Babys First Year Blog
My Baby Had to Have Surgery for a Blocked Tear Duct
Her right eye is (was) the offender.
It started after about two weeks. Her right eye was constantly weepy, sometimes crusty. Well-meaning old ladies in the grocery store would tilt their heads and cluck, “Oh, she has a cold in her eye?”. The doctor confirmed it was a blocked tear duct and that it would most likely clear up on its own. Google said it would most likely clear up on its own.
“Gently massage it two to three times a day, that will help open it up,” said the doctor.
Oh, the nasal bridge massages I gave my first baby. Oh, the warm, wet washcloths I used to clean her goopy eye several times a day. Oh, how many times I had to explain “No, she’s not contagious.”
Her eye never did clear up which meant at 11 months my baby was anesthetized to fix her blocked tear duct.
I watched Vivi very closely to see if she developed the same blocked duct as her sister and thankfully she never did. I had pushed it all far from my mind until I went back through some pictures of Addie from her first year. There that eye was…red, crusty, weepy and swollen in every photo. Plenty of people admitted to their babies having the same trouble, but to this day I have not met anyone whose child had to have surgery to correct their blocked tear duct. (Maybe I have, it’s just not really a good thing to lead a conversation with to a new mom…”SO, HAS YOUR BABY EVER HAD SURGERY?”)
Her eye never did get infected during the first year, I was very diligent about cleaning it properly. It was just another part to baby care for me. However I will never forget surgery day. She had to go without food for 12 hours. Her surgery was pushed back by four hours. She was a champ. I? I was a wreck. I cleared that hospital cafeteria of donuts. When it came time to hand her off to the anesthesiologist she looked so small. She looked at him, smiled and fell back asleep as he took her behind the dreaded double doors.
Dude, parents of children with very serious medical issues? I APPLAUD THE HELL OUT OF YOU. You’re strong people.
She did fine in surgery, however I have never seen a child more enraged than Addie was upon waking up from anesthesia. (Five years later when I had my first anesthetized surgery? I get why she was so pissed off. Nasty stuff.) She ate enough food in the hospital to make up for her fast, crashed out cold for the night and had pink tinged tears for about a day.
We never had trouble with that eye again.
It is rumored (on Google) that an eye that suffers from a blocked duct early in life will be more prone to infection later in life. She’s had pinkeye twice in almost seven years, both times in her right eye. Coincidence? Maybe. But she’s also right-handed which I think deserves just as much blame. (While we’re at it, let’s blame the parents who knowingly send their kids out in public with pinkeye in the first place. Good? Okay.)
Do you have any experiences with a blocked tear duct? I’m really good at photoshopping crusty eyes off of babies. Be sure to add that to my resume…
Read more about newborn eye problems at Babble’s Baby Health and Development Guide!
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14 Comments
joanna commented on Sep 30 11 at 11:44 amMy sister and I both had to have this procedure when we were babies. Thankfully my son didn’t inherit the family trait!
May commented on Sep 30 11 at 1:29 pmMy son had a blocked tear duct but thankfully, we were able to get it to open by massaging the area. Of course, he also had some serious baby acne and cradle cap throughout most of this so the goopy eye wasn’t the worst of it (he’s outgrown it all thankfully). I would have been a mess if he had required surgery! He had to have antibiotics when he was born and just seeing that little IV port in his little hand was awful… and the tears when they gave him the medicine! I practically cried every time. I have such admiration for all the families that have to deal with sick babies.
Bre commented on Sep 30 11 at 3:12 pmMy son is 5 months and has a clogged tear duct. It has been infected twice (thanks, daycare) so we are counting down until 6 months when we can discuss the surgery. Or at least that’s what I thought until I read this! I almost cried at the thought of him having to fast! I just want him to be his healthy handsome self and not worry about a constant goopy eye…
Jeniffer Smith commented on Sep 30 11 at 4:16 pmMy little sister had to have the same surgery. She’s 18 now, and I don’t think she’s had more infections than average. As far as they eye is concerned, anyway. I still remember my mom being a wreck afterwards…of course, she had to hold her down. I don’t think anyone else in my family has had the same problem though.
Suzie commented on Sep 30 11 at 4:34 pmThat is quite possibly the sweetest photo ever!. I have an 8mth old baby.. he just got over a clogged tear duct!
karin commented on Sep 30 11 at 4:35 pmMy middle child has the surgery on both eyes and my son on the left eye. It was so very frustrating at the time and I felt like no one ever had this happen
Christine commented on Sep 30 11 at 6:17 pmMy 5 1/2 month old has one in his left eye. I squirt breast milk in his eye a few times a week to keep the redness & irritation at bay. My Ped told me something like, 90% of plugged tear ducts clear up on their own eventually — her daughter’s cleared at 16 months. I’m of the camp to wait it out rather than opt for surgery – I like you, do not have the nerves for all that surgery entails.
Michelle commented on Sep 30 11 at 7:24 pmIt is rumored (on Google) – best line I have ever read on the interwebs. Now? I shall steal it!
Keri commented on Sep 30 11 at 8:36 pmI just found out today that my 2 year old is going to have to have surgery for clogged tear ducts in both eyes. I cried as soon as I got in the car. I said to my husband “here I am sulking and fretting over a clogged tear duct what in the world do these parents do when they get terrible news such as cancer for there child”. I am really worried about the fasting because my baby girl eats and drink non stop. Does anybody have any advice? BTW I really loved her doctor and feel very comfortable with her. The odd thing is her left I pours and looks wet all the time and her right eye doesn’t. I was told today that her right eye is bad and her left wasn’t at all.
Kim commented on Oct 01 11 at 9:05 amMy friends’ baby had to have this same tear duct surgery. My baby had to have stomach surgery at 5 weeks. He had pyloric stenosis and I totally agree that dropping him off on the table with the anesthesiologist was the hardest.
Taz commented on Oct 03 11 at 4:00 pmmy friends’ daughter had this surgery when she was very young. it was awhile ago, but i think she was maybe 6 months. from the time she was born she had one runny red eye and they soon realized she would need surgery to correct it. she never had any problems afterward, not even a tendency toward pinkeye.
April commented on Oct 04 11 at 10:35 pmMy daughter had her tear ducts probed at 12 months. Most terrifying moment of parenting (so far) was handing her to the nurse and walking away to the waiting room.
Kira commented on Oct 05 11 at 6:17 am2 of my kids had blocked tear ducts as babies. One cleared up at around 4 months, but my youngest son had his until right before his first birthday. The doctor had actually discussed scheduling surgery with me, and that week it cleared up on it’s own! He did have one or two infections, and we spent many many mornings with a warm washcloth on his face just so he could open his eyes. I’d never change those baby pictures though – it passed by so quickly, I cherish even the goopy red eye pictures!
Laura commented on Jan 04 12 at 10:16 pmI had that surgery at 9 months. I’ve never had pink eye though.
Definately panicked when my baby was born and had the same crusty eye – luckily she was part of that majority and it cleared up on its own by the time she was 2 months old. But a week after she was born and we went to a studio for newborn pics? You can bet I had an entire bag of cotton balls to soak in warm water and attempt to keep her eye gunk free
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