Anyone with a blocked tear duct

Jack was born with a blocked tearduct. I remember the ped saying that usually they clear up on their own but if it was not cleared by 1 yr then they would have to "open it up". The thing is, Jack is 11 months and 3 weeks and it is still blocked. It seems like ages since we have been to the ped (last for their 9 months I believe) and I forget what "opening it up" means. We go in on the 6th for their year appt. and I would like to be prepared to discuss this issue.

Has anyone had to deal with this?

 

Annalise had two blocked tear ducts. One opened around 3 months and the other at 7 months. Unblocking them requires a Ped Ophthalmologist consult and maybe outpatient surgery. It's nothing serious but you should get it evaluated at a year. I hope it opens on it's own soon.

 

My DD had one, and when we went for her year visit, it was gunky and the pedi said it was time to see the opthamologist. I made an appointment with the one they saw while in the NICU and right after for their ROP checks, and had to wait about 2.5 months to get in. Well she never once had a gunky eye that entire time, so I canceled about 2 days before the appointment. She's not had a problem since (except for pink eye once).

There is some type of scope they do to unblock it.

 

Meara's is still blocked. Her surgery is scheduled for june 20th. Its a fairly simple procedure that takes about 2 minutes until twilight sleep by pediatric opthamology surgeon.

 

B had one and we had the surgery to fix it a couple days before his first birthday. We saw a general opthamologist and he did a fine job. (we had hoped to use a ped dr, but the closest one was 2 hrs away.) He ran a thin tube through the duct into the nose while B was under GA. I was nervous about him being under of course, but he did great. It was surprisingly easy and quick. We haven't had any issues since!

 

My first child, DS had one, but it cleared up by a year. We did take them to a ped opthamologist. one of the twins had one too, but it didn't clear up. She had the surgery. It's very minor and is an out-patient procedure. Recovery was nothing. Just had to put drops in her eyes. I would take your child in and have them take a look.

ETA- there is a small window for them to correct block tear ducts, so don't wait to long to get in.

 

My Jack has also struggled with blocked tear ducts, since birth. We met with an ophthalmologist when he was about 10.5 months old and at that time, they made an appointment to go in and "open up" the duct. Apparently the duct is a long-ish structure (a couple of inches long) and it is supposed to drain-- into the sinuses, I believe, but don't quote me on that part. Anyway, the blockage is actually somewhere along the duct, not right at the opening. So, the place a very fine, thin wire into the opening of the duct and gently push it through until they reach the end of the duct. This will clear the blockage and allow normal drainage. Our doc said they have NO pain and no recovery period at all. The worst part is just that they have to be anesthetized for the procedure, but even then it only lasts like 15 minutes.

If the first attempt doesn't work (something like 80%+ work the first time around), then they will go in again and place a stint in the duct to keep it open so that it heals free of any blockage. I don't remember how/when the stint is removed (or if it is at all!) because I was trying to think positively that we wouldn't need to deal with that.

I still don't like the idea of having it done, but it sounds like it's a pretty easy procedure. Keep us updated on what your pedi recommends!

 

Bot h my DD had this done. DD had it done way after she was 1 I think she was close to almost 3 years old because it would come and go so they left a thin stint in her duct for 3-4 months and then removed it, they dont put them back out to remove it which scared her and she still has a hard time to this day going to the eye dr. DD2 had it done at 16 months and they only proped the duct and removed the blocage ane it is just in and out.

 

My older DD had one from birth that never opened after a year. So she had the surgery. The hardest part was handing her over to the nurse to take her to surgery. Her recovery was easy and it really made her healthier to clean everything out. She didnt have a cold for almost a year after that.

 

Yup, Jayden had to have surgery to correct it. He's almost 4 and he still has some drainage from that eye but it hasnt turned gunky since he had the surgery.

Good luck .. its an easy procedure !