that you consult a senior surgeon at one of the top eye hospitals in the USA. (Google for a list.) It’s been my experience that there is a world of difference between a “superstar” surgeon at a top hospital and a competent local doctor. I don’t think that you should rush into having a DCR with stents, given the low probability of success.
Hi Jane, how did your nasolacrimal intubation hold out?
We are researching the Jones Tube. This is the last thing that Vanderbilt can offer my husband to get the tears out of his one good eye. He has had the dcr for another procedure so that is done. It is the Jones Tube we can not get good info on. He has had over 20 surgeries to get best vision in this eye. Watering is his last problem to have good vision in his one eye. We just are afraid of infections and the tube’s high maintenance. Anything from your research?
I have one more suggestion, Mackeysmom, and then I’ll stop hogging this blog. Botox injected into the lacrimal gland in the upper eyelid can safely stop excessive tearing for about 6 months (when you’d need another injection.) Try googling “botox for epiphora.” (I researched all my options just in case my intubation procedure and a future jones tube procedure both fail.)
Many, MANY thanks for this blog! Just had a DCR yesterday, and have just now noticed the stent and was worried I had in some way pulled it out of place. But I clicked on your link to a picture and so I know it’s how it should be! My recovery has been insanely quick, I think… I’ve just been taking half-tablets of the pain meds, and except for headaches from caffeine withdrawal and lower back pain from being in bed so much, I feel remarkably normal 24 hours later. My surgical experience was similar; a lifetime of needle-phobia and never having been under a general anesthetic made me anxious, but once the IV was in, I was so relieved that I relaxed pretty quickly.
My one problem was that I would have liked to talk to the doctor afterwards. Plus I was so groggy afterwards that I really didn’t read the post-op instructions until the next morning, and so wasn’t necessarily doing everything they recommended…
Thanks for the info. I am going to have the endoscopic dcr, I am nervous but want my misery of eye infections to end. What does the doctor mean by saying there will be a “string in my eye?” Is this the stent?
I had DCR surgery about a month and a half ago. At first my eye was really dry…almost too dry. I have dry eye syndrome following LASIK in 2003. I was quadra plugged for years never with tear overflow. I just don’t have that many tears and never had reflex tearing. This year my eye started watering due to blockage. It was thought my plugs were “stuck” around the common canaliculus because that is where my doctor got stopped with probing. After surgery, my doctor said it was scar tissue and he couldn’t find the plugs. He looked through the whole lacrimal sac. I guess they were gone. Anyhow, he removed the scar tissue and stretched things out. I was nice and dry for a week. Then my eye started watering again. Doc said when things heal they tighten up, wait and see if it relaxes. At 3-4 months will have tubes removed. He said in his experience it works or it doesn’t – usually no in between – which is what I’d like. I really need a little obstruction due to dry eye, but would take the really dry over the watering. Some of you say your eye watered until the stents were removed. I’m looking for a little hope that this may work when they are removed.
Hi MRC,
My situation with dry eyes after lasik and a DRC due to blockage sound similar to your issues. Would you mind letting me know how things worked out for you? Thanks!!!
Everything has turned out ok. That eye still seems to be more uncomfortable from the dry eye perspective but not so bad. Tears (if I have any) drain fine. Sometimes I feel a bit of a build up when my eyes reflex tear from the dryness. All in all no troubles.
Hi, I had a DCR in August of this year. I am due to have my stent out in 2 weeks. My eye is watering a lot, and I’m worried it hasnt worked. Does it stop after the stent is taken out or will it take a while to find out whether it’s worked or not. I have a lump on the side of my nose too. I’m hoping it will go down. The only other drawback was I noticed after the patch was removed from my eye, I had a slight gash at the end of the scar. It wasnt until I went to have my stitches out, I was told the stitch had come out. I was so annoyed at myself for not questionning the nurse when the patch was taken off. I just thought it was way it was supposed to look as the nurse who took the dressing off didnt say anything. It was too late to do anything about it 3 weeks later. I am now left with a small tear drop shape bulge at the bottom of my scar which I am very conscious about. Im hoping in time this will fade and go down a bit but it rests on the bone growth lump where the wound heals. Im hoping it will all be worth it when the stent comes out.
I had DCR surgery in September of 2009 and the stent is still in my eye. This concerns me since most people
have their stent removed about 4 months after surgery.
If you have any thoughts about the stent remaining in my eye for 2+ years, give me a holler.
What does your surgeon say about the stent? Some people do keep the stent for 10+ years. This prevents the new tear duct from scarring shut. Other people find that the stent is sort of uncomfortable and causes tearing.
I don’t know if you’ll come back to read this after 4.5 years, but I went in 7 weeks after he installed the tube to have it taken out & I was so nervous, I asked if I could just leave it in & he said I could & that some people opt to do that but my husband suggested I have it removed because he was worried about something foreign in my nose/eye area. I had it removed less than a week ago (which was a horrible process for me) & my eye is still tearing but not quite as much. It’s been swollen & in fact, the first 2 days, my eye was swollen shut & looked infected. I returned to the doc & he said he wanted to do an irrigation. NO WAY! My eye/nose area had suffered trauma from the tube removal & I was so sore, there was NO WAY I was going to allow that. So I’ll wait & see what happens but I do have another appt scheduled in 3 weeks. If it’s still tearing, I’ll have another irrigation to see if there is a total blockage still or if there is some passageway in my tear duct. For me, having the tube in, my eye was tearing as much as before, so having it removed made sense to me.
Hey you guys, I just scheduled my surgery date and I’m extremely nervouse! I’m having the external dcr procedure and I’m really afraid of scaring. I’m also in the beauty field and I wear makeup pretty regularly. Has anyone had trouble with makeup? Also, for those who’ve had the surgery, do you feel like your tearing has completely subsided? Thank you for your help folks!
Sarah, my scar was almost imperceptible after about 3 weeks. My surgeon placed it in a natural fold of my lower eyelid. I do not have a bump, and the healing scar did not interfere with wearing glasses. I could not wear makeup over the scar until 3 weeks after surgery, but I could wear makeup everywhere else on my face. I still have a stent in my tear duct–and some tearing. Reportedly, most people have complete relief from tearing after the stent is removed. Occasionally, revision surgery is needed.
Hi all, I had this surgery & yesterday 17/Nov/2011 they took my stitches & stent/tube out after being in for around 3 weeks, they cut the tube in the corner of the eye then pulled it through the nose.
Is the tear drainage flow supposed to work as soon as the tube is taken out or will it take a few days to settle down? There was some muck/crust in the eye this morning.
Hi Craig:
Yes, it does take a bit for things to settle out. I was told by my doctor to gently massage the eye area to stimulate the tear duct. It will be a year for me in January and I still gently press on the corner of my eye to drain the tear duct. You just blow your nose afterward… not a big deal. When/if tears form in your eye, you do this (you hear the draining! don’t be alarmed) you know to drain the eye/nose.
Cheers!
Hello all,
I will have external DCR in January under general anesthesia, with stent removal in the doc’s office 2 – 3 weeks afterwards. After the surgery, did the stent endpiece bother your eye or eyelid, or feel scary? When the doctor later removed the stent in office, did he pull it up and out through your lower eyelid hole, or down and out through your nostril? Sounds rather scary. Thank you so much for your replies!
Hi Patricia:
Don’t get too worked up over the stent. You will feel it initially, but keep in mind it will be worth it in the end. The surgeon that did my DCR, sprayed a numbing spray up my nose and we waited a bit for the numbing to take affect. Then he had me look up to the ceiling when he cut the stent in my eye. (you really don’t feel it) He then gently used a smaller version of a pair of forceps, gently pulled the stent out through the nasal passage. You don’t feel any of this…it just seems to most people that the description sounds gruesome. Your eye will water for a few days, but remember t gently massage the eye to stimulate the new opening. Hope this helps you and I certainly wish you the best of luck.
Cheers and keep well.
CJ
Hey guys..I just had my DCR surgery yesterday…so what do I have to look forward to? Hehe
It’s been one week since my endoscopic DCR operation. My nose has almost completely healed. My eye feels so much better and it doesn’t hurt when I blink anymore. With the endoscopic procedure, there is no scar. The tearing has lessened quite a bit. I wonder if anyone knows the answer to this question. How does the stent not damage the cornea? I keep banging into it when I turn my eyeball to the left.
CJ, you’re wonderful! Thank you so very much for answering my questions. Thank you also for starting this blog! Unfortunately, I have eyelid touch sensitivities/phobia, so I am really quite anxious about the way the stent will feel when I wake up with it after surgery. Guess we all have our anxiety issues. I’m so grateful for your input and what you’ve shared here! Thank you.
Hey now, I started this blog! (Although looking at the entries, I see that it never actually puts my name anywhere.) And thanks, CJ, for answering so many questions!
My apologies– thank you, Julie!
I just had my stent taken out yesterday after 3 1/2 months. My eyes were much improved and only slightly teary at times while the stent was in place. My eye watered a bit yesterday in response to stent removal (pulled through my tear duct because it was too far up my nose). My eye is still teary today…more than when the stent was in place. Did anyone else have this experience and did it improve after a few days or so? I really don’t want to do any of this again!
Hi! 5 years later đź… Hope you will still get this and respond did your tearing stop eventually ? I had mine taken out 24 hours ago and I’m experiencing the same thing it seemed like tearing was partially gone or completely gone while the stent was in!! Please update me! Thankyou.
Rebecca- I had the same problem as you. I had my stent taken and and my eye watered for about a week more after it was removed. It eventually stopped after about a week. It was such a relief i was so worried it wasn’t going to stop and it did. I haven’t had a problem since and my surgery was in 2011 ish. I know its frustrating, give it some more time. Let me know if you have other questions.
Hi all. No, I can’t take credit for the Blog! And you are all welcome. MRC: that stent had to be extremely skinny! I saw the stent my surgeon used and I can’t imagine it coming thru my tear duct!
CJ Whiteley, my stent came out the corner of my eye too & it was NOT pleasant! My nose & eye was so sore, I immediately applied pressure to it myself from the pain. It stopped before I left the office, but it still is a bit bothersome. Doc wanted to do an irrigation since I went in the day after having my stent removed with a swollen eye & it looked infected to me. He claims it wasn’t infected by gave me a prescription of the steroid drops I used right after surgery. I think it would have been better to have that stent pulled out my nose & not my eye! It’s been 5 days since I had the stent removed & my eye is looking better (not so swollen anymore) but it still is tearing, although not like prior to surgery. I also have a bump on the side of my nose where the incision was. I’m not a model so I really don’t care much but would have preferred no scar/bump. I need to have the left eye done next but I’m a little leary & will wait to see if this surgery was successful before getting another bump/scar on the other side of my nose.
Is anyone here a year out from their DCR? How are you doing? Any dry eye or anything bothersome? Thanks for any input!
Hi Patricia:
Yep! It will be a year for me January 25th. I get dry eye once in awhile (I work in an office that is dry) . I just put some artificial tears in and I’m good to go. Otherwise, I have had absolutely no repercusions from the surgery.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Mine didn’t work. đź¦
Hi everyone, I had an Endoscopic DCR on my left eye in 2007. Since then, it’s caused the opposite problem! – I’ve been bone dry since then and have spent the last few years in pain and discomfort. I’d do anything to have my teary eye back again. I did not know about the alternative procedures to DCR at the time, and two doctors refused to “probe” my tear duct, advising me that it wouldn’t work. I was very hesitant to get surgery.
It’s a barbaric procedure and has been conducted for over a century. Doctors are supposed to abide by, “First do no harm” and use non-invasive techniques before surgery. Balloon dilatation and stenting should be a standard practice, but only a rare few occuloplastic surgeons will do them.
I just had my surgery on both eyes Wednesday 12/21/11. I can already tell that a remarked improvement! But i’m really scared that I’ve somehow made the stitch come out that holds the tube in place in my nose?? Is that even possible. My left eye the tubing looks “looser” then in the right eye and my nose was hurting and burning on the left side after I used the saline nose spray my doctor told me to use. Is there a way to tell if the tube was loose? Or would it just come out since it has only been a few days? I know my mom tells me to quit worrying about everything! Thanks for any comments or help!
Hi Darla. I wouldn’t be overly concerned, but perhaps you should call the surgeon or your physician – they are in a better position to advise you.
Good luck!
I had bilateral dcr surgery a month and a half. I still having the stents in my nose. Dr. said the stents will be removed in four months. Is this is the appropiate time to be removed or they could be removed before (in less time) because having these stents are so unconfortable.
Having the stents is so uncomfortable. Sometimes I feel shortage of breathe and sometimes I feel in the tear like a tear stone and I can’t blow out my nose and I have to inhale and then blow out through my mouth to get the tear stone out.If this is normal?
Hi All, This is a very informative blog. I had my DCR surgery at the end of Nov. and am now just over an eye infection/incision site infection that was treated with a zpack orally and Cipro eye drops which my doc has recommended i continue to use until finished. I also have been using Lotemax drops 2x/day which he wants me to cut out now. My question is, has anyone had their upper eyelid swell and look like a bug bite in the inner corner of the eye? (like an allergic type reaction) I seem to have been getting this on and off for several weeks now. My doc thinks it is unrelated to the surgery and may be a sinusitis. I also have had headaches since the surgery. He’s recommending Afrin nose spray at night. When I took Zyrtec it really helped, but knocked me out! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Hello!! Does your eye lid still swell? I just had my surgery two weeks ago and my eye lid is still poofy and droopy. Im hoping its still healing. Wats ures like now?
My external DCR is in 1 day, on Friday. The doc’s secretary said afterwards there would be no pain meds. Yikes! Did anyone go home with zero pain meds afterwards? Did Advil or Tylenol extra strength help enough? They take out bone for this surgery, I’m amazed there won’t be even 2 days of pain meds. I must be a tougher cookie than I thought. đź‰
I am scheduled to have endoscopic dcr surgery next week. I haven’t been able to find as much info on blogs about this procedure as I have the external dcr surgery. Can anyone tell me their experience that has had this done endoscopically? I really appreciate any info you can share regarding the surgery itself and what to expect with the recovery. Was it successful? Thanks for your help!
Hi Debbie,
I had the endoscopic DCR. My nose bled a little and then was crusty for a week but it healed pretty quickly.
You will know it is healing because as the sinuses try to clear themselves you will have brown mucus
and feel a little congested. I had bad dry mouth for a week because I couldn’t breath through my nose.
You cannot blow your nose for 1 week. You will be instructed to use saline nasal spray to keep the
nose from getting too crusty. As for your eye, there will be no scar. My eye only hurt when I blinked but this
only lasted a few days. My tearing is mostly gone and just happens when I’m outside in the cold air or when I yawn.
I don’t feel the stent much anymore, and will have it in for another 2 months. I am mostly concerned that I spent so
much time using the steriod eyedrops before and after the surgery and this can increase your risk of glaucoma. My doc always checks my eye pressure when I have checkups.
Hey all! Its been a little over a month since I had my external DCR surgery. Things were going fairly great at first- healing fast, minimal tearing, scar disappearing, ect. But for the past week or so, ive been experiencing extensive tearing ( yet again) and eye twitching. The twitching is driving me crazy! And I also feel like its causing extra tearing. I’m scheduled to get the tube removed in 2 weeks but I’m afraid if my eye isn’t ready for it. Does the tearing generally stop after or before the removal? Also, have any of you experienced this twitching? If so, did it ever stop? Thanks guys!
Hi all
So it’s been a few months now, there’s still a very very slight ridge under the scar this is not visible.
When blow nose fairly hard I can feel air blowing up into the top eyelid lol, or if I sniff hard enough I can feel the air flow through the passage… Only problem is the tears still flow down my cheek 🦠fingers crossed it still needs to settle down
Hi everyone… I had the Endoscopic DCR in Oct 2012… I have started my own blog – tearductsurgery.wordpress.com
I am not finished posting pics or adding the surgery information, but please— ask questions. I have created this website to help others wanting to get this surgery endoscopic vs. external.
Craig– so sorry you are still having problems. I am going to Wills Eye Institute in 2 weeks for a blur spot on my left eye (the eye that had the surgery)
Goodluck everyone, and keep in touch — Amanda, PA (tearductsurgery.wordpress.com) User name: bigbrowneyespt
Can you please help me find doctors who do the endoscpic DCR? Where do I go to find them?
I am going to need surgery soon, and have spent hours trying to find doctors.
I am willing to go where I have to.
Please, any help is appreciated.
Brooke
Did you find one? I know one in fl
I had the DCR on both eyes in April, stints in until October, and still continue to tear — it is a little comfort to see that others are having some of the same concerns as I am. My doctor mentioned additional tubing but I am concerned about another surgery and if it will work. As long as I am still and not moving around, the tears are minimal but with the slightest movement or walking the tears flow!! it is hard to even shop because of the inability to read price tags due to all of the tears!!! My scars in the inner nose area have healed and are barely visible. I had a difficult time with the surgery on the right eye but my left eye was less troublesome. As I am entering this blob, tears on are in my right eye and about ready to run down my cheek. I keep a handkerchief on me at all times now but still hope and pray that things will improve for all of us with these “teary” eyes — at least there is no dryness or pain.
Cathy, you need to have your surgeon (or another doctor) determine why you are still tearing. If there is still blockage, where is it located? Some surgeons are reluctant to pursue this–mine certainly was. I think that he wanted me to just disappear when I continued to tear several weeks after my stent was removed. I asked him whether there was an office procedure that might work for me. He referred me to an ENT doc, who used an endoscope in his office to locate the area of blockage and then poked right thru it after administering several numbing injections. The whole thing took less than 15 minutes and really wasn’t painful, and it’s been many months now since I had tears rolling down my cheek.
Many people need a second procedure following a DCR. What’s causing your problem should be easy to identify after a little diagnositic work. Please don’t give up. If your current surgeon isn’t helpful, see someone else.
I needed those words of hope — my doctor said he would like to see me again and discuss possible solutions — I thank the Lord that you are tear free and hope and pray that the Lord will lead me to a solution.
Hey filmbuff…I am in chicago too. Wondering if we went to the same Dr. I had stents placed in my ducts, one didn’t work, and the other one comes out in January. Looks like might need to do DCR. Apparently the ducts are okay, but something wrong up closer to the openings in my eye.
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone who has had the surgery and said they had a bony ridge afterwards next to the scar, if that eventually went away.
Hi Amelia: yes it does, but it will take a bit of time. My external dcr left me with the bony bump which eroded over a period of about two years. I know it’s there but it is now minimal and you don’t notice it when you look in the mirror. My doctor told me that because i wear glasses, it may not disappear as quickly as someone that doesn’t wear glasses. I simply don’t worry about it anymore.
Cheers!
CJ
I had surgery on both eyes in April; stints removed in October, however the right eye continues to tear but the left eye is fine. The incisions on my nose on both sides are basically gone with no ridges — have to have the right eye done again in January due to some scaring — not looking forward to it but hope it is as successful as the work done on the left eye — also, hope that with two incisions on the right side i will not develop any of the outside scaring. i was faithful in using the antitiodic cream and massage therapy on the sides of my nose as directed by my doctor.
Thank you CJ. Also, were there any scar creams or anything that you used to accelerate the process?
No, there really isn’t anything that would help accelerate this – it’s just time. I asked my friends and family right after the surgery if it was noticable and everyone told me that they really couln’t see the bump. So I didn’t worry much about it.
My stent was just removed after having the endoscopic DCR surgery. Now, when I blow my nose, I feel a swish of air blowing through my eye. Very strange feeling.
That’s normal Gayle!
Hello CJ you seem to know a lot about dcr so I thought I would ask you whether you know if its normal to not be able to see the tube/ stent in your nose a few days after surgery, I could see it initially but now I can’t an I can’t feel much either, if anyone knows whether this is normal after using nasobec spray please could you write back as I’m worried about the tube going to far up my nose
Have any of you ever had your stent tighten and/or pinch your eyelids shut in the corner? I had the surgery on my right eye back in january and I was originally scheduled to have the stent taken out toward the end of april but last week I woke up and the stent was irritating and pulling my eye shut in the corner. The doctor gave me some eye drops and antibiotics but it hasn’t helped after a week. I still have 4 more days before my appt but it hurts now and I’m wondering how the stent could have tightened? It was fine for weeks before this.
How long did it take for the effects to appear after you had the stent removed? I had the stent removed a week ago and my eye has been tearing excessively, worse than before i had the operation done. The nurse said it would take a while to work but i’m not sure how long a while is….
I read that tearing can continue for a couple of months after stent removal due to inflammation. Your surgeon (not the nurse) is your best source of information about your particular situation. If you are still tearing excessively, you might want to call and ask about scheduling a followup appointment.
Hi – I have has this done and the tearing stopped with the stents in. I thought great yippeah. Stents out and tearing has started again .It’s is such a pain . Will it calm down ?I can’t understand that without the stents there would be tearing when it was working with them in.When I blow i get this whoosh of air . So there is definitely a route for tears .
Any similar experiences would be great to hear.
Pippa, when i blow i have the same reaction as you, although i am not sure why you are still having tearing, i know it can take some time to completely go away. i would call your doctor.
Unfortunately, my surgery wasn’t successful. My body rejected the jones tube. Had to have the jones tube removed a month later. Now, a year later, I am dealing with horrible issues. Eye constantly tears. I did see a specialist 5 months ago who said he could do a dcr and a stent but only could give about 25 percent chance it would work. He also mentioned botox shots as a possibility. I am getting disgusted. Went to regular eye dr today , she put me back on lotamax and told me to use refresh gel at bedtime. I am going to a retina specialist to see about plugs to keep my eye moist. Crazy, I have constant tearing and I have dry eye. I also have cornea issues. I was given a concrete answer as to why my top and bottom tear ducts totally closed up. They are totally gone now. Thank God it is only one eye. I have hashimoto’s disease and it is an autoimmune disease and the theory seems to be the autoimmune thing doesn’t think I need tear ducts on my right eye. Has anyone had the Botox? I am pretty skeptical about that.
I can certainly understand your negative feelings–you’ve really been through a lot. I looked into Botox for tearing last year, and I even corresponded with a doctor in Atlanta who used Botox for this purpose. My impression is that the use of Botox for this purpose seems to be promising. The majority of people do get significant reduction in tearing. Unfortunately, the results last only a few months and the Botox injections need to be repeated. I don’t know whether insurance will cover this treatment. If you do opt for Botox, it would be best to have a doctor who has used Botox for tearing before.
I also researched Jones tube surgery. I learned that the initial tube placement is not successful for the majority of patients! However, after 2 or more attempts to place a Jones tube, most people do get relief from tearing. So maybe you shouldn’t give up on the Jones tube yet.
I’ve had 4 procedures for tearing with canalicular obstruction (probably caused by the punctal plug that my surgeon found embedded.) These include a failed in-office trephination procedure, a failed stenting procedure, and a failed external DCR. My 4th procedure seems to be successful, although my fingers are still crossed. My opthalmologist referred me to an ENT doctor, who used an endoscope and probe in his office to poke through the thin layer of scar tissue that was blocking my DCR.
So don’t give up. It might be worth traveling to a major medical center to see a super-star tearing specialist.
I can certainly understand your frustration–you’ve been through so much with your eye. I did some research on Botox for tearing last year, and I even corresponded with a doctor in Atlanta who wrote a professional paper about it. My impression is that most people who try Botox do get significant reduction in tearing. Unfortunately, the results only last for a few months, and then the Botox injections need to be repeated. I don’t know whether insurance will pay for this treatment. It’s probably best to have a doctor who is experienced using Botox for tearing.
I also did some research on Jones tube surgery. It seems that the initial placement of a Jones tube is not successful for the majority of people! However, after 2 or more attempts to place a tube, most people do get sigificant relief from tearing. Possibly, a Jones tube is still an option for you.
I’ve had 4 procedures for tearing caused by canalicular blockage (probably caused by the embedded punctal plug that was removed during my DCR.) My failed procedures include an in-office trephination, a stenting procedure in the OR, and an external DCR. My 4th procedure seems to be successful, but my fingers are still crossed. My ophthalmologist referred me to an ENT doctor, who used an endoscope and probes in his office to poke through the thin layer of scar tissue that was blocking my DCR tear duct.
So don’t give up yet. It might be worth traveling to a major medical center to see one of the “super star” tearing specialists.
Hey guys i just ha my surgery about two weeks ago and my eye waters here n there with the stent in which my dr said is normal. Im a little worried because my eye lid seems to be droopy and my eye is closed more than the one that disnt have surgery. I am wondering if this droopy eye lid is just because its still swoullen or if i might need plastic surgery correction on it due to something that went wrong? Its o ly been two weeks so im hoping its just still swoullen. Has this hPpened to anyone? Please help?!
Guessing your lid is still swollen from surgery, being that you were only a couple weeks out. I experienced upper eyelid drooping throughout the 7 months I had my stent in (lid looked puffy and low) Just got stent out yesterday– hoping the drooping goes away. Doc said it probably is the stent that pulled upper lid down and that I need to give it about a month to see if it goes back up. If it doesn’t, a minor surgery can be performed to correct it. Curious if your lid went back up naturally?
hey kristin. i had my surgery back in may and my eye lid is still droopy. i have healed for the most part, except for my lid. no one notices it unless you look closely, but i notice it and you can tell when wearing eye shadow bc the other eye lid is normal and the surgery eye is not. i am going for an eye exam with the dr that did my surgery in january, and i will talk to her about corrective surgery.
do you know anything about the surgery to fix the eye lid? the healing process? cost? will insurance cover it since its a cause of surgery? do they cut the eye lid?
I pretty upset about this to be honest i didnt want to have another surgery.
good luck with your lid. 🦠🙂
It has been very helpful reading all your posts. I am having external DCR on both eyes in two days. For the past several years I have had tearing in both eyes and three very bad infections with abscesses in my right lacrimal sac. Thanks for sharing your experiences. . some of my anxieties have been calmed and many concerns and questions have been answered.
I am due for sugery this summer…one eye at a time. I have had bilateral tearing for a year and a half. I have had three consults. Should I try to get into an ENT doc???? Is there anything that can be done from inside the nose that might make having this surgery unnecessary? Help! My time for decisions is running out. Thanks.
Hi, I had surgery on the 12th July and had no pain whatsoever. The only problem I am having trouble wearing my glasses in the correct position because of the stitches. I can’t function at all without them. Any advice please.
I had the same problem. my Dr told me the pressure of the glasses actually helps the healing so i sucked it up and wore the glasses, there was some pain for a little bit but i got used to it.
Hi Reva,
Thanks for your reply. My Dr told me to keep the specs away from the scar. Also my eye is very watery and I can’t see properly to knit and sew. I’m so bored. Is the watering going to continue for much longer? I get the stitches removed after two weeks and the stent out in 6 weeks.
my eye didnt water for the first few days and then it started to water and i cried and immediately thought the surgery didnt work. the watering ended up stopping after the third week. thank god! it felt so good i couldnt belive it! i got my stent out after 6 weeks also! havent had watering since!
Hi all. I just had stents put into my tear ducts. Didn’t have new ducts but rather the surgeon implanted them in my ducts. I just had some blockage at the top near my eyes where the ducts would not drain. Has anyone else had this type of surgery? I am afraid it won’t work and am not sure what the next step will be. He wants to keep stents in all 4 ducts for at least 6 weeks, then take a look again.
Hello….after one and a half years of constant tearing in both eyes, I am due for this surgery in Sept. I am not happy and very concerned. The surgeon is implanting a stent in one eye at a time, two wks apart…so I am looking at two surgical procedures in Sept. I was hoping the tearing would resolve by itself, but, of course, it did not. Please give me any tips you can think of, as I would truly appreciate it. Thanks. Linsey
Hi Linsey, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the small scar that is left after DCR surgery. Mine is hardly noticeable after3 weeks. If you are worried about it you could have the operation done endoscopically.
Prior to DCR surgery I had a procedure done which didn’t work.
Surgery is usually done under sedation so nothing to worry about.
Good luck with it all.
Thank you for your information….always good to hear from someone who has had it done. I am having one eye done at a time…yes, I am concerned about what my eye, nose, face will look like after the bone removal, etc., It sounds awful. Do you have a recommendation as to the type of anesthesia: I think they let you choose either local or general. What did you have, and what would you prefer? Thank you. Also: did they ever try the balloon dilation of the tear duct? No body has ever mentioned this to me.
Hi Linsey, They tried some sort of procedure to dilate the tear ducts last year. This was under sedation but wasn’t successful. I had my DCR done under general anaesthetic. My doctor likes to keep his patients in hospital overnight just as a precaution. Have you made enquiries about having it done through the inside of your nose so you wouldn’t have any scarring? I thought about this but it was a longer operation and required two specialist doctors. Also my doctor said the external method had a higher success rate.
I would love to hear what you decide.
Hi…I see my doctor tomorrow so I can discuss anesthesia and how the stents are removed (four months later, I think). It is so helpful to have this forum to discuss and ask questions about this surgery. I am scheduled for Sept., so any tips for me would be appreciated. How or what will help me the most after the surgery???? Thanks.
I am the biggest wimp and was awake all night before my surgery. It was a breeze though. I went into OR at 8.30 a.m, in recovery at 9.30 and sitting in a chair at 10.30 having morning tea. They kept offering me pain relief but I didn’t,t need any.
I had surgery to my nose and sinuses about 20 years ago and couldn’t, get off the couch for 3 weeks so was very apprehensive about this surgery.
My advice to anyone having dcr would be to relax and follow the doctors instructions re eye drops and nasal spray post op.
Just be aware it is not a pretty sight when they remove the eye pad next morning. You will look a lot worse than you feel.the bruising soon disappears though.
Food luck tomorrow.
I just had DCR surgery two weeks ago….I have a concern my eye does not close all the way when I blink. Is this normal? I’m concerned my eye would close completely before the surgery!
the surgery really isnt bad at all. i was balling my eyes out up until they knocked me out. they took bone out of my nose to sew the skin behind it to the inside of your nose so the new tear duct passage doesnt close up. my scar is so small u can barley see it. its still fading but everything working properlly now! the only problem i have is my eye lid is droopy now because of all of the infections and steriods i was using for the eye prior. but i do plan on having plastic surgery on it very soon, by the same dr who did my DCR.
Is anything better? Does your eye close now? Is the not closing just temporary due to swelling????
Help! I’m freaking out. There is a black piece of string coming out of the far corner of my eye. It is about 1 inch long. Could this be the stent? I have had it in for 6 weeks and am due to have it removed in 2 weeks.
I am reading all of your posts…is “ballooning” or probing the tear duct something less invasive that should be tried first??? I am freaking out that they are going through the bone on both sides of my nose to place these stents. What can be tried first…anything that can be done before what sounds to me, like a really disfiguring surgery? Help!
the surgery really isnt bad at all. i was balling my eyes out up until they knocked me out. they took bone out of my nose to sew the skin behind it to the inside of your nose so the new tear duct passage doesnt close up. my scar is so small u can barley see it. its still fading but everything working properlly now! the only problem i have is my eye lid is droopy now because of all of the infections and steriods i was using for the eye prior. but i do plan on having plastic surgery on it very soon, by the same dr who did my DCR. good luck!
Still looking to find someone else that has had the same surgery as mine. The surgeon didn’t have to create new ducts, but was able to place the stents in my current ducts because they were not completely closed. Put them in all four eyes a week ago. Has anyone else had a surgeon try this? was it successful or did you eventually have to do DCR?????
HELP!!!!
Hey Matthew just read your post. I know it was a year ago now but i just had the same thing done yesterday with stents put in the bottom tear ducts only. Hoping this will work and i can avoid dcr surgery. How did you get on. How long did the stents stay. I can feel them touching my eyes and its really irritating but hope it might help to avoid surgery. Please let me know how it went for you.
Hey Karen. Well, when he took one set of stents out after 3 months in one eye, it was fine while on tobradex. then when I went off tobradex they closed up again. then they opened up again about a month later, only to close again a few weeks after that. Other side was in for 6 months. when took out it didn’t help, then all of a sudden a month later, opened up, only to close again after a few weeks. Needless to say, all closed again now. I am considering getting them put in again and leaving them all in for 6 months at his suggestion to see if that helps at all. Otherwise, it looks like maybe Lester Jones tubes for me. I hope yours goes better than mine.
My stent they squeeze in came out after 6 weeks. The DCR they did on the other side seems okay so far – got the tube out last week. Now I have to decide if I want to do the other eye or not.
Sorry about the spelling. I meant good luck for tomorrow Linsey. I’m not very good at typing on the i pad.
Hi, two more weeks until I get the stent out. It’s driving me crazy. Itchy and eye full of tears all the time. How am I going to cope with two more weeks?
Sorry to hear you are going through this….my surgery is in Sept. and I was hoping for some relief from the tearing and itching after the surgery, but that does not seem to be the case. Right now my eyes are so full of tears it is like looking through a glass of water. Please let me know how you cope with this now….I will be in your shoes in a month….thanks.
What a good description Linsey (Like looking through a glass of water). I am the dunce of the sewing class at the moment . I guess it is only two more weeks and then everything I hope, will be good.
Are you having your surgery done externally and both eyes at once?
Will be interested to hear how you get on.
Hello….I am having the surgery where they go through the bone on the side of your nose,,,,sounds awful and disfiguring. I am having one eye done at a time….so two surgeries! My dates are mid Sept. and end of Sept. The surgeries will be two wks. apart. Have you, or anyone else had this done this way? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks. Linsey
gayle in response to your black string in the corner of the eye. this could be the stitch that is in your eye to hold the tube in. i am not postiive if every doctor uses a stitch to hold it in but i know mine did. i would call your doctor.
