Punctoplasty
| Punctoplasty | |
|---|---|
| Intervention | |
| ICD-9-CM | 09.71-09.72 |
Punctoplasty is a surgical procedure to restore the proper drainage of tears when the Lacrimal punctum (puncta lacrimalia) gets blocked in one or both the eyes.
Tears are produced by the lacrimal gland, situated just outside the eyes. As we blink the eyelids spreads them over to keep the eyes moist, clean and lubricated. Excess tears are drained via the plug hole (punctum) through the tiny channels called canaliculi located on the inner side of the eyes into the tear sac, from there to the tear duct, the nose and finally down the throat.
Watering eyes is a situation when tears flow out of the eyes, primarily cased by excessive tear production (as a result of emotion, irritation or dryness) or if the drainage system is blocked.
The blockage is a common problem among elderly people as the tear ducts narrow or get blocked easily. The same condition is also prevalent in newborn babies, as their tear ducts don’t open up at time of birth.
Treatment
If a blockage is present in the puncti, doctors may suggest a procedure called punctoplasty performed to widen the drain opening. This usually takes 20–30 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia.