Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Parents often come with newborn babies complaining that the child has ''watery eye". Immediately after birth the reason for that can be infection in the birth tract and requires treatment with topical antibiotics. However, much more often the reason is obstructed duct which is located between the eye and the nose (nasolacrimal duct), the obstruction causes accumulation of excess tears in lacrimal sac located at the beginning of the duct and return of the excess tears to the eye.

If there are no signs of inflammation of the anterior eye segment the parents are instructed how to perform massage of the area covering the duct so the pressure can help opening of the obstruction.With such a procedureIn 90% of children, a duct spontaneously opens during the first year of life. . In a small number of children a duct does not open during the first year and in such cases probing of the duct under general anestezia is mandatory.. The procedure takes about ten minutes and it is carried out with very thin probes adjusted to the age of the child. After such a surgery, massage and hygiene are still needed.

In rare cases in which the duct after probing does not open, the procedure can be repeated with the installation of silicone tube that stays in the eye for six months in order to prevent spontaneous closure again.