Linsey, I think it is a tough decision. For me I REALLY didn’t want to have the scars, even though I know that if you have a good surgeon the scars can be really invisible. But it is also definitely (!) true that to get the equally good outcome for endoscopic versus open DCR you have to choose the right team of surgeons- and that means an oculoplastic and ENT together – see my post below. I understand your stress, as for me going through the whole decision making was very stressful. I was very nearly talked into having the open procedure by the oculoplastic surgeon that told me it couldn’t be done endoscopically in me. But they did my surgery this past week with the surgeons I chose and they were great. So, I think you will be fine if you have an experienced oculoplastic surgeon for your open DCR. If you are still not sure you could go see an ENT and they can do a CT. It is a miniCT that takes 5 minutes in the office, and they do an endoscopic exam also in the same visit. Good luck 🙂
This blog is a big help! I had endoscopic DCR this past week on my right eye. I actually didn’t realize that the stent was going to be in my eye – meaning the loop of tubing you can see at the inside corner. I guess I didn’t ask enough questions 🙂 because I have really nice surgeons- mine was done by oculoplastic surgeon and ENT together which I highly recommend and the ENT used CT guidance and then the oculoplastics guy has an illuminated probe thing also. This – esp the CT guidance – was what helped me decide to go with these 2 surgeons, I saw 3 different oculoplastic/ENTs. One was adamant I couldn’t have endoscopic as they would need pediatric instruments etc because my nose is so small. But the ones I went with, th ENT made measurements on the preop CT scan and knew exactly how much space he had to work in. Also I had already had my deviated septum repaired. Ok sorry to ramble. I will say the surgery was rough! My eye feels like it was gouged out! Apparently that is from the drilling of the bone. Plus I vomited a lot from the anesthesia which made my nose bleed a lot.
What I wanted to ask is how long do people have the stent usually? Right now it hurts and irritates my eye but the surgeons are seeing me on Tuesday and they said they might be able to reposition and push it in a bit more so it irritates my eye a bit less. Even with this my eye is nowhere near tearing like it was. I would need to push on the lacrimal sac area under my eye every 5 minutes and tears sprayed out like a fountain.
Thanks again everyone!
Please, please tell me how your found an ENT and an ocular plastic surgeon to work together. Please tell me…are you located in New York City? If so, who did you go to….???? I have been doing all my own research, saw three ocular plastic surgeons and one ENT….I am feeling I could go the endoscopic route, but they all tell me no, that the success rate endoscopically is so much less than doing it through the nose, externally. I am scared to death of complications and of something disfiguring (call me vain!) Help! Suggestions please!
I suggest that you call oculoplastic surgeons in your area. If they don’t do endoscopic DCR surgery, then ask for a referral to a doctor who does. You can do the same with ENT surgeons. In any event, find a surgeon(s) who does a lot of DCRs (not someone who does mostly eyelid lifts!) Schedule more than one consulation.
I had open DCR surgery almost a year ago. My problem was blockage in the tiny ducts in the eyelids–the canaliculi (due to a punctal plug that wandered there and caused scarring.) I consulted several surgeons. Most wanted to do Jones tube surgery–a much less successful procedure than a DCR. (I just said no to that.) I was not a candidate for an endoscopic DCR due to the location of my blockage, but my surgeon had done many external DCRs. (This is actually the focus of his practice.) I had minimal pain after open surgery (which disappeared with Tylenol and was gone the next day), and my scar is virtually invisible. (If you saw me, you couldn’t tell which eye had the DCR unless you used a magnifying glass.) I had to wear that horrible stent for 6 months (because I was high risk), and when it was finally removed I had only partial relief from the tearing. So I had a second endoscopic office procedure with an ENT doc and my oculoplastic surgeon. Then 3 more months with that miserable stent. But after the stent was removed, my eye has been completely normal–no tears or mucous running out. I’m SO happy! Was it all worth it???? YES!
Hi…thank you for the info….where, geographically, are you located? As I stated, I sought out the three consultations with ocular plastic docs and with one ENT I know. When the ENT knew I had already been evaluated by plastic docs, he did a preliminary nasal exam and did not seem interested in pursuing any talk of endoscopic surgery for my problem Is it usual, as part of the surgical team, for the ocular guy/gal to have an ENT in attendance?
Not that many oculoplastic surgeons are proficent at doing endoscopic dcr surgery; it usually isn’t part of their training. That’s why the surgery is a joint effort with an ENT surgeon. There are a few oculoplastic/ENT docs who can do endoscopic surgery without assistance. I’m not sure whether or not having 2 docs in the OR makes for a better result. But I am sure that if a surgeon is reluctant to do endoscopic surgery or tells you that endoscopic dcr’s have poorer results, this is NOT the one you want to perform an endoscopic dcr on you. Not everybody is a good candidate for an endoscopic dcr. But from what I’ve read, with an experienced surgeon both endoscopic and external dcr’s have excellent outcomes.
There’s a website that lists 24 board-certified oculoplastic surgeons who practice in Manhattan (www.asoprs.org)–use their doctor finder. You could try calling them all and speak with their assistant or their surgical coordinator. Find out about the doctor’s experience with endoscopic dcr’s, and try to get referrals if the doctor doesn’t do them. (Some doctors’ websites let you email questions to the doc.) I believe that Robert Schwarcz (on that list) does endoscopic dcr’s but I don’t think that he accepts PPO insurance. There is probably also a list somewhere of ENT surgeons–you want someone who specializes in endoscopic sinus surgery. You could also try calling the ENT department of major medical centers and inquire.
Thank you. I figured you were in a big city like NY. I am from NYC originally, and I know you can find everything there. Not so, where I live now. I am scheduled for two surgeries this month. Each eye done separately two wks. apart. Three ocular plastics agreed I needed external DCR bilaterally. As I said, I did go to an ENT…it was a waste of time.
I am very concerned about being disfigured….it seems like a big operation for such a small area. I am fearful of my eyesight and also what I will look like after….also, I have read about how uncomfortable the stents and sutures are…gosh, I vascillate between canceling the surgery and putting up with the watery eyes and itchy eyelids, and just going ahead with it. I have no idea who will be in the OR for my surgery; I have no idea —he was not forthcoming with that info…as it was I had to pull everything out of him info wise. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU CHOSE FOR SURGERY ANESTHESIA WISE…they are giving me a choice between MAC anesthesia and general anesthesia….what did you choose????
I chose MAC–I wanted to avoid the after effects of general anesthesia. Just tell the anesthesiologist that you don’t want to feel or remember anything–and you won’t. There were no after effects for MAC, and I could walk out of the place about a half hour after the surgery was over. But I don’t think that your anesthesia choice makes all that big a difference. If you do opt for general anesthesia, asking for anti-nausea meds before you wake up might be a good idea.
You will NOT be disfigured by the surgery. You could not tell which of my eyes had the DCR–even I have trouble finding my scar in a magnifying mirror. Your doctor is a skilled plastic surgeon. He probably spends a lot of time doing cosmetic procedures, like eye lifts and brow lifts. He couldn’t maintain a practice if he didn’t know how to hide scars. I have never heard of a DCR permanently affecting eyesight. (Having an eye filled with tears sure doesn’t improve vision.)
Expect some bruising and swelling for a week or two after surgery. This is temporary; it will all disappear.
Having a stent in my tear duct was never painful. However, in my case, it caused an inflammatory reaction and mucous. The mucous coated my contact lens, making it hard for me to drive at night. My eye continued to tear the entire time that I had the stent. My surgeon told me that this is not typical–apparently most people don’t get mucous or continued tearing with the stent.
The tearing was embarrassing for me, and I’m so glad not to have to deal with it any more. I think that you will be, too.
Gosh, thanks so much for your encouraging information. You have been very helpful, and I appreciate your info. Reading over some posts, I had the feeling that this procedure is annoying both before and after surgery. Do you remember anything with the MAC anesthesia???? Do they give you something to drink….or is it all in your IV???? Did you ice your eye a lot the first few days? Is there anything I should have on hand that would be helpful after the surgery? Are you a believer in the Vit. K oil for the scar? Thanks, again. You only had one eye done? Do you have any idea why you got the blocked tear duct in the first place?
No, you don’t have to drink anything (thank goodness!)–it’s all in the IV. If you don’t want to remember the procedure, let the anesthesiologist know beforehand. They can administer medication before you go into the OR so that you’ll have no memories of ever being there. I’ve read that there isn’t much difference between MAC and total IV general anesthesia. Yes, I did use ice chips for a couple of days after surgery. Ask your surgeon what you should have on hand. I didn’t use vitamin K or anything else on my scar. It was initially slightly raised but then went flat. My tear duct scarring was caused by a punctal plug (placed by my optometrist to help my eyes when they were dry). The plug migrated down my tear duct and got embedded near the opening to my sac. (I thought it had fallen out.) It was removed during my surgery.
NOTE TO ALL PROSPECTIVE DCR PATIENTS: I cheated a little to speed up my recovery, and I’m going to share my secret. Although I followed all the rules before surgery to minimize bruising (no aspirin, etc.) , my brusing from a previous retinal procedure had taken more than 2 months to disappear. (This is very unusual.) I was really scared that this would happen again, and I had only 2 weeks off work. I scheduled an appointment with my dermatologist for a VBeam laser treatment to treat the bruising for a couple of days post-op. I had to pay about $300 out-of-pocket for this, but it was worth it. I’ve never had bruising disappear so quickly. Of course, my oculoplastic surgeon knew about my plan for laser treatment and didn’t object. The VBeam would be totally unnecessary for most people–only for the few of us who tend to bruise profusely. (Google for more info.)
I feel like I’ve already said too much. Let me give others a chance to use this blog.
I had an oculoplastic surgeon and he said I would need an ent surgeon as well to have it done inside my nose.
I have had the same reaction as you Annah with the gunk coming out of the eye the entire two months the stent has been in. The tearing has been worse than it usually is, but no pain. I’m getting it out tomorrow. I hope it will be the solution to my tearing.
I’m in Dayton, Ohio and had this version of the surgery as well. My two doctors are in a military hospital though and I feel I was extremely lucky to locate them. I would suggest calling all the ENT clinics you have first. I had the balloon surgery with stenting first from a oculoplastic doctor and that failed, so this was #2.
I’m hoping to get my stent out in the next week, I’m having trouble with it rubbing at this point.
Whatever method you choose Linsey I would advise you to get your anaesthetist to give you anti nausea meds before you wake up.
hey strawberryroad…. i had mine done by an ocuplastic surgeon also and she had other doctors to assist her so we had similar procedures. i had my stent in for about 2.5 months it felt weird at first but then i got used to it. once the stent is out it actually feels even weirder. its been 4 months after surgery and i still have some pain around my nose and eye, i think i am still heeling. they say it takes a year to fully recover :(. i just hope i dont feel like this forever. but my scar is barley there i have been using viatmin E skin oil on it. Although i do have a vein that pops out under my eye now. does anyone else have this problem?
Would you be willing to share with me the location of your doctors?
I am going to need surgery soon, and having a lot of trouble locating doctors
that peform the endoscopic DCR.
Thank you very much.
Brooke
Thanks to everyone for all the info. Just had my initial visit with my oculoplastic surgeon today. Went in thinking he would just probe my ducts and open them up in his office. Was very concerned when he started talking DCR surgery. Have read a lot of negative about complications of the surgery here on this sight, something the surgeon never mentioned .Only covered the positive of the surgery. Surgery is scheduled for November. As.uncomfortable and irritating the excessive tearing is , let me tell you I am very concerned and would rather put up with the tearing than to experience some of the complications you guys have had . Guess I have a lot of research and decisions to make, since I have about eight weeks before my surgery. Thanks to all of you for your comments and good luck to you all with your continued recovery.
Hi, Just back home after having stent removed. No tearing and my eye feels great. All good so far. If it continues like this it will be so worth it.
I had Endoscopic DCR this past Friday and I am back at work on Tuesday. I was so worried about the recovery time and what I would look like. I guess I am extremely lucky but I was fine by the next day. I had no swelling, pain, nose bleeding and I do not feel the stent at all. I have a little black and blue mark but unless you look close and see the stent no one knows I had surgery. I was a little tired the last few days but I assume that was from general anaesthesia. I have to say after I saw all the pictures and read the horror stories I almost cancelled. I have a follow up visit with my doctor Friday and my only questions are when can I wear my contacts, make-up and work out.
I just wanted to post because I was so scared before and whnt to provide a very positive spin on the surgery.
I had two external DCR surgeries in the last
month. The first was easier than the second.
I am still recovering and praying they will both
be successful.
Hi Susan and Lindsey, It’s great to hear you both got on OK. I hope you have a successful outcome.
Mine continues to be awesome except when I have to blow my nose. It is very weird but I guess everything comes at a price.
Hello…because I had both tear ducts done two wks apart, I can compare the recoveries so far. My first eye was easier, but I do have a hard area under skin in the corner. My second eye was an awful experience. I am almost two wks post-op, and I have a large area of swelling in the corner. I would have hoped this fluid accumulation would have reabsorbed by now. Would someone who has had the surgery please comment on this…should I be calling my doctor about the swelling? I also have, on the side done last, a feeling like there is air blowing into my eye if I blow my nose. This does not happen on the other side. Is the stent positioned in the corner of our eyes or down lower in the nose???? My doctor doesn’t like to talk much, so in spite of my asking these questions, I have no answers. Having two surgeries wiithin two wks was a lot. I am very tired most of the time—a bummer because I want to feel better! Any tips would be more than appreciated. I worry that I may have an infection inside….how would I know this????
Hi Linsey,
I would be calling my doctor just to be sure. My doctor was amazing and even gave me his mobile so I could call him if the surgery was closed. I had muck coming out of my eye and nose for the entire time the stent was in. I had to stay on the drops. I didn’t have any swelling though. As soon as the stent was removed it all stopped.
I think the air problem when you blow your nose will be on going. This happens to me too.
Hope all settles down for you soon.
when i blow my nose i feel air and it almost feels like it inflates n my eye gets moist.. strange.
I don’t know why people feel that endoscoptic surgery is less likely to work. I was told and read a lot of information before surgery and at this point both endoscoptic and external have very similar success rates. I am in NYC and my doctor was really great and calming. I know every person has a different problem but I would explore all options and when possible go endoscopic because there is no scarring to worry about. I just hope once the stent is out that the tear ducts stay open and work.
Hey…this is a great sight and such a relief to not feel alone in regards to DCR surgery! I had surgery July 27th and about to get my Jones tubes out on Oct 18th- so a little less than 3 months. I see most of you kept yours in for 4 months- not sure if that is something I should be doing? I had endoscopic surgery in both eyes. Also- I think they tied the tubes too tight as they look really tight, and my tiny canals in the corner of my eyes seem to be super stretched. I hope they aren’t wrapping =( Anyone have any experience with tubes tied too tight? I hope this works! Good luck to all of you.
Is the bump one the side of your nose inevitable? It’s is worrying me the most
I don’t have a bump.
Hi Gayle how are you? its been 6 months since my surgery and no infections or anything until yesterday. My eye is now red itchy and had some gew comming out of it. has this happend to you at all? i am scared that my new duct has closed and i will need surgery again. i really am hoping this is not the case and that is it just a mild infection of some sort. have u gotten any infections since surgery?
Hi Reva, It sounds like an infection to me. I would be going to a doctor to get some antibiotic drops to clear it up before it does any damage.
My eyes are itchy at the moment but it is under control with allergy drops. I haven’t got any discharge though.
If you haven’t got any tearing I wouldn’t be too worried.
Hope you get it cleared up soon.
i dont have a bump either
As I have mentioned before, I had both eyes done, externally, 2 weeks apart. The first was a breeze. Uncomplicated and healed quickly. The second was unlike the first, and I am still dealing with swelling and ugliness 3 wks after the surgery. This is the side too that I feel air coming up when I blow my nose! It ALMOST looks like a stitch, or something inside, is pulling, or walling off the area and not allowing the swelling to be reabsorbed. I had nothing like this with the first eye. I am going to make an appt. with doctor because I am so concerned about the way it looks. I am just praying that after all of this, the two operations are a success….and I do not have the annoying tearing anymore. Yes, I have a bump on the side I am having all the trouble with…and the inner corners of my both eyes feel hard to the touch…hope this helps. Linsey
I’m also nervous about being able to cry post surgery and produce my own tears
I had dcr surgery oct 12, 2012. I still have a little swelling on that eye when i wake up ( i have bags under my eyes anyway but that eye is baggier ha ha ). my surgeon told me that my stent will be in for 9 months, which is longer than any one i have seen posted on here. When i read about the surgery it said about 8 weeks, so it makes me think its too long??
The reason i had this surgery is because i had puncta plugs put in after lasik surgery about 15 years ago and one of them dislodged and got stuck. It was plugging both drains. It started slow with tearing once in a while then half a day, then every day… they tried unplugging with saline, no luck. then probing, no luck, so i had the plug surgically removed, had a stent for 6 months, got it removed and it was still plugged. “scar tissue” … so its been 2 1/2 weeks since the dcr. I am tearing more than i was before. I am very frustrated, I keep thinking i have to wait 8 1/2 more months for the stent removal to see if this is gonna work… I have had one eye tearing now for about 3 years, that side has more wrinkles i assume from wiping my tears,, anyhow my scar on the side of my nose is not too bad, i think after a few more weeks it won’t be noticeable at all. I do feel a bump where the incision is and i have a little nose pain still….. I feel like i have a loose bugger in my nose where the hose is and about 4 days after surgery i sneezed and the hose came out of my nose,, it would not go back in so i cut a little off. ( i can’t have a hose hangin out of my nose ) … the dcr surgery hurt a lot less than the plug removal surgery. the stent i have now does not bother me as much as the other one did… i just want the tearing to stop so is this gonna tear for the whole nine months or will it calm down in a week or two????? i’m so frustrated
Julia, I also had a DCR due to scarring from a punctal plug that strayed. Because this type of scarring involves the tiny ducts in the eyelid, we are considered at increased risk for failed surgery. That is probably the reason why your surgeon wants to leave your stent in for 9 months. My stent was left in for 6 months, and I did get tearing and musous for the entire time. I also needed an additional office procedure involving an endoscope to re-open my ducts. But for the past few months I’ve had no tearing at all. So it was all really worth it. Hope your outcome is similar to mine.
