Tear duct surgery

If a tear duct (tear drain) is blocked, tears will spill over your eyelids and onto your cheeks rather than spreading across the eye as intended. This can cause problems, including infection or watery eyes. Tear duct surgery (dachryocystorhinostomy, or DCR) helps to create a new pathway for tears to drain.

Tear duct surgeries

At Aurora, our ophthalmologists perform 2 types of tear duct surgeries:

• Endonasal DCR: A narrow tube (endoscope) is inserted through the nostrils to the tear ducts. The endoscope has a tiny camera on the end, so your doctor can see inside your body. Usually an incision is unnecessary, so you’ll have no scarring and will recover quickly.
• External DCR: An ophthalmologist creates a small incision on your nose to access your tear ducts.

Both procedures are usually performed on an outpatient basis and can be done using local anesthesia and sedation, so you won’t have to undergo general anesthesia.

Why Aurora?

At Aurora Health Care, we strive to make things easy for you.

• Our ophthalmologists are on call 24/7, so if you have an eye emergency, we’re there to help.
• We offer hundreds of specialists under one roof. If your doctor notices another health issue during your exam, like symptoms of diabetes, he or she can get you an appointment with another Aurora specialist right away.
• Our clinics, hospitals and surgery centers provide care for a whole spectrum of eye issues.
• Aurora Vision Centers provide comprehensive optometry and ophthalmology services for your entire family at locations near you.