Tubes in eye ducts?

Question

I have severe dry eyes. My doctor put temporary tubes in my eyes, and as long as I put teardrops in all day they are a bit better. Should I let him put permanent ones in? Does it hurt? Does it work? What about doing this while on chemo? Is it a big deal? Is it surgery?

My eyes are better a bit. But now how do I know if it was because of the plugs or the fake tears I have been installing 6 times a day? My eyes are hurting less like burning acid right now. Could it be the chemo?

If my tear ducts get permanent plugs in the will I be able to cry? Could they be taken out later? I don't get how having blocked tearducts is not going to be a problem, but my eyes have been in agony for so many years, like acid in them, that I am considering this.

Answer 1

Your doctor did not put "tubes" in your tear ducts. He put PLUGS in your tear ducts. A tube is something that allows fluid to freely flow. A plug actually stops the flow of tears from the tear lake in the eye through the tear ductwork into the back of the throat, thereby retaining more of your natural tears in your tear lake in order to provide more natural lubrication. The temporary plugs are designed to dissove in 5 to 6 days. This allows you to assess during the trial period as to whether or not plugging your tear ducts will help decrease your dry eye symptoms. If the temporary plugs do not help at all then it really doesn't make sense to put the permanent plugs in. BUT, if you notice any improvement in your dry eye symptoms with the temporary plugs then I think it would be a good idea to let your doctor put the permanent plugs in.

Does it hurt? No. Does it work? It does for some and not for others. That's why the doctor put the temporary plugs in -- to see if they help you. Chemo? No problem using them with chemo. Big deal? No. Not really. Pretty straitforward procedure. Is it surgery? Yes. It is filed under insurance with a surgical code BUT it does not involve cutting of tissue so even though it is technically surgery, it's probably not surgery in the way most people think of surgery. It just involves placing a plug in a hole. That's about it. Hope this helped.

I am responding to your most recent questions. 1) When I insert temporary plugs I tell all my patients to do nothing different than before the plugs. If they are using drops before the plugs they need to continue the same frequency of drops. If they are not using drops then they should not begin. That way there will be no question as to whether improvement is due to the plugs or some change they have made in other forms of dry eye treatment. I would immediately go back to doing things exactly as you did before the temp plugs were inserted in order to assess whether they have helped. But, if it has been more than 5 or 6 days now the plugs have already dissolved. 2) Will you be able to cry? Yes. Even though tears do exit through the lacrimal ducts that are being plugged, TEARING occurs when excessive tear production occurs and then they just simply flow out onto your face bypassing the lacrimal duct system. 3) Can they be taken out later? Yes. Depending upon what type plug the doctor uses, they can be removed by forceps or irrigated out.

Answer 2

Tear Duct Tubes

Answer 3

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RE:
Tubes in eye ducts?
I have severe dry eyes. My doctor put temporary tubes in my eyes, and as long as I put teardrops in all day they are a bit better. Should I let him put permanent ones in? Does it hurt? Does it work? What about doing this while on chemo? Is it a big deal? Is it surgery?

Answer 4

Interestingly, my ophthalmologist told me he would put silicon tubes in my ducts with the assistance of an ENT. Apparently I have a blocked duct that normally drains the eye into the nasal cavity and the fix is to implant tubes, leave them for several months to allow scar tissue to form and keep a scarred and closed valve open, and then the tubes will be removed.

I suspect that the procedure the optometric physician is talking about that uses plugs may be different from the one you are referring to that actually DOES use tubes.

Answer 5

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You have lacrimal ducts that are in the upper lid that goes from the tear glands to the eye, and tear ducts that drain tears from the eye through the lower lids and into the nose. The tear duct and drainage tube would be the same thing.

Answer 6

My doctor put silicon tubes in my nose 5 years ago and it has helped me, Now I have trouble again, are the tubes still there?
What can I do now, my new doctor quarterized my lower eye ducts. I don't think it is helping,

Help me please

Answer 7

when I blow my nose, the air comes out of the tear duct of my right eye, this is the second time that happen. Do I have to worry about that?