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Hello all. I don’t think the “reply” function is working here. I’ve attempted to reply to a few of your questions, especially ‘Linsey’, but then as I read further, Linsey went ahead with the DCR. I noted Linsey had questioned the rationale of having a less invasive procedure done like balloon dilatation and probing rather than DCR surgery that causes disfigurement. Then I noticed a few of you tell him/her that it does not cause disfigurement. Well, it actually DOES. It disfigures the natural structure of your nasal cavity. That’s why you can feel air blow into your eye when you blow your nose. However, with the less invasive procedures such as balloon dilatation, stenting and probing…the natural structure of the nasal cavity is maintained. The non-invastive alternatives to DCR are also quicker, less traumatic and cheaper. Please read my blog to find out a lot more: http://www.blockedtearductsurgeryadult.com/
George, everyone is different, and there are different causes for a blocked tear duct. I initially tried probing and stenting to stop my tearing. (None of the surgeons I consulted felt that balloon dilatation was effective for adults.) The non-invasive stenting procedure left me very bruised for more than 3 weeks, and I had to go to work looking like a domestic violence victim. I had to leave the stent in for 6 miserable months, and when it was finally removed there was no improvement at all in my tearing. It was a total waste of time and money, and I felt terribly disappointed.
Recovering from my external DCR surgery was a lot easier than recovering from the stenting proceure. I was back at work in 10 days with no bruising. If we met today, you could not tell which side of my face had the DCR. But what counts is that the surgery was successful–no more embarrassing tearing. For whatever reason(s), I’ve never experienced air blowing in my eye. But even if I did, I think that the DCR would have been worth doing.
I guess any type of surgery involves some degree of risk. I’m so sorry that you are unhappy with your outcome.
Hi Annah – thanks for your response and it’s great your DCR was successful. My main gripe is with surgeons who don’t do any further investigations into the block, such as finding it’s location via a dacrocystogram and not informing about the DCR alternatives. I’m sorry the probing and stenting didn’t work for you. Perhaps the block was too significant and had gone all the way through the duct. I’ve spoken to many people whom have had great success with stenting and balloon dilatation. There success may be attributed to a less severe blockage.
My surgeon did not refer me to have a dacryocystogram. After the DCR I had the test done out of curiosity and it was discovered the block was very thin and located at the distal nasolacrimal duct. It was not blocked all the way through, which means it could have been probed or ballooned out with success. This is an example where a DCR should not have been performed as a first line treatment, thus I advocate that DCR is over used.
As I mention in my website. Eye surgeons tend to treat us in a cookie cutter style, it’s the same process for everyone who walks through the door. Syringe with saline, if it splashes out, there is a block…perform DCR. No further investigations, no choices at all for the patient and we’ll refrain from informing about all the risks (I was not informed that a hole will be drilled through my skull for the DCR surgery). This is how it’s done in Australia. I’m not sure about the rest of the world.
A hole drilled through the skull? Where abouts in the skull? I have had a large nasal polyp up my right nasal pasage or sinus and pushed bone towards my nose so i have a lump in the nose corner of my eye. This polyp has then supposedly blocked my tear duct so i have to go get a needle down my tear duct to see if it helps and if not i have to get endoscopic DCR. Wondering if i could get lump removed as well and is it really as bad as it sounds? Watched a few clips and it looks gross. What does it feel like when you wake up and does the bone removal change any of your outer appearance. and also do you get bruising with endoscopic? is it bad, im really nervous..
does anyone have this issue?….. its been 6 months since my surgery and no infections or anything until yesterday. My eye is now red itchy and had some gew comming out of it. has this happend to you at all? i am scared that my new duct has closed and i will need surgery again. i really am hoping this is not the case and that is it just a mild infection of some sort. have u gotten any infections since surgery?
Hiya, So glad I found this site as I have felt completely alone. Whilst the surgeon was great and nurses very nice, after the op they just put you out the door, painkillers in hand and tell you to get on with it. There’s no follow up until 6 months visit so unless I go to my own GP I have no-one to ask advice from.
I’m now 5 days out of surgery for Endoscopic (DCR). Whilst my eyes looks ok from the outside, the corner next to the tear duct where the stent is, is still extremely painful. Is this normal and if so when, in anyone’s opinion,will it go away? They say I have to have the stent in for a full 6 months, given its so sore I dont know if I can bear that! đź¦
Unfortunately I have Ramsay Hunt Syndrome which caused a great deal of scarring inside my nose so they had a good rummage about and took away quite a lot of internal tissue, whilst my nose is still blocked after op it doesnt hurt.
My eye is still tearing a bit (but less than before) which I hope will soon settle down. I have a small infection which I’m taking eye drops for at the moment and it appears to be under control, but the stent is so sore in the corner of my eye…If you looked at me you would never guess how painful it is Any advice would be gratefuly appreciated.
Hello…I had my surgeries in Sept. (open DCR). The two surgeries were very different experiences…even the eyes looked different post-op. The healing, swelling, etc. different! I will have the stents in for four mos. One eye doesn’t tear much at all, but the other eye does. Sometimes, both tear, just as they did BEFORE surgery. Is this normal? If the stents are keeping the ducts open, why aren’t the tears draining down them? I am concerned about this. One eye had yellow discharge every morning…the other eye never had that. Very confusing. Has anyone had this experience and STILL had success and no more tearing after the procedure?????? I have many of the same symptoms with tearing I had before the surgery. Do you have a better chance of sucess if the stents stay in for 6 mos., instead of 4 mos.????? Should I tell my doctor any of this????? I am not due to see him until January for the stent removal.
Hi Linsey, I had both eyes with a yellow discharge and had to use prednisolone drops and one other for the whole 2 months that I had the stents in. It was a reaction to the stents. My eyes would tear the same as before the operation.
However as soon as the stents were removed no more tearing. My eyes are still great after 6 months.
I would go see a Dr to get the infection treated as soon as possible.
Hope your outcome is as good as mine.
Thank you for replying. So you think the yellow discharge is an infection? Or reaction to stents. I only get it in the morning after sleeping. Only one eye too…the one that is still tearing a lot. What do you think about the 4 mos. for stents being in the ducts? Long enough? Why is my eye still tearing if the duct is opened by stents….?????
Linsey, I would be a bit concerned with a yellow discharge. It would be best to get it checked. My infection was quite severe and it was in both eyes. My doctor wouldn’t take the stents out while the infection was present.
The stents are only there to keep the openings from closing over. They don’t really provide drainage from what I can make out. A bit like pierced ears, you have to keep the earings in for six weeks or the openings will close over.
For some people, the stents can cause inflammation and a mucousy discharge. This is not an infection. The mucous and the stents themselves take up space in the tear duct, and this can result in continued tearing until the stents are removed. The length of time that the stents are left in place depends on the surgeon’s experience and the site of the blockage. (Blockage in the tiny ducts in the eyelids is considered to be riskier for failed surgery than blockage in lower part of the tear duct system.) In riskier cases, the stents are sometimes left in place for 6 months or longer.
I suggest that you call your surgeon’s office about your concerns. They will let you know whether an office visit is needed.
Hi Linsey I have the same problem…doc has me on antibiotic eyedrops, They seem to work for a little while and then the discharge comes back after a week or so and mostly in the morning, My eye has settled down but is still tearing (but still not as bad as before the op). I can see me on and off the eye drops for the next 6 months unfortunately…………I think the amount of time the stent is in depends on how much healing has to be done inside and to give it a good chance of healing properly. I have my date in for stent out time already…June 6th 2013….hopefully will be here before I know it.
Hi everyone, certain surgeons decide to keep the stent in longer, my surgeon left it in for only 6 weeks. If you feel it’s too uncomfortable and if the tears are still flowing down your face, request to have it removed earlier. I think it’s not necessary to have the stents in for many months. The stent is ‘bicanicular’, so it runs through both canaliculi like a loop and into the nose (they remove it through the nose). So it sort of acts like a punctal plug which will cause tearing whilst it’s in there. Once it’s removed the tearing will disappear.
The discharge seems to be infection but only a low grade infection and since they send you away with minor pain killers and antibiotic drops, it should clear up. But all these are only minor problems compared to what I had endured with my endoscopic DCR five years ago…and STILL having problems and spending heaps of money on specialists for assistance. Read my experience here: http://www.blockedtearductsurgeryadult.com
I wish you all a speedy recovery
I just had my dcr on thurs a week ago and everyone went great, I have recovered well. But today i noticed my stent is red…possible bloody? Has anyone experienced this. Feedback please!!
I think this is a great site for general questions but if I had discharge or if my stent was red I would immediately see my doctor. I had an endoscopic DCR 10/5 and I have had no issues at all. I was back at work 3 days later, with no pain or tearing. I guess I’m lucky and I also believe becuse I had a great doctor. After my surgury I saw the doctor every week for a month, then once a month and now not for 2 months. I’m surprised some of your doctors don’t see you until stent removal. I just saw my doctor yesterday and I asked why he wanted me to have the stent in for 6 months and he said for healing. The longer it is in the better chances the holes won’t close.
HI,
I had my DCR Surgery on 1 Nov 12, I had a black eye for around a week and a half but that’s healed fine. I went back to work after two weeks no one could tell I’d had surgery and I was the only one who could see the stent in the corner of my eye.
I went back to the ENT clinic four weeks later (my surgery was done by and ENT doctor and my eye consultant) and they passed me.
I went back to the Eye clinic on Monday 17 December and had my sent removed. The doctor numbed my eye with drops cut the stent at the corner of my eye and pulled it out through my nose. It’s uncomfortable but not painful.
Since then I’ve had watering similar to what I had before the procedure – did anyone else have this?
I’m wondering if this calms down, drainage worked fine with the stent in place. My nose still feels a little sore at the point where they drilled internally.
I had to have the procedure on both eyes — stints out in October but still tearing from both eyes. Another lady who had the procedure had to return a second time and is doing okay now…I will see my surgeon again before the end of the year — could be another procedure, I had my surgery in April — as of today you cannot see either scar but no doubt about the tearing.
Hi All-
I got my stent out on December 17, after 7 months of having it in. Before the doc removed the stent, he irrigated top and bottom. The bottom was clear, but the upper duct still had some blockage. The doctor took out the stent, and told me if the watering is going to come back, I’ll know within a few weeks. I have had some watering of the eye — not to the level as it was pre-surgery — but it’s definitely watery. Did anyone else have some watering for a while after their stent was removed? Did it go away? I keep thinking maybe my ducts are just slightly inflamed, or my eye is getting used to being ‘free’ again, so that is why it’s watering (wishful thinking). I’ll have to get the stents put in again, possibly permanently, if the watering returns. Not ideal, as I already plan on getting a rhinoplasty, and surgery to fix my eyelid b/c the stent pulled it down!
Appreciate your comments about if/how your watering came back after the stent was removed. Does anyone have their stent in indefinitely? Also, what were the causes of your blocked tear ducts? Mine was due to scarring b/c of an ocular herpes infection (really lovely).
Hi Kristin! im sorry to hear about the watering. I didnt have this issue at all. i cant beliveve you had your stent in for 7 months. the eye could be swoullen and that is why you are having the watering, does the doctor know you are having this issue so soon after the stent is out?
I plan to have my eye lid fixed as well over the summer 🦠not excited to be swoullen again and look like hell after another surgery on my face.
the cause of my blocked tear duct is unknown. i was having constant eye infections for 3 years all of a sudden when i moved to california for school. it was so random and started there so i dont know if it was something in the air or not that caused this or if it was just bad timing. i wish i knew the cause but my doctor doesnt know.
keep me updated.
Kristin, I think that your watering is caused by a partial blockage in your upper duct. It will probably require another intervention to unblock. This might involve either an office procedure or an additional surgery. Talk about the options with your doctor.
Stints in both eyes removed after six months in October. I continued to tear, especially from my right eye which gave me the most trouble following surgery. Visited with the doctor on December 28th, left eye is working great but there is a blockage in the right tear gland – I will have additional surgery on January 14th on the right eye – not a pleasant experience but hope to stop the continuary “tearing down the right side of my nose” when moving about. Thanks agai for this blog page.
Bill, most of the time the second procedure works. It did for me. Good luck!
Thanks
Annah, since you had two procedures in the same eye do you have any major scaring on the outside or any raised bump/scar from the same incision being opened twice? or did it heal with pretty much no scar?
Reva, my DCR left no raised bump. I need a 10x magnifying mirror to identify the very faint scar line. (On the other hand, my chicken pox scar seems enormous to me, although probably not to others.) My second tear duct procedure was done through my nose using an endoscope. The ENT surgeon used some instrument to poke through the thin layer of scar tissue that had formed over one of the holes from the DCR.
anyone who had the surgery do you have a vein under your eye that pops out and can clearly see now since the surgery? for some reason i have a vein right under my eye that you can see through my skin and i use make up to cover it. does anyone know why this happened or if it will go away?
My blockage in both eyes just occured apparently as part of the aging process!!! I am 68, basically in good health,. My doctor saifd that this is somewhat unusual in both eyes for the tear gland to close but it does happen — more often in women 60-70 years old than in men. My left eye was successful but I am having the repeat the surgery on my right eye due to either additional blockage or scaring — I had stints in both eyes for six months.
anyone who had the surgery do you have a vein under your eye that pops out and can clearly see now since the surgery? for some reason i have a vein right under my eye that you can see through my skin and i use make up to cover it. does anyone know why this happened or if it will go away?
I have the same vein you are referring to Reva. I actually go to see my Surgeon today to have the stent removed from my eye and that was one of the questions I have for him. I will keep you posted as to what I find out. All of the information on this blog is so very helpful! I am so nervous right now about having the stent removed but I believe it will be a huge relief afterwards. I do have a small bump right to the left of my eye and it is really worrying me because I am praying it goes away! That is the other thing I am going to ask him as well. Anyone getting ready to have this surgery don’t get yourself worked up because it isn’t bad at all!
HI stacie! What did your doctor say about your vein? is there any hope that it will ever go away? how is your eye now after the stent removal?
any suggestions right before I have my stent removed??? and I didn’t have new ducts “made” I actually just had the stent placed in my own duct and I have only had it in for a month.
Stacie…..I had the same thing done. Had stents placed in my current ducts. They took out one set of them in my right eye after about 3 months. Still have the left side stents in. After they took out right side, I was fine when on tobradex, but as soon as i went off it, right eye started watering again, and still is after several months. Due to get left side out in 3 weeks. Will see if that side works better after keeping stent in for 6 months. After that I will have to decide what to do after conferring with my surgeon.
Hey stacie… Wat did ure doctor say about the vein?my dr said she has never seen this happen after. Its still prominent i dont think its going away.
I had dcr on my left and a stent on my right. The stent came out way before it should and I am still having issues. I had a new duct in my left – it seems better but still tears and is sensitive
Sent from my iPhone- We can thank autocorrect for typos.
So glad I stumbled upon this site. I had external DCR on 1/2/13, stitches out a week later, and everything was going along fine. Last week my eye was watering again (thought maybe it was just the cold weather) so I checked in with MD’s office. They recommended that I restart the antibiotic drops, use warm compresses, and massage the site gently. Had severe sneezing attack this morning (always sneezed through my mouth) but thought everything was fine. Wile washing my face this evening, I noticed that the stent seemed very loose. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed that the stent was loose and had formed a loop inside my eye. No pain but very uncomfortable. I can seem to push it back in. Doc won’t be back in the office til Monday morning…hope I don’t yank it out in my sleep. Has this happened to anyone here and what did you do? Many thanks.
Hi everyone, I thought I would update. I had endoscopic DCR last August. I consulted with multiple surgeons in several states and as I said, most said that there was no way I could have it done endoscopically because I was too small (my nose was too small etc) etc and that endoscopic DCR would definitely fail. It was really hard, but I ended up going with the team in Chicago of an ENT surgeon and oculoplastic surgeon. I am SO happy I chose them. Not only were they incredibly nice!! both on the day of surgery, but the ENT surgeon called me every day for a week afterwards and spent a lot of time with me on every postop visit, and the oculoplastic surgeon is extremely detailed and caring. But I also chose them because they do this surgery together as a team often, which I think is important, the ENT surgeon uses CT guidance in the OR (to make sure he is in the right place etc 🙂 and then the oculoplastic surgeon has a special illuminated probe that apparently helps a lot to see where they are working. They had exact measurements beforehand so they were knew how much space there was for the endoscope and were able to do the surgery without touching my nasal septum at all (I guess sometimes they need to do a septoplasty). Ok so (and no I don’t work for them, it’s just that I’ve bad experiences with mean doctors before), the anesthesiologist was really nice too. I got the stent out this week. It stayed for 5 months but could have come out sooner, I just didn’t get a chance to make an appointment. Everything looked really well healed when the ENT guy did the exam. My eye was a bit watery but there is no tearing! So, I am SO happy that I persisted in finding a team who would do this endoscopically. So many people insisted I couldn’t have it that way and the scar would be small, but I really didn’t want a scar as I scar really badly and to top it off it means a lot when physicians are so kind and caring. I hope this helps people.
strawberryroad, I am in the Chicago area, and would love to know who you used. Still going thru my problems, and DCR looks like the only route left for me.
