As we like to say here at Chicagoland Oculoplastics Consultants, tearing is a plumbing problem-either too many tears are being produced, the tear drain is clogged or a combination of these two problems.
Your surgeon will evaluate you in the office to determine the source of your tearing. One the cause of the watering is identified, a tailored approach can be made either to address the overproduction of tears or the drainage issues.
Of the drainage issues, the most common is called a nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). This can cause an intermittently or constantly watery eye and/or mucus discharge causing a sticky eye.
An NDLO can be treated with a surgical procedure called a dacryocystorhinostomy. This procedure help to bypass the blockage and creates a new drainage route for tears to flow.
The procedure can be done either externally (with a small incision near the nose) or endoscopically (inside the nose with no cuts or incisions needed on the skin). Your surgeon will determine the best surgical approach for you.
The procedure is done as an outpatient procedure.