Call Dr. Sindwani, ENT section head at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Perry, head of ophthalmology does the stents. They did my e-dcr surgery a month ago and I am so pleased. No scar, no bruising or swelling. Absolutely no discomfort of any kind. They were great!
I just had endonasal DCR surgery yesterday (I’m sure there was an endoscopic in the name too lol). Today my cheek is really flushed and burning hot on the side of the surgery …. no fever though, just that one side of my face. Is this normal? Also, I’m concerned because my eye is still watering. Is it supposed to be immediately improved or after the stent comes out? Thanks!
Jenna i am not sure about the burning of the cheek you might want to clal your doctor if it is still happening. As far as the watering… my eye didnt water the first two days after surgery but then it started again for about two weeks or so and it stopped right before i got my stent removed 8 weeks later. it should stop soon!
I had the procedure done where the surgeon put a stent in my tear duct. The outcome is suppose to make the opening larger, curing my tearing eye. I had the surgery three weaks ago and the tearing is worse than before I had the surgery. Does anyone know is this normal ? The surgeon does not seem to concerned. I too also noticed when i was on the eye drops after the surgery it was fine, but after they were discontinued is when the watery eye started up again. I believe there has to be a connection, but the surgeon just dismissed it. So I guess my main question is should the tearing get better after surgery or when the stent comes out ? I did ask the doctor and to be honest he really did not give me a straight answer.
Hi Sandra. The same thing has happened to me. Remember even though they may have increased/unblocked the tear duct, the stent is still in, therefore it is still blocking it. If I am right the idea is that the stent will be left in to allow the new tear duct to form around it and heal. When the stent is taken out then the tears should drain freely. If I am wrong please someone correct me…cos this is my hope…my eye is tearing as much as it ever did….roll on June when the stent comes out!
Sanda, I had the same procedure done. The tearing while the stent is in is normal. Then it is supposed to stop when they pull the stents out. I had one eye stents taken out after 3 months, and it stopped tearing as long as I was on tobradex. as soon as I went off the drops, tears started up again. Then about 3 months after that right before they were supposed to take out the other stents, all of a sudden the tearing stopped in that eye. Now I have all stents out, but one eye is still tearing. The one they left the stents in for 6 months. Waiting to see if it will subsequently clear up as well. On Restasis in both eyes, and still doing warm compresses. Hopefully yours clears up Sandra!!!
sh1964, Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I get my stent out in april, so I will let you know. In my situation I have had problems with my eye tearing for quite a while , so I was hoping that when I finally had the procedure done, that would be it.
MATTHEW, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNEW WHY IF THE TOBREDEX SEEMS TO STOP THE TEARING, WHY CAN’T SOMEONE STAY ON IT AT LEAST TILL THE STENT COMES OUT ? OR DOES IT EFFECT THE HEALING PROCESS IN THE LONG RUN ? I too am fine when on it , but not so good when I am not. I think the doctor seems to think since I do not have an eye infecton you don’t need to be on it. But there must be something to it that it helps so much. also if I am understanding you correctly are you saying that your eye you had the stent in for 3 months watered even after you got the stent out, but eventually resolved but it took another three months after that. Thank you so much I look foreword to your reply.
Sandra, You cannot be on Tobradex too long because it affects your Intra Ocular Pressure….IOP…this is shown by the glaucoma test at the eye dr. where they test the pressure of your eye. If you are on it too long, it pushes your IOP way up, which is what eventually causes glaucoma. Thus they don’t want you to be on it too long. Mine was pushed from 10 upt to 36, so had to go off it immediately, and on some drops to bring pressure back down to normal. I agree, there is something to it that helped the duct stay open. I also have blepharitis, so that may be some of the cause of my duct problems. Do you have this? Yes, you are understanding correctly, after 3 months I still had tearing when off tobradex. Then after almost 3 months of it tearing again, just before they took out the stents in my other eye, it started to clear up, and now have only very minor tearing in that eye. The eye that the stents were in for 6 months, I still have tearing in that eye, and I am waiting to see if it might eventually stop too before I go with the DCR.
Yes, I Had EndoscopicTear Duct Surgery. Please See My Website. How Was Yours? I’m Having Vision Problems And Drooping Eye After The Surgery. I WaS On Tobradex Too. Thought I Had Glaucoma!!
hey all! does anyone know of a surgeon that does DCR in Florida in palm beach area, boca, or fort Lauderdale possibly also. I had DCR over a year ago in CT but I am moving to Florida and would like a surgeon there just in case I have any problems or infections etc! if anyone knows of one please let me know I am on the search!! Hope everyone’s surgeries have been successful so far!!
MATTHEW , THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELPFUL INFORMATION. I appriciate it. I hope all goes well with your other eye.
I am so discouraged. I had bilateral dacrorhinocystostomies done four months ago. The stents were left in four months. The stents were taken out two weeks ago. My eyes are both tearing; has anyone else had this experience? What do I do now?????
Hi Lindsey,
I would give your eyes a couple more weeks, as the ducts may be normalizing from irritation due to stent removal. I had my stent in for 7 months, and unfortunately my eye started tearing again too after stent removal. Getting the tube back in, and it will stay in indefinitely, as my tears somehow had an easier time draining along the stent. I don’t have to get the full DCR surgery again…the doc will just thread the stent through the original path created. Talk to your doctor about how much longer you need to wait for a definitive answer on if the surgery failed or not. You may just need the stents back in for longer, (if not permanently). While the thought of having a foreign object in the corner of my/your eye for an extended period of time is not pleasant, it sure as he’ll beats the alternative of a persistently wet and drippy eye.
I empathize with anyone going through this, as it’s a total pain in the butt!!! Please keep us updated as to what happens next with your situation 🙂
Thank you for replying. My left eye seemed to almost stop tearing while the stent was in…the right eye continued to tear, with the stent, for the full four months that the stents were there. Discouraging. Are you supposed
to be able to feel anything inside your nose after the stents are out???
Can you explain what you’re feeling inside to your nose? I couldn’t feel anything when my stent was taken out, but I definitely felt it when it was in. Just an itchy feeling when I’d blow my nose.
On the left side there is a sensitive, palpable
ridge. Inside the nose I can feel it too. This is
the left side, the one that tears less. I can feel
nothing on the right side— the one that tears.
hi can anyone tel me im having stents put in on wed
wots is healin time and do u suffer from black eyes ?
also time off work 2/3 days ?
thank you
Hi. I had dcr in November and my doc says i need to keep the stent in for 12 months. I have had so much eye irritation. Using lastacaft prescription drops. Can anyone recommend a good eye drop. My eye seems to rub against the stent and it stays irritated. thanks
The stent must be incorrectly positioned; that should not happen. Ask your surgeon, or you may develop other eye problems. Sent from my iPhone
Hi,
My name is Kate. I just had my surgery yesterday and I can really feel my stint. It is very irritating. Was that normal for you? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Hi Kate! I felt my stent as well. I felt it in my eye and also in my nose. it made me sneeze alot and i was afraid it was going to fly out of my nose!!! if its bothering you alot to where you cant stand it i would call your doctor. how long do you have to have your sent in for? are you swoullen?
I have one stent in the left eye I don’t think I have one in my nose but I’m also afraid to sneeze and i am having nose bleeds but i see that is normal. My stint will be removed in 3 months. I have a follow up next week so if it’s still bothering the heck out of me I’ll let Dr. Morgenstern know. Maybe there are lubercating drops ?
yeah i felt my stent from my eye to my nose its all connected. my nose bled a little bit too. there might be lubricating drops! 🙂
Thank you all for confirming my issues. In this case I am glad not to be special 🙂 good luck to everyone, hears hoping it works!
I had dcr surgery 15 days ago. My eye tears nonstop, much more then before my surgery. Its so watery & itchy. Does anyone know if this is normal? Any advice as to how to settle this down? It’s so hard to see & I can’t stand the constant tearing & itchy feeling! Also what purpose does the warm compresses serve!
Call your surgeon and get his/her advice. You shouldn’t have to rely on an online forum for the problems you’ve described.
my eye watered for about two to three weeks after the surgery non stop. i would still call your doctor. i called mine and she said it was normal and it eventually stopped.
I had same problems with itchy watery eyes. Couldn’t read etc. at first i kept using otc eye drops but it made it worse. I finally started on lastacaft prescription eye drops once a day and it has cleared up. Good luck
Thank you mere mere & reva!
Annah I plan to ask my surgeon Monday as I can not do so over the weekend. Since it is the weekend I thought I’d ask others their experience thus using this forum.
Good news for you. I had to have the stint placed in my right eye a second time 3 months ago due to scar tissue forming over the duct. My left eye is doing fine and I trust that once the stint is removed from my right eye it will be much better. I still continue to have tearing but I think it is usually a result of either allergies or cold air — at least I can now lean over and not have tears dripping from my eyes!  Wish you the best.
When they placed the stent the second time, was it a hospital or office procedure? I had two dacrocystorhinosomies done in Sept. two wks apart. Stents were removed in January. Right eye is tearing; left okay. Discouraging and annoying. Thanks. Would appreciate knowing what I am in for now….Linsey
Sent from my iPhone
Hello, I just wanted to share my DCR experience. I had Endoscopic Jones Tube DCR in June 2011 on my right eye which was blocked and watering like crazy. Everything went perfect, about 6 weeks later I had the tube removed and life was good. 8 months later my left eye started to water and got blocked, I just had External Jones Tube DCR about 3 weeks ago on the left eye and again everything is working fine again. The Dr. recommended the external this time because their was so much more blockage and the sac was filled with infection, so he wanted more direct access to clean it out and to create a larger hole than he was able to do with the E-DCR procedure. I am scheduled to get the tube out in 3 weeks. For me, both procedures worked equally well, the External does leave a slight scar but is going away rapidly with the steroid cream. It was all a very small price to pay for relief.
I had surgery last Thursday. They did DCR – cutting – on my left eye – 100% blocked and she was able to squeeze a stent into my right eye without have to make a new passage way. I have major sinus headaches since then and I am not used to the tube in my eye. I go in on Wed to have the stitches out and a recheck. I don’t know how long I have to put up with this but it’s not what I thought it would be. 🦠We were only going to do the left eye and she thought it would just need a stent and no cutting – but she was wrong . . .
Does anyone have major headaches after having this procedure? I had it done about 6 weeks ago and the headaches are getting worse.
hello everyone!! I have a concerning situation… I had DCR on the right duct a year ago, and everything was fine. Alll of a sudden I am having major pressure on the right side of my nose, where my duct is, on my forehead, along with eye lid swelling and swelling in all of the same places where there is pressure. I went to my dr who performed the surgery to make sure it wasn’t my duct and she did a test with a syringe in my eye to see if my duct was blocked again. she said everything seems to be working, and gave me meds for sinus infection and I am due back for a follow up Wednesday. well I am still having major swelling and pressure and I am worried I cant even think straight. does anyone know what this could be? has anyone had this? also my eye lid and above my eye brow are swoullen and itchy. I am so worried.
Hi Reva, It sounds to me like a sinus infection. Before I had an operation to fix my deviated septum I suffered with them all the time. Could you go to an ENT surgeon and have it checked out? They are certainly painful.
Glad to hear your DCR is still going well. I had mine one year ago and it is one of the best things I ever did.
Good luck and let’s know how you get on.
hey Gayle! the doctor that did my DCR gave me sinus medications because that was her first thought. the medications don’t seem to be helping im still having swelling and it feels like the spot where my duct was operated on is going to burst and is very very tender. its almost like there is a hard spot on the side of the nose where it is swoullen. do you think I could need surgery again? or its something with my duct? I am freaking out. I go back to see her tomorrow for follow up. I am so worried… I cant go through surgery again đź¦
Could it be an allergy? I get my tubes out on Wed and I can’t wait – I have to do my other eye but I am waiting to see how this one comes out . . .
I don’t think its an allergy its been going on for al most 3 weeks.
oh that’s good! im sure it will come out fine! my scar is gone!
The stent has been really bothering me and my eye is still tearing so I am worried and in the last few days I’ve had twitching above my eye . . .
my stent bothered me too and I had tearing for a few weeks after as well. one day I woke up and it was gone! hopefully that happens to you too!! its so frustrating to deal with everything though and no one else understands us and our frustrations đź¦
Hi! I’ve had excessive tearing on my left eye ever since I was a lil girl, people always asks if I’m crying or if I’m ok and has bother me all my life. I finally got my dcr surgery 2 weeks ago first week was awful but I’m feeling great now I’m getting my stent removed in 6 weeks i cant wait to be “normal” :)… does anyone know how long til I can wear contacts?
that’s great!! congrats! ull be so happy once its all healed up! my dr okayed me to wear contacts after my stitches were out but I found it uncomftorable to wear them so I actually ended up waiting a month or so to wear them. plus my glasses covered the bruising and some of the swelling. I would ask ure doctor for what they recommend.
hey all! so i commented a week or so ago about pain and swelling on the right side of my face and nose.. the same side as my DCR. My surgeon and ENT have both ruled out an issue with my duct and sinus problems. Its been a year since surgery, has anyone had any issues with bone spurs from surgery since a small piece of bone is removed during surgery? I am due back to the ENT next week and i have been researching and it sounds and looks like it might be a bone spur. I am worried because i think this would entail a surgery to fix the pain and pressure i am having. has anyone heard of this after dcr? please help im scared and anxious! i dont like all of these problems. sigh.
I just got my stent out two days ago and my eye is STILL watery. It was watery with the stent in, so I was hoping it would be fixed when it came out, but nope. Is it a hopeless cause now?
Hi Jenna,
I had my “third” DCR last week and so far it’s looking good. The first time I had it last year, the tearing came back immediately after stent was removed after a month, so my doctor decided to perform DCR again which was done for the 2nd time last February. Unfortunately, the stent came loose and I “accidentally” pulled it out just 2 weeks after my operation, so tearing came back again. I’m hoping my 3rd one this time will be successful after stent has been removed.
My doctor said during the previous operations, there was heavy scarring which sort of closed the opening after the stent was removed, so now he’s put in a much wider stent and also did not perform any incision anymore probably to avoid scarring. I was thinking your situation maybe similar to mine but not sure though why your eye was still watery even with the stent.
Jon
Hey all,
I have just had a DCR last week up through the nose. I have a tube that links from the corner of my eye to down through the nose. I unfortunately was blessed with a cold after surgery and with not being able to blow my nose this has become difficult. I worry that each time I sniff or sneeze, that the tube is going to dislodge itself. Has anyone had this worry? Is it easy for tubes to dislodge? I get the tubes out in 6 weeks.
Alex
hey Alex. I had the same worry. my tube made me sneeze a lot because it tickled my nose. I was afraid it was going to shoot out of my nose every time I sneezed but it didn’t. you should be ok, I would try not to blow your nose though.
Alex,
The reason you are asked not to blow your nose a week or 2 weeks after surgery is so you don’t accidentally take out the blood clot which can cause you bleeding, my doctor said blowing will not dislodge the tube. My doctor also said if you really need to blow your nose, you can still do so just cover the nostril where the stent is and the other nostril will do the rest :).
I am a 33 year old male in Canada and I’m delighted that I found this site. I had my first DCR (through the nose) almost 2 years ago. My tearing totally went away for about 6 months and then the symptoms slowly came back and eventully became unbearable. My ENT scheduled me for another DCR surgery which I had about a month ago. Since then I have had some minor tearing and crusting inthe morning. I am so worried all the time that I am going to have to deal with this for the rest of my life. Any time I feel a bit of moisture in my eye I get really stressed out. I dont remember if I had these issues the first time. Is this normal to have some tearing a month after surgeery? I am scheduled to have the stent removed in another month. I appreciate the support and advice on this site. It’s great to hear from people who are dealing with the same thing. Cheers!
I am super paranoid too – every time my eye tears. I may have to have DCR in the other and and I really just don’t want to do it. Both of my eyes are crusty in the morning. I had something coming out of one of my tear ducts last week and they prescribed me some steroid drops and it came off and it seems okay right now.
It’s one day at a time really . . .
One day at a time is right. I take every day with little to no leakage as a small victory. Fingers are always crossed.
Hey guys. Just had my endoscopic DCR done yesterday. I feel terrible. No one ever told my that I would have stuffed up nose. My MD said he had to mess with my septum or something but I hate not being able to breathe thru my nose. Is this normal or should I call in and ask for a nasal decongestant. Help please
I wasn’t stuffed up at all except for the dried up blood for the first couple of days. After my surgery I was given a decongestant as a precaution anyways.
I have been calling my Head and Neck Dr. all morning trying to figure out exactly why my nose is so stuffed up. What is puzzling is that I had a right sided DCR. Yet both sides of my nostrils hurt and are both plugged up. Does anyone have any similar experiences.
i had DCR on the right side a year ago, and my right side of my noise has a lot of pressure with pain on the outside and swelling, do you have anything like this along with both nostrils clogged?
Yes I do. My head and neck doc said that he shaved part of my deviated septum on my right side and the outside of my nostrils are swollen. Not greatly swollen, but enough to where I can feel it. I have been icing for two days. I just got an okay from my doc for afrin. It did work. I hope It is temporary. I used it at 11 a.m. It is now 5 pm and it is very congested again. I really hope all this congestion and pain is temporary. If anyone has similar post op. Please let me know. Thank you
Mine sounds similiar. My right nostril is swoullen and spreads to my cheek…. This is all a year later. I have had so many tests n no dr can find a answer. Im startung to think its the surgery. Mines been going on for 3 ish months. I hope it goes away one day soon. Not sure if its the same thing as yours since you had ayour septum shaved. Do you have shooting pain on the nose on the side of the surgery?
Okay, after three days I finally have found out exactly what my H and N surgeon and my opthalmologist performed on me. They performed a DCR on my right eye, with a septoplasty of my left side. That is the reason why my post op symptoms were so different than the ones I have been reading here. My nose is still swollen and painful, with 12-16 hours of severe nasal congestion. The top of my front teeth and gums are also painful. It is finally feeling better with Q6 Vicks Sinex that contains 650 mg of Acetaminophrn, 10mg of Phenylephrine, and 7.50 mg of Doxylamine Succinate. I have yet to be able to sleep a full night. I now just try to nap anytime that I am able to moderately breathe through my nose. In the evening when my nose is completely stuffed up, I just sit up and watch TV. I continue to Ice my nose without any real effect. I do blow my nose. Everything I read states NOT to blow your nose. Oh well, I think it is impossible not to blow your nose. It is like breathing, you keep doing it. I have had sutures come off, no real active bleeding so I don’t think blowing my nose is making it worse. So I am trying to recover. About my eye, well stent seems stable there. Corner of my right eye seems irritated. I would only expect it to since it keeps rubbing with the stent. The eye gel seems to work, but you have to apply it every hour for the irritation not to come back. The prescription says only Q4 so I don’t see how the irritation will go away, unless the stent is removed. I have not been tearing, so I hope that is a good sign. I hope my fourth day post op is better than the third. I will see you guys tomorrow
Hi CY…I wanted to reply to your post because your recovery experience seemed somewhat similar to mine. I had an endoscopic DCR done 10 days ago and I’ve been experiencing lots of sinus pressure since the surgery so I went to see the surgeon. He told me it’s because I didn’t use my saline spray and then proceeded to pull out all the packing through my nose. Apparently it’s supposed to dissolve on it’s own but he wasn’t clear on that. It was the most painful procedure ever, kind of like nerve pain at the dentist. He said that should relieve the pressure but it’s been 5 days and it’s still there. I’m also experiencing the pain coming down into my teeth and gums which is a weird sensation. I was just wondering did these symptoms get better for you over time? And how are you doing today after all this time of recovery? Hopefully well 🙂
Pretty much the only time my eye leaks now is when I eat. Very strange I know. Anyone else experience this?
I had an external DCR a month ago for my right eye and have used all of my antibiotic drops a week ago. Since then I’ve been have a lot of the “goopy” discharge in the morning and lid is matted shut. The tube is schedule to be removed in Sept. Has anyone have this problem? Is this an indication that the procedure was not successful?
I wouldnt say that it’s an idication that the procedure was not successful. I had a similar situation and it turned out I had an infection that the drops couldnt get to so my Dr. prescribed me oral antibiotics for 2 weeks. I had the last ofthem yesterday and my eye is much, much better. How is your eye when you are outside in the wind? Does it water? Or do you just have goopy stuff in the morning?
I had endonasal DCR surgery in February… had the stent removed in June… and my eye is STILL very watery two months after stent removal. I have my follow-up appointment next month, but I’m getting kind of worried that there’s nothing else the doctor can do.
I also had endonasal DCR in July – Had my tube removed 6 weeks later and my eyes have watered ever since this was taken out – Im seeing the surgeon next week but im also worried that there is nothing else they can do. Im still unsure why my tears are unable to find their way through the new channel.
hey all! does anyone know of a surgeon that does DCR in Florida in palm beach area, boca, or fort Lauderdale possibly also. I had DCR over a year ago in CT but I am moving to Florida and would like a surgeon there just in case I have any problems or infections etc! if anyone knows of one please let me know I am on the search!! Hope everyone’s surgeries have been successful so far!!
Had my stent removed last Monday (August 26). Since that time my eye has been perfect. No leaking at all. I want people to know that until the stent came out I had some leaking and crusting. That’s normal because the stent acts as an obstruction. So don’t be discouraged if your stent is still in and you have some leaking! There is hope!
Help! I had my stint surgery on one eye a little over a month ago. I had been doing fine until this morning when the stint has come loose and is looping into my eye. Until this morning it was tight, straight up and down at the corner of my eye. Now it extends to the pupil. I have an appointment with the surgeon for this afternoon. Any advice?
I had an external DCR last week (1/14/14) and had my stitches out yesterday. Everything went well and I was back at work the day after surgery. My eye is now tearing a little bit, hopefully due to the stent that will be removed in a couple of months. The doctor says I can resume all of my activities including wearing swim goggles when I exercise. I can see and feel the stent which is a little weird. My only problem is that I haven’t been able to get contacts back in my eyes due to the swelling. Is this normal?
hey there! i had the same problem! i didnt wear contacts for about three months after because i was really swoullen and it was uncomftorable. it took me a while to be able to fully wear them all day everyday again. i also had tearing until the stent was removed which drove me crazy!!!
Hi, I just had my external DCR surgery 3 days ago, and so far seem to be healing well. I can feel the stent, which is driving me crazy, so I’m more than anxious for the next three months to whiz by so I can have the stent removed. I am a contact wearer, and my surgeon said that if I looked towards the stent with my contact in that it could stick to the stent. Has anyone else on here tried to or been successful at wearing contacts while stent is in place? I really hate the thought of having to wear glasses the next three months!!
hey there! i wore my glasses for about three to four months after surgery and after that i couldnt wear them everyday for very long until about 8 months later. my eye felt irritated for some reason. i now wear my contacts every day all day again and i am fully healed! its so worth it! good luck!
Hi Reva!! Did you mean to say that you wore your contacts for 3-4 mos after surgery, then was only able to wear them for small amounts of time due to irritation until about 8 mos later to where now you can wear them all day every day? Just wanted to clarify! Thank you so much for your response!!
Good to hear there is light at the end of the tunnel. I just had my surgery two weeks ago. I have worn my contacts without incident. It is really hard to get them in but nut no problems while wearing them.
In am due to have my stent removed after 2 months.
Thank you, Steve!! That’s good to hear! My dr had me a little concerned about my contact sticking to my stent when I looked to inner corner of my eye. I hated the thought of wearing glasses over the next three mos until stent is out. Thanks again for your response!!
About a year and a half since surgery  — wearing contacts and doing great
________________________________
Thanks for responding, Bill!! How long was your stent in? Did you wear your contacts while stent was in place?
hey tracy sorry meant to say i had to wear my glasses three to four months after surgery. after the three to four months i was able to wear contacts but couldnt wear them everyday for very long until about 8 months later due to the irritation. but now i wear my contacts all day everyday like i used to before all of my eye infections and the blocked tear duct. but i deffidently was not able to wear my contacts right away until about 3-4 months later. i had bad swelling also so i was swoullen for a good 9 months after.
Thanks for the clarification, Reva. So glad all is well with you now. Sounds like you went down quite a road with this thing. Did you have an external DCR surgery?
of coarse tracy! yes i had external DCR. I had it 2 or 3 years ago i cant remember how long its been haha! but i am really happy with the results i have no scaring or anything! fingers crossing the duct never closes!!
Anyone else here have a stent permanently in tear ducts? My first surgery failed after having stent in or six months. Had it put in again, and was told to just leave in as my tears seem to be able to find their way around the stent. It’s kind of creepy and awkward to have this in permanently, but I guess the teary alternative is worse.
wow how come ure surgery failed? you should get a second opinion from another doctor. did you go to a ocular plastic surgeon/opthamologist?
Hi Reva-
From doing plenty of research, it’s actually not uncommon for the first surgery to fail. It’s not that the surgery itself was a failure, but my tear duct scarred back down after the stent was taken out. I had read that for some people prone to tear ducts scarring down (thank you ocular herpes!!), sometimes the stent actually helps the tears find their way through the duct. I had the stent placed back in about 8 months after the first surgery. Still tear free with the stent in, so I guess I’ll just keep it in. Hopefully, I won’t have any issues with it. Maybe in a couple years, I’ll revisit taking it out…but I really don’t want to take it out just to have it placed back in again. Sigh, we’ll see. And yes, I saw an oculoplastic surgeon. I hate having this foreign object in my eye, but I guess for the most I don’t even notice it 99% of the time. You just get used to it, and it’s not noticeable to anyone looking at me. That goes to the rest of you reading this message board — for the most part, no one will notice the stent but you.
yeah the stent is clear so you cant see!! well im glad its wroking for you now! good luck!
Hiya
My first surgery failed and they had to do a second, Surgeon stated that on second examination the width at the top of my nose was so fine, tearing it was nothing to do with continuation of tear duct being blocked but that â€corridor’ inside nose was too small to let tears through. They did an op which took away some of the bone inside my nose (very, very painful!) however to date success!!!!…Whilst I have the stent still, in it’s coming out soon and as far as I can tell hopefully no more tears
Ps I also had ocular herpes, I bet its the scarring in your nose , like mind that needs removed…………….
Hello,
I was doing some research regarding the improvement rates of a DCR procedure and came across this site. I had been suffering from excessive tearing in left eye since June 2012. After a number of evaluations, I was referred to an Oculoplastic Surgeon to create a new tear drainage in my nose. This procedure was done on 12-20-2014. Within 5 days of the surgery the tearing subsided. I was so happy. I did not have any excessive tearing at all during the whole time the stent was in. The stent was removed by the Oculoplastic Surgeon on 1-31-2014. Unfortunately, the tearing started again. It seems fine when I am inside away from the cold. But once I go outside into the cold, it begins to tear excessively. I will give it a full week before I message my surgeon. I am truly hoping that there is inflammation from the removal of the stent and that it needs time to get back to normal. Has anyone experienced this?
Hey everyone!! I had my external dcr surgery almost two weeks ago and seem to be healing nicely. I am curious if anyone else has issues with itching where the stent is placed? If so, how long can I expect this to last? Also, how long did you all do the sinus irrigation after surgery?
hey Tracy! my stent itched in my eye as well. I now have my stent out and for some reason the area still itches here and there to this day. i am not sure if it is the surgical site that itches or if it is in the eye where the stent was. i think it is a combination of both. it has been two years since surgery so i dont think the itching will go away any time soon.
Hi, I am about to have a second blocked tear ducted surgery, on the same eye., except this time they will insert a balloon and a stent. the first time did not work 100%, but it is so much better then before the first surgery. I am again doing the one through the nose….I am afraid to do the open surgery because it looks so invasive, and I don’t want the scar. Do you recommend to do the open surgery instead, I would like to hear from someone that has already done it.
My doctor said the open surgery is more successful so that is what I did about a month ago. The scar isn’t too bad and gets better everyday. It will be noticeable if you’re looking for it, but from 5 feet away nobody will notice. But I’m a guy with some scars and I don’t really mind one more.
Hi everyone! I was reading through the posts and did not see anyone of you mentioned whether some imaging was done previously to the DCR to understand the reason for obstruction. I was sent for the DCG under CT scan and it showed a round tissue 6mm by 9 mm right below the sac-common junction. They believe it is a fibrosis/scar tissue that causes the problem but to have further evaluation they suggested MRI. These imaging tests scary me no less than the DCR itself. Have you ever had them done for you?
MRI aren’t invasive, they are just noisy. It sounds like hammers banging near your head. They give you headphones to help block out the sound. If your tear duct is blocked, what will an MRI show other than to confirm the blockage? Can the 6 x 9mm tissue be removed without damaging the tear duct?
Steve, Thanks for your reply.
What scares me is the results not the test. I am not sure about removing the tissue. I believe of the people above had some sort of tissue that was the cause of obstruction. The question is – whether it is a benign tissue or a tumor?
My doctor says that normally they only check it during the DCR because the area is so tiny even CT and maybe even MRI won’t be able to provide an answer. In my case since I am young (relatively) he recommended CT.
I hope your recovery will be fast!!!
Hi Everyone, I am set to have the DCR surgery on 3/13/14 where they will make an incision and drill the bone for new tear drainage (not sure of all the technical terms for it). I’ve read down through the posts to get a sense of what the entire process will be like. Question for everyone who has already gone through it….would you vote yes or no to have the surgery from your own experience?
Hi I would definitely have it done. It is one of the best decisions I have made. It looks a bit yuck for a week or 10 days then no scar. I also had no pain. I didn’t even need a Panadol. The description of the procedure reads much worse than it actually is. It is wonderful to be free of the tearing. I hope you have as good a result as me.
Hi all,I am also glad I have found his site,just returned home from hospital had operation yesterday,I also had bone drilled which the doctor told me there had been some complications because of hard bone,my 1.30 hour op turned out about 3, hence sore and bruised ,I can also feel the stint in the corner of my eye and my nose is full and very congestered at the moment,just wondering does the stiches come out themself or do you have to go back to hospital ? Also what do you do if you feel a sneeze coming on ? Many thanks
Hi Julie, been there you will be fine..blocked nose is swollen tissue after surgery, try not to sneeze! lol and my consultant took the stiches out. Hope it works for you, it did for me…:-)
I had my DVD surgery about 3 years ago. Everything went well except for how long they said my stent would take to come out. It took over a month for it to come out and even then, I had to go to the office and have it removed. My concern now is that the excessive tearing is back more than likely because this winter has been colder than normal. I eye isn’t swelling but, my headaches have come back with vengeance. I go back to talk to the eye surgeon in two weeks. What procedure do they perform the second go around? Is the pain worse? How long is time?
DCR…sorry I hate auto-correct…lol
My stent “fell” out after 6 weeks when I sneezed. Has this happened to anyone? If so, did the surgery hold or did you have to go back and do it again?
Hi Everyone,
I had the endoscopic DCR done exactly a week ago today for a blocked tear duct I’ve had for just over a year. I’m 41 and it was my first surgery ever so I was naturally nervous about the whole process. But, the surgery experience was much better than I imagined. Surgery took a little while longer because I had thicker bone in my head but overall surgery time was probably 45 minutes. And then recovery was about 45-60 minutes. Surprisingly, I only had pain upon waking up in recovery. They gave me one Percocet and sent me home and I had zero pain the rest of the day. Day 2, I woke up with tremendous pain but took pain meds all day and just slept the day away. Day 3 the pain started subsiding but still took a few pain meds. Now, after a week, the pain is completely gone.
I’m only into this one week but it’s definitely a learning experience and I’m still learning. I’ve been following my surgeon’s recovery instructions to a tee except I missed one; the one that says use nasal saline spray in conjunction with prescribed nasal spray. Because I didn’t use saline spray, it made all of the gunk in my sinuses harden and so was quite painful when the surgeon took out the gauze a week later. Anyone else have this unique and delightful experience? Thankfully it only took a few minutes for him to remove but I was kicking myself for not using saline so bought the biggest bottle of it afterwards.
The only other things I’ve noticed are that my eye seems to be tired and vision is a bit blurry. But I still have 20/15 vision and my surgeon gave me steroid drops, probably to strengthen the nerves and get it back in focus again. I analyze data all day and get minimal sleep so I’m sure that tires my eye out as well. But I’m confidant my eye will come around here in the next week or so. I’ve also noticed I get quite a bit of sinus pressure. No headaches, just the pressure builds throughout the day and finally relieves later in the day. It’s uncomfortable but again, I’m thinking it’s probably from a little more bleeding or gunk up in my sinuses but nothing to be worried about. I’ve been checking my throat several times a day to see how much blood runs down the back. The day of surgery had quite a bit and Day 2 had a little but Day 3, it was really faint. Now after a week, it’s completely gone. I have developed a sores on the back of my throat so surgeon had me start taking antibiotics just in case. To try and be as healthy as possible after surgery, I’ve been eating really pure foods and drinking tons of water. So I’m hoping things only get better after this. Three months to get the stent out seems so far out that I’m just focusing on adapting to my new condition as it is now. I’m an impatient healer so this is really teaching me how to slow down and take care of myself. If anyone recently had this procedure and would like to email me about their experience, please feel free. Recovery changes every day and I’d like to hear about others’ experience.
Take care,
-Angela
I would like to thank everyone that has commented on this post. When preparing for my surgery, reading all your stories calmed my nerves and helped me process what to expect. Here is my story.
I had my DCR surgery 1 month ago today. My surgery was through the sides of my nose and he placed Crawford tubes through my tear duct to create a new path.
My left eye started watering in Jan 2012. The doctor said it was a blocked tear ducts. He pushed the saline through and I went on my way. Well it teared up again and I couldn’t bring myself to go back to the same doctor. I live in Miami, so I went to Bascom Palmer, the leading eye institute in the county. The doctor there suggested surgery. I was 3 months pregnant at the time so that was out of the question. 4 days after giving birth my right eye tear duct became blocked. Now having 2 kids, I didn’t make it back to an eye doctor until Dec 2013. He referred me to a wonderful eye plastic surgeon. He was the first doctor to tell exactly what had happened. My sinus had swelling and inflammation that had pinched closed the tear duct.
Just a few weeks after my 2 year and 1 year anniversaries, I went in for surgery.
He did both eyes at once. He said I had a lot of mucus in the left eye area. The surgery was just under 2 hours. I had local anesthesia. I thought I would be awake during the surgery or at least hear what was going on. I watched the anesthesiologist put the medicine in my drip, closed my eyes and the next thing I knew I was in recovery with my husband sitting next to me. I felt great. I told everyone that passed me, I feel great.
I didn’t have any patches or gauze. I got dressed and went home. I slept on and off the first day. I was told to expect nose bleeds the first few days but I didn’t have any. I was told my eyes were water 3 times worst that ever that first day, but they didn’t.
My notes were to take the antibiotic pill twice a day, use the ice mask the hospital gave me 4 times a day for an hour at a time, put the prescription ointment on my scars 4 times a day and take Tylenol if needed. The doctor did prescribe pain meds but I didn’t have any pain so I didn’t fill the prescription. I took the Tylenol before bed just in case, so I could sleep through the night. I slept on raised pillows with a humidifier in the room for about a week.
That 1 week my eyes felt dry and scratchy. The tubes irritated my inner corners of my eyes. The doctor said this was all normal. I had very little swelling. My nose looked a little wider. I had a small patch of bruising on my right eyelid. Around day 3 my stitches began to pop. I had on and off pressure in the nose/eye area. I took it as a sign to rest some.
After 1 week I went to the doctor for my first follow-up. He trimmed up the popped stitches and said everything looked good. He said to continue with the ointment but only at night, to let the scars breath during the day. I was to ice as needed. I had finished the antibiotics. At 2 weeks I could start wearing my contact lenses again and put a light amount of makeup over the scars.
It has been one month since my surgery and one month since my eyes have watered!!! I have gotten used to the tubes. The contact lenses do not bother my tubes or my eyes at all. I do sneeze a lot, as the tubes sometimes tickle the back of my nose. My nose is stuffed up a lot but I think that is due to the sneezing. People tell me I look like I have sunglass marks on the side of my nose. My scars are reddish purple. There is no scab. It feels like there is a little bump on the side of my nose towards the bottom of the scar.
I go back for my next follow up in a few week and I’m expecting to have my tubes removed in July.
My experience was so much easier than I had expected.
Hello everyone! I had the Internal DCR procedure done on my left eye back in August 2012 due to a blocked tear duct and had kept the stent in till December 2012. For the first 6 months after that surgery, everything appeared normal. Then in mid-summer of 2013 the tearing returned on that same eye. I revisited the same surgeon who performed the surgery and he is now suggesting for to try the External DCR where the stitches are visible. It seemed that this surgery would have a higher chance of a success rate, but I will admit that I am a bit reluctant to go through with it due to possible scarring. Not to mention that I am of African descent and surgery incisions tend to leave keloid scarring. I attempted to read as many posts here to see if anyone from had experienced similar experiences with the external DCR and get their input. Thanks!!
I’m sorry to hear the Internal DCR didn’t work. That’s got to be extremely frustrating.
The external scar are made by a scalpel so they are very shallow and fade to almost invisible. You would have to ask the surgeon about the Keloid possibility.
Hi Girlboogie – I would not recommend the external DCR. I had it done two months ago and have had nothing but problems since. I had 20/15 vision prior. Since the surgery, I’ve developed severe dry-eye, my two eyes don’t work together because one is always blurry or drier than the other, and the kicker is that I’ve developed a loud “clicking” sound in that eye. I read, after the fact, about people who had developed the clicking and there’s quite a few out there. For these reasons, I’d recommend looking into tear duct therapy or something more non-invasive.
Girlboogie, I’m african american as well and am scheduled for a DCR wednesday. However, I am told that it wiill not determined whether or not I get the internal or external until the day. Please let me know if you went through with it and how was it!? More importantly did it leave a keloid scar and did it work? Thankyou
Hi all anyone kw if you can start wearing contact lenes again afere surgery had mine done 2 weeks ago all swelling gone now
My doctor cleared me to wear contacts after 2 weeks. I don’t even notice them so they don’t interfere with my tubes.
Be sure to check with your doctor first.
Hi everyone!
I am 10 days post-DCR (external). What bothers me is sticky tears epecially in the morning. Today it was even worse that the previous days – I woke up with a lot of crust around my eye. Has anybody experienced such a thing? What could be the reason? It does not look I have an infection, and I am still on antibiotics – today is supposed to be the last day actually. The swelling is almost gone. I have no clues what could be wrong?
Thanks!!!
How are your eyes now? Did the ‘sticky tears’ stop?
I had my first surgery on 8/19/14. My Dr had to stop the surgery due to finding a large mass that was full of pus and was growing through the cartlidge in my nose. While I was in recovery the Dr told my husband that he flushed my tear duct and it was not blocked, and thought the mass was the problem. Now he is saying that I will need to go back a second time and have the surgery to fix a blocked duct (that he told my husband I didn’t have). The reason for his suggestion of the second surgery is because I am still having the watery eye and the fluid is sticky. Neither him or pathology could give me a clear diagnosis on the mass due to the amount of pus around it other than he doesn’t believe it is cancer. The Dr told my husband and I that he could cut some bone out and the remaining tissue and send it to pathology and try to get a better idea of what’s going on. I’m very concerned about going ahead with the second surgery because of the problems with the first one. I’m hoping that someone else has went through a similar situation and can tell me their outcome. My Dr claims that in the 30 yrs he has been doing this he has never seen anything like it. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Personally speaking, if my doctor had never seen anything like my condition, I would consider getting another opinion from a very experienced surgeon before having a second surgery. Even experienced surgeons vary in terms of knowledge and skills. My tear duct was blocked by a punctal plug that had migrated and caused scarring. Three surgeons had already told me that only a Jones tube would solve my problems. My surgeon did the repair with a DCR and a post-surgery office procedure. It’s been several years since my surgery, and I’ve never had a tearing problem.
I will definitely search out another opinion. I’m so glad that I was able to read about others that have gone through this, it has helped me make a decision on my future treatment.
I Didn’t mention that my Dr is one of the top surgeons at the eye institute in our state. I guess not even the best know it all.
I’m wondering if there are others that were left with a knot on your nose after the surgery. I have a knot near my incision and it is very painful to the touch. I am almost 2 wks post op and I’m wondering if it will ever go away.
I am 5 months post op and I had a bump by my incision for awhile. It has gone down over time though. For the first 2 months I freaked out thinking my surgeon had ruined my eyelid, my eyesight, my tear duct, etc… However, over time, everything has returned to normal and the tearing is gone. Like others have posted, when I blow my nose, it shoots air into my eye. Or when I inhale, I feel air coming in through my tearduct. Its not bothersome though. They say it takes up to a year for the bone to heal so I’m still careful when rubbing my eye. But the worst has passed and I’m thankful I had the procedure. For those feeling discouraged, the body takes it’s own time to heal but you’ll get there 🙂
Thank you for the info. I now know it’s not abnormal and will go away
I just had my dcr surgery on the 9th so it’ll be a week tomorrow, was just wondering is it normal for my eye to still be tearing? How will I know if the procedure worked? And when? Sorry just really hoping it worked I’ve had the teary eye problem for 11 years so I really want it to be gone, thanks for any replies.
I had my surgery around may and today my tube fell off and I had little bleeding what should I do? Did something like this happened to any of you?
I had surgery on both eyes Nov. 18th, on Nov. 26th, I blew my nose and the stent in my right eye back partially out. No bleeding.
I just had a large tumor removed from my left cheek bone. The tumor had eroded through my tear duct and into the bone up under my brain and attached itself to the bottom brain hemisphere. However, to keep my tear duct from collapsing, they put in a stent that I have to leave in for 3 months. I have been having a lot of irritation in the very corner where the top and bottom eye lids come together. Is that normal? It feels like the stent is sticking out, but its not. Also, is it okay if I use eye drops to soothe it? I’m 15 and completely clueless! Thank you for any help possible!
After reading all of the posts, I chickened out and canceled the procedure. I was not explained what was involved in “putting in a stent” by the doctor. Actually, I knew absolutely nothing…then I read. Whoa, what a wake up. I’ve got to really think about this, and if I decide to do it, I plan to have a detailed conversation with the doctor.
I think I may be to the point where I have to get the Lester Jones tubes put in my eyes. Has anyone else had this done? I know in the UK they have a new type called the Stop Loss Lester Jones tubes that stop the tubes from coming out on their own. They are trying to get approval in the US in the beginning of 2015, I may wait until they get approval. Been talking with the company that produces them, and they have not had a tube come out on its own in the 3 years they have been being produced. This seems like the major complaint for those that have had the tubes in place.
OMG me too! My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow but some of these post have me ready to cancel. Sighhhh I look around and it seems like everybody has perfectly working tear ducts 🦠why me? Life sigh
Roseebox….are you having the Lester Jones tubes put in? The permanent ones? If so, keep me posted. I am thinking I might have it in February or March.
Did you have Jones Tubes put in? I am with Matthew..please let me know how it is going…I too am facing having them put in
I had DCR in February on both eyes. Two months later I had to go back to have a balloon inserted as my new drains were closing up. Three months later they closed up again and we once again tried the balloon procedure. My eyes were worse after this surgery and now I am facing another surgery next week. They want to put stents back in both tear ducts to see if that will help them drain better. My surgeon is trying to avoid the Jones Tubes…this is a last effort with the Jones tubes being the only option out there. This will be my 4th surgery this year..has anyone experienced this?
Sherry,
I had stents put in my ducts twice. somewhat seemed to work after the second time, but now back to tearing. Jones Tubes sound like my last resort as well, as stated above. But I think I will wait until 2015 to try the Stop Loss tubes from LJT Surgical. Sounds like they work better and overcome the biggest complaint of the tubes coming out on their own. Wish I had better news, but sounds like you and I are in the same boat. My doctor kept that stents in for almost 6 months. Even that long time period didn’t solve the issue.
Matthew
Thank you….my surgeon wants to try the stents as a long shot….after that it will be the Jones Tubes Thank you for the info on the Jones Tubes as that is something to consider. I have had a long long year fighting my tears….but hoping on Monday with the stents things will turn around. I know when they were in after my first surgery it took me time to adjust to having them in my eye…not looking forward to that….
I wish we both had better news….
My doctors feel my tear duct issues where caused by my Thyroid Cancer Treatment…Radioactive Iodine..has anyone out there had thyroid cancer??
I have had 4 tear duct surgeries this year……I just had my last one Dec 1st. The surgeon went in and put stents in both tear ducts. Day 15 and my eyes are really bad again…. Has anyone gone down this road?? Frustrated….
I got nervous and canceled. I would really hate to go through all this and still have excessive tearing like some others. If any of you do, please keep me updated and tell me how it went. Thankyou
roseebox, were you going to do the Lester Jones tubes?…or have stents put in temporarily?
Because I haven’t been able to find anyone on here that has done the Lester Jones tubes.
Matthew….I too am looking for someone who had the Jones Tubes..please let me know if you find anyone and how they are doing…I am not doing good with the stents now after two weeks…I think my eyes are infected on top of things…so frustrated.
Hi Matthew,
My eyes are bad already after putting the stents in….I will be scheduled for Jones Tube surgery in February…
I am not sure if it is the right decision or not…but I can’t keep on like this either….
Matthew
Just wanted you to know I am scheduled to have Jones Tubes put in Feb 2nd…both sides… : (
Sherry,
I will be praying that it works well for you. I have a feeling that I will be having them put in sometime in the next couple months as well.
Sherry, How did the Jones Tube Surgery go?
Hopefully all is well with you.
Hi Matthew,
Yes, I had Jones Tube Surgery on Feb 2nd.
It was not a fun time but I am doing better now. I was very bruised and lots of discomfort for the first week. I have to say at this point the tubes are working really well. I have to flush them daily but that is no big deal. I still have discomfort in my left eye…like I feel the tube and it hurts some. My right eye is feeling really good and I hardly notice the tube. Hoping in time the left will settle down.
This is my 5th tear duct surgery in a year and so far this has been the most successful. So far so good : )
I am not sure if I talked to you about this…my surgeon did not use the Stop Loss tubes…I asked him about those…he said he used them quite a bit…but the problem with those is they do stay well…too well….he said if they needed to come out or be replaced for some reason it is quite difficult to get them out…he said it would be harder for me. I know one of the biggest complaints is them coming out…which both of my surgeons cautioned me on….hoping they just stay put lol
Hope this helps some as you make your decision.
Sherry
It sounds like it went okay for you.
So do the tubes take care of the tearing for you? Also, how do you flush them each day.
Thanks so much for the update.
Hi Matthew,
Yes the tubes have helped the tearing : ) This is the best my eyes have been in quite a long time!!
I still have some discomfort….sure hoping that will go away too….
As far as flushing…well the first week I had to do it 3 to 4 times a day to get them established…
I just pour contact lens solution in my eye until I can notice it coming into my nose. I just do it once a day when I get up in the morning now…..It is not really a big deal.
Sherry
Sherry,
I just wanted to touch base and see how everything is coming along now that it has been about a month. I am scheduled to see my dr. again in late March, and I will probably schedule the tubes to be put in at that time.
Do you feel them in your eyes?
Hi Matthew,
Yes it has been 5 weeks today : ) I am doing very well as far as drainage goes!! It is almost hard to believe I have had 5 weeks of no tears running down my face. It has been an issue for nearly 3 years. I can’t tell you how happy I am so far…am I guarded for long term..maybe a little…. As far as feeling them…my right eye feels normal….but my left side has bothered me since surgery as far as feeling like something is there and a little discomfort still. I just saw my surgeon on Friday and he said the tube is in great position and looks good…he is hoping the discomfort will end in time as I continue to heal. I can see them too…I can look in the mirror and see the end of the tube at the corner of my eye….it’s a little weird but nobody will notice unless they are very close lol One other thing that has taken some time to get used to is when I breath at times I can feel air going in and out of the tube….but other than that all is ok lol I really am pleased with the tubes at this point. Praying for continued success. Let me know what you decide.
Take Care
Sherry
Hey Sherry! Hope all is still going well. Wanted to find out how the left tube was doing. I know you were having some discomfort with that one, and wanted to see overall how you felt after a couple months.
I was scheduled to have mine in late April, but my surgeon broke his hand, and now everything is delayed.
Thanks,
Matthew
HI Matthew,
Good to hear from you!! Well the tubes continue to work well overall. I am still having discomfort in my left eye. I saw another eye specialist yesterday. He said there is inflammation on both ends of the tube…at the eye and in the nose. It stays raw in the corner of my eye where the tube hits. He said the tubes can be tricky as far as getting them just right. He suggested I consider taking the left tube out…letting it all heal up a few weeks and then having it surgically put back in….I didn’t really like that answer : ( Then he said I had two different sizes of tubes and maybe I could try putting a little smaller tube on the left side….he said it could make a difference. I am waiting to hear from my surgeon as to what direction he feels I should go. The right eye feels great and I have had no problems with it. Overall still happy I had the surgery but would like the left eye to feel like the right one…..
Hoping your surgeon heals quickly and you can have the surgery….. Hang in there my friend!
Sherry
Sherry,
So sorry to hear that the left eye isn’t going as well as the right. I hope it clears up and you don’t have to go through with getting another tube put in that eye.
Matthew
Had DCR through nose in April, ’14, with no success. Watering debilitating, and ENT doc and eye surgeon agree that since my DCR was done as perfectly as can be, there is no sense doing that again. They both recommend the Jones tube. I’m scheduled for this in Feb., but have serious concerns. I can’t find a blog about people who have had the Jones tube inserted. PLEASE write here if you have any info. about that!
Bette
Hi Betty,
I had a DCR February 2014…with no success…I had surgery in June to balloon them out, again in September and just had stents put back in Dec 2014…my eyes are as bad as ever. My surgeon thinks it is time to do the Jones Tubes too…and I also may have it done in February. I see my surgeon on the 12th and will know more then. The tubes have always been a last resort…..I too have concerns…is there a chance we could be worse off after??? That is my main concern…. Please keep me posted on your decision….
Thanks
Sherry
Hi Bette
Just wanted you to know I am scheduled for Jones Tube Surgery Feb 2nd….both sides : (
Bette
Just wanted you to know I did have Jones Tube Surgery on Feb 2nd. Let me know if you want to know more info
Sherry
I need a doctor in Houston Texas
hey all! I haven’t posted on this site in a while hope everyone is recovering nicely! I have a question, trying to see if this has happened to anyone. So.. I had DCR on my right eye about 4 years ago and have had only one eye infection since. Prior to the surgery i had constant eye infections in the right eye and my eye wouldn’t stop watering one day, thats when i found a specialist who told me what was wrong. I immediately had the DCR performed. No problems since, and the scar is gone! BUT.. now all of a sudden my left eye has been getting eye infections and has been red, rash and itchy around it. I am worried i will need DCR on the left side now, since eye infections is how the right side became problematic. Has anyone had DCR on one eye, then a few years later need it in the other as well? Does anyone know if this is common for it to eventually happen in both eyes? Someone help!!
RV – My right eye began watering. After a year of specialist and trying to find alternative relief, my left eye began to water.
So when I had my DCR, it was on both eyes at once.
oh wow so it is possible for this to happen to the left as well? Have you had any complications since the surgery? did you ever get eye infections prior or just tearing?
My surgeon said I had inflammation in my sinuses that had pinched closed my tear ducts. My surgery went really well. 4 months after surgery my eyes began to water again but he took out the tubes and the watering stopped. Been perfect ever since.
I don’t remember having any eye infections. I did have an ulcer in my eye before surgery. Antibiotics cleared that up.
It has been a year since my surgery. My eye look like there is a flap due to skin being pulled to tight. Has anyone had this problem? I feel like my eye looks deformed. What can I do? Doctor blows me off.
Kathy- are you referring to your eye lid it self? if so, i had the same thing happen to me. My DCR doctor is also a facial plastic surgeon so i had the extra skin taken off by her. If you are referring to something other than your eye lid, i recommend you see a plastic surgeon or ocoularplastic surgeon, to fix the problem.
Hi..I had a sten put in few days ago and my eyes are still watery! 🢠is this normal? And slight discomfort on moving my eye balls around..I can feel the sten..do the watery eyes eventually stop? Or would I need another op?? Pls help
Hi, Shafeena….I had the DCR surgery a week ago, and have the stent in left eye. I’ve been reading a lot of the comments, and the general consensus seems to be that there will be tearing until the stent is removed. I’m finding that very irritating, but guess have to focus on the end result when it’s out. A friend noticed when I blink, the eye with stent barely moves. Anyone else have this?
Hi, my mum (83) went for stent removal 4 March 2016, stent has been in 4 months. They were unable to remove stent, so she now has to return tomorrow, to a different hospital, for them to have a second attempt at removal. Anyone any idea what they’ll do? She’s terrified!
Jackie. That is very odd. I haven’t heard of such a case yet. Why were they not able to remove it? Did tissue grow over it or something? I imagine they will try another method to remove it, maybe not through the npse this time. I’m interested to know how it goes, hope everything works out!
Not exactly sure why it couldn’t be removed. Mum very deaf so doesn’t hear all she’s being told! Will let you know tomorrow’s outcome. Thank you for your concern.
Sarah, the part of the stent that can be seen in the corner of the eye was successfully removed on the first visit (4 March) , but they said they couldn’t remove the part in the nose. This was what she had to go back for. So after a second investigation they are saying that there’s nothing there and have suggested it must have fallen out! She now has to go back again on Monday 14 March, so they can have yet another look to be certain there’s nothing there. Not sure yet whether the procedure has been a success as she’s so sore from all the investigations!!
I had my eye stent removed 3 days ago and I wasn’t expecting the worse pain ever. If I would’ve known it was going to be so painful I wouldn’t have done it. Now I realize I can still see the stent in my eye .. What went wrong?
Hi I had dcr surgery in early feb 2016 I noticed people have had very different experiences so thought I’d leave mine 🙂
I had a lump develop under my right eye it was misdiagnosed by my doctor for over 18 months eventually I had enough and asked them to send me to the eye specialist hospital ( here you need a letter from your Dr to get an appointment at the specialist hospital) I went to the specialist hospital and it was diagnosed as a blocked tear duct after about 5 minutes with the head Dr in November 2015. I had the surgery in early Feb it went perfectly there was no stitches or anything it was all done through my nose and after the surgery there wasn’t a scratch on me. ( I had a bad reaction to the anesthetic and was kept in hospital for 3 days although the nurse said most people leave after about 8 hours).
I haven’t had any pain with it although it can be uncomfortable particularly the first week or so. My eye only waters a lot when I’m outside and its really cold or really windy , i have felt the tube move once or twice but Dr said that can happen but other than feeling extremely weird it hasn’t been an issue oh also the tube squeaks sometimes but that might be just me lol.
I am due to have it removed in early May but have been warned it may be left in a further 3 – 6 months if necessary
but reading some of the other peoples experiences of the removal now has me terrified I was told by the surgeon they just cut the tube and blow my nose and it’s done if that isn’t correct if someone could let me know I’d appreciate it ❤
Of course everyone’s experience may differ. I had the surgery twice and both times they simply cut the tube and pulled it through my nose. It was very simple and painless. No worries.
Thank you so much for replying feel loads better about it now .
I really appreciate it 🙂
I recently had a DCR on my right eye. During my surgery my doctor went into cardiac arrest. The medical staff had to wake me up to wait for another surgeon to become available because my surgery was not complete. I had stitches when they woke me up. I was put under the second time and woke up with tape instead of stitches. Can someone tell me why?
that’s good, thanks for sharing,.. I think this is great blog
After reading some of these posts, I really believe the time I spent looking for a 5-star doctor paid off, thank God! I had my non-invasive tear duct stents put in both eyes. I was completely knocked out. They gave me a “cocktail” for side effects I usually have after surgery, nausea & hyperventilating. I had neither. I don’t have anything in my nose. I had a week of being uncomfortable after the surgery (a little pressure down the sides of my nose), itchy, watery eyes. It has been 9 days and they water all day because I work in a large air-conditioned room. I will have them in for six months, but my doctor said about 80% have positive outcomes. I had barely a bruise under one eye. No one could tell I had the procedure done. The stents are pretty much invisible. Best wishes to all who have this done!
I I was so hoping to read a post that I could relate to. God forbid, not that I was hoping someone else had this rare condition. I have been searching for almost 3 years and never found anything relating. It started approximately 7 yrs ago when I felt a soft lump under my right eye. My eye was tearing quite a bit. I would press a little on the small lump and it would hurt a little and seemed to go away for a while after that. When I went for my yearly eye exam I mentioned it to my Ophthalmologist. I told him that when I press on the lump, it hurt. Instead of examining it and do some kind of a test, he would say, “well, don’t press on it.” Didn’t say anything about it the following year and just went for my eye exam for glasses. In the year 2012, I started to have shooing pains in my right eye. on the side of my cheek and on the side of my temple. I went to my primary doctor who said it sounded like neuralgia. I wasn’t satisfied because of the sharp shooting pain I would experience. I went to my ENT Dr. and he examined my ears, nose and eye. He told me that I had nasal polyps. He said that they should be removed. I was 76 yrs. old at that time and I was too scared to go through any surgery. The following year I went back because I still had the shooting pains. He told me he didn’t like the way the polyps looked and that they had changed color. He took a biopsy right then in his office. He called me day or two later and said that they were cancerous and that I had adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal duct. a very rare cancer that only a handful of people have had this. There was cancer of the lacrimal gland, but the duct was very rare. August, 2014, I had surgery for the removal of the cancerous nasal polyps and an artificial tear duct was inserted, (stent). I had to have 6 weeks of 33 treatments of radiation. I was beyond scared. I just prayed and prayed during my therapy. Since, then I have problems with drainage from my right side of nose and average of one to two months because of nasal crust have had uncontrollable nosebleeds which brings me to the er to have it stopped and packed for 2 days and then packing removed. My stent has been in my nose for almost 3 yrs. Every time I brought it up to my ENT, he didn’t seem concerned about it. It has hung out of my nose at times and I didn’t know what it was and when I pulled it, it sprung back in my nose. Now it disappeared somehow. I know this is very lengthy and I am anxious to know if anyone has ever heard of this. Thanks for reading.
Maria, I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of this. I have not heard of this issue before, but I’m sure you aren’t alone and I hope someone who can relate to you gives a reply. It has been almost a month with my stents in. My follow up visit was great! The doctor said I will get the stents out in January. The only downfall is that the tearing will continue until then, but if I hadn’t had the surgery I would have had tearing 24-7 anyway. I will keep checking in to give updates. This isn’t a bad surgery at all. I’m glad I had it done.
Not sure if anyone still reads this post or not, but I like to keep my word and will continue with update. I had the non-invasive surgery for blocked tear ducts. I had a small growth of tissue polygranular hemotoma (?), near my stent in my right eye. I went back to my doctor and he gave me prednisone drops. I am doing well and the tissue is shrinking. I am still tearing up, but I will until January when I have them removed. I did notice just last night that when I put the drops in my eye, I had a salty taste in the back of my throat so I do believe it is a good sign because I think that means my tear duct is open. Anyway, I will check back in soon.
I’m here reading! So happy to hear that it sounds like this has been successful for you. I had my surgery June 13th & my eye is still tearing, but less. I use drops but do not taste anything so not sure. I went back a day or two after surgery telling the doc my eye still teared & he wanted to do another irrigation. I would have nothing to do with that as I was so sore & everything was so tender! When he pulled that tube out my eye, it hurt! It was quick but it hurt & it was tender for at least 2 weeks. I’m not so sure I want to have the other eye done anymore (yes, both my tear ducts were blocked) but the left eye has never been as bad as the right eye was so maybe it will be more successful? I don’t know….Anyone else not have it work? Or just partially?
As for you Donna, I’m so happy that you’re finding success in this! I only hope that I get as lucky someday. I’m thinking about going to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for the other eye but I’d have to pay everything out of pocket if I go there & we just don’t have the money right now.
Sterling Rose, please don’t give up. I had both eyes done at the same time. I don’t understand why the doctor didn’t explain to you that you will have tearing for however long the stents are in. I have tearing everyday, all day, no tenderness. I work at a hotel at the front desk and I always look like I am crying. Why would he take it out just because you had tearing? I am getting mine out (both tear ducts were blocked also) in January and my doctor said it works 90% of the time.
He told me the stents only stay in for 6 weeks & he took mine out at 7 weeks & since my eye is still tearing, but not as bad as it did before. I notice the difference because my left eye still tears like crazy so it is nice to get a bit of a reprieve from the eye he operated on. How long were yours supposed to be in? Maybe he did take it out too soon? Wow, you were brave to have both done at the same time Donna. I didn’t know what to expect so I was too nervous to do that! Thank you for responding. I feel I’m all alone out here! Haha!
He is keeping my in for six months. I look at it as getting pierced ears, the starter earrings have to stay in a long time so the ears don’t grow shut again. My eyes tear constantly. I am going to celebrate when my stents are removed 🙂 I went out and bought a pair of non-prescription glasses so the cool air doesn’t hit my eyes directly when I am walking. It helps some. I am very glad I got the surgery. After reading about so many horror stories, I thought it was going to be the worst thing ever. I was so scared I canceled the first surgery date. This surgery was not a big deal at all. He said getting them removed is very simple too. I don’t even know the stents are in, it’s just the tearing.
Yes Donna stay positive! After all the horror stories I read I cancled my first surgery appointment as well lol. But hey everything happens for a reason & in the appropriate timing. I ended up finding a more qualified surgeon that was patient, kind, and willing to do the non invasive, through my nose method which left no scaring. 6 months since stent was removed, I will admit occasional tearing every now and then but 15x better than before. I can actually hold eye contact with people without “crying” and go out and feel confident. Hope everything turns out well for you as well! 🙂
Oh my goodness, Sarah, thank you for sharing your positive outcome. How long did you keep your stent in? I can’t wait until January 23rd.
My surgery was Sep 23 and I had my stent removed the third week of January!
I had dcr surgery Friday. Any tips other than the saline spray for this stuffy nose??? And my lord my eyes are itching!!!!!! Right eye dcr and left regular tubing… Thank you!!!
Crystal, my eyes were itchy the first few weeks, but that stopped. The tearing though did not. I just had to have one of my eye stents removed at my six week mark as it was causing me grief. The other eye is fine. I wanted to keep them in for six months so praying my tear duct will work. I use cotton balls and distilled water on my eyes every evening and every night and am very careful not to rub them as they will get irritated. I didn’t have any stuffy nose issues as my procedure was non-invasive.
Did you get tubes or stents???
I got stents put in.
How’s your eyes now??? I’m starting to get used to the stent a lil better. I just has my stitches out thurs. I could finally use my contacts again I was sooooo happy. It stikl itches but the tearing is so much better so far. I go back to work tomorrow wish me luck!!!
I had DCR 6 weeks ago, I have had left stent removed but they can’t find right side so waiting to go back in and have it taken out under anaesthetic đźź
My son had a glass tube stent installed in place of the tear duct of his right eye some 12 to 15 years ago, as a result of an injury in a road traffic accident. The stent has not caused him any problems over the years until now. He is trekking in Nepal up to Everest Base Camp 5,364 metres, which he will reach tomorrow, and the stent became blocked yesterday. He is with a doctor on the trek and they have done eye washes and the doctor has tried everything bar sticking a needle down the stent, which he does not want to do. It is also causing some eye irritation and he fears he may be wearing an eye patch when they walk into bass camp. Although he his keen to go up to 5,550 metres he is worried that the altitude will make the condition worse. As anyone got any suggestions how to clear the blockage or if the altitude will make the situation worse.
I had my DCR done by Dr CHris Thiagarajah in Denver. That guy is amazing. I was tearing for years and had failed DCRs until he did the surgery. He helped me!
Hello. I’m just curious did the watery eyes immediately stop once your tubes were removed. I had my tubes removed yesterday.theyre not tearing down my face anymore but they are a bit watery .
My eye wouldn’t stop tearing. After visiting an Ocular Surgeon (in Dallas) I am waiting to have the stent removed.
The procedure was more serious than I anticipated and I was slightly bruised and swollen, Lots of icing the first two days and warm thereafter. I see the stent but do not feel it. I do have a raised bump where the cut was made and hope it goes down eventually. My deviated septum caused some problems, but the Doc said it went well. I was out for over an hour! The stent is coming out on April 25th, ONE MONTH after surgery. I hope it’s not painful, but was told it was
“uncomfortable”, whatever that insinuates!!! Hoping my eye will not overtear anymore. I wear a soft lens in that
eye and have been told I do have “dry eye”, but nothing serious.
I had my surgery June of last year (2016) & it was a failure. Finally last week I had nerve enough to try to go to the Kellogg Eye Center at the University of MI hospital & the doctor went over my prior surgical records & said that my first doctor/surgeon did every thing right. I’m devastated. So she said she would perform the surgery again & if during the healing process she sees my eye is still tearing, she will “piggy back” another tube in there. I don’t even know if I want to ask questions about statement! Anyway, they did test my eye & did that horrible irrigation test on both my eyes (even tho my last doctor showed in the medical records that I had 100% blockage) & yes, both are 100% blocked so surgery is recommended. As luck would have it, I ended up tearing my left knee meniscus so now I have to schedule knee surgery & put off my eye surgery! I’m still not 100% sure I want to go thru this eye surgery again, I mean, what if it doesn’t work again???
I’m also confused as to how some people say the stent was pulled out of their eye (like mine was originally & that did NOT feel good at all) & some say they had it come out their nose? I want it to come out my nose instead! That pulling it thru the eye is ridiculous! Needless to say, I’m not returning to my original doctor. If this new doctor can’t help me, I guess I have to live with this horrible tearing forever. Wish I could try Melanie Susick’s Doctor Chris Thiagarajah in Denver but its too far & then the entire procedure would be out of pocket & we wouldn’t have the financial means for that. If anyone has had this surgery done in the Metro Detroit area, & it was successful, please, please share who your doctor was? Thanks so much!
I had a stent put in 2 weeks ago. After several complications I had to have it removed. I believe that the stent was a total failure. The tearing in my eye is worse then ever. My dr doesn’t believe that this was a failure. This was very disappointing now I suffer with this.
Hi Deb,
So sorry to hear your experience & I can’t understand if you had complications & your tearing is worse than ever, how could the doctor say it wasn’t a failure? Do they talk themselves into it being a success even if it wasn’t? II had my appt at the Kellogg Eye Clinic at U of Michigan hospital but while it turned out I didn’t need surgery on my knee (so would have been able to have eye surgery), I chickened out. The surgery is NOT pleasant in the least & if it already failed once, I’m afraid to try it again. Especially since the new doctor said my former doctor had done everything right. This just might be my cross to bear. Unfortunately, my eyes get infected a lot & the corner of my eye feels like I inserted a pea sized pebble, it gets so hard & painful when I wipe (which is constant) my eyes.
Whereabouts are you Deb? Where did you have the surgery? Hospital? Eye Clinic? So sorry it didn’t work. Misery doesn’t like company in this instance. I’d like to hear of people’s success stories. Seems like the U.K. doctors know what they’re doing!
hi, i had my DCR 3 weeks ago 12th July. today just find the stent coming out of the corner of my eye, it is quite loose and hanging out of my eye, not broken yet.
the appointment to remove the stent is 01 SEP, six weeks later after the surgery.
called the doctor and he is on holiday, won’t come back until next MON.
not sure what to do?
it is uncomfortable.
I had scheduled a DCR in Chicago at Northwestern Hospital for April of 2020 after I had suffered a series of eye infections and was informed by two different eye specialists that these would just keep happening because of blockage and narrowing. However, the planned surgery never happened as everything began shutting down in March. In the past, if I had an eye infection, I used Gentamicin or Tobryamicin suspension and it cleared up, so I thought I was doing fine without the surgery. I came to the UK last September to be with family who live in Oxford, as many months had gone by without seeing them, and was okay with my eye until May when I got the worst eye infection ever. I went to the ER at the Eye Hospital in Oxford run by the NHS to learn I had an abscess in the tear duct. And somehow, I was rushed through the UK health system for a DCR. I was leery of the NHS having no experience with it, but I must say I got the most fantastic care from top notch eye surgeon, anesthetists, nurses with my own private day room in a new facility. And no bill!
I had the stent and tube removed today, six weeks after the surgery.I was nervous about having that tiny pair of scissors go so close to my eye, but snap, it was over and done. I was then told to blow my nose, but the tube was stubborn, so the eye surgeon used a teeny forceps to pull it out of my nose. None of this hurt.
I was allergic to the steroid Dexamethasone drops normally used after surgery which caused intense burning, so I discontinued use after several applications. I too had itching with the stent in place, but must say, everything has gone well. My DCR was performed through the nose.