Cautery...another plug just fell out.. help

[jenny2008]

ok. i came back from my doctor who had to manually express my glands-i do this once a month. and i noticed on the way home ( it takes 2 hours to get there) that my left eye was super dry ..when i got home i saw the lower plug floating on my eye..it fell out.. (

My doc is retiring and i saw a new doc today.. he was all for cautery considering my plugs fall out every 4-5 months and i have severe sjogrens with MGD..

Do most people who get cautery get it done at the opthamologist office and not have to go under anesthesia??? please help!!!

[Guest]

My doc did it in a hospital... but the only reason for that is that he likes having the option to sedate you if needed!

I was fine with no sedation though... it's really not that bad getting it done... getting the needles with the local anesthetic was honestly the worst part... kind of like at the dentist for a filling... the needle sucks, but once that part is over with, you're pretty numb so don't feel too much!

[regina]

cautery

I agree the needle to numb it is the worse...so I also had it done without any numbing...it takes a second...stings a bit...but not that bad and certainly not as bad as the needle. It does make a singing sound that is kinda weird...and you I jumped at the noise..not the pain!

[indrep]

Jenny make sure they numb down into the canaliculus not just topically.

[manitobaskyline]

I have had retina tears and thus had to have a needle in my eye before the laser surgery. I couldn't believe how much the needle didn't hurt! Just a pinch in your eye for a split second. I'm not sure if they have different areas they put the needle in. They put the needle in the side white part of my eye.

[jenny2008]

hey there.
well i got a plug put in by my local optometrist..i cannot believe how freaking dry my eye is without the lower plug--and how red!!! yikes... maybe it was really red due to the plug that fell out --it was probably rubbing on my eye while it fell out..

anyway, i spoke with my new doc..since Dr. Foulks is retiring--i have an appointment set on 9.22.10.. he was very nice and said he will first have to look at my eye and make sure everything is ok with the surface, etc before we do the cautery.. so i am hoping in 3 weeks he will pull the plug out and cauterize me... both my doctors said what i go through with them manually expressing the glands, etc that the cautery will not be a big deal for me... i have also had probing done 3 x.. i think i can deal with the pain.. just so tired of plugs falling out and the pain that goes with it when your eye gets so so dry..

no one understands except my fellow dry eye sufferers... thanks in advance so much for caring and responding to me.. i was in a bad place last night-so down..so upset.. the responses on here really soothed me and made me feel better... just like my own little therapy session..thanks guys and gals!!!

[spmcc]

RE: cautery

Last week I had cautery done for the third time. I agree that it's the injection of local anesthetic that hurts the most. After that, I didn't know that my ophthalmologist had performed the cautery (and I had my eyes open, watching him, the whole time!!).

I have a friend with Sjogren's who is in remission right now (soooo happy for her!!). She said that cautery isn't recommended for Sjogren's patients because of the possiblity of remission. I'm just throwing that out there...

I wish you the best. Don't worry about the procedure tho... it's really nothing.

[jenny2008]

i wishi could go into remission..i was diagnosed at age 21 (had the dry mouth a little bit) mine flared at age 32 and has gotten progressively worse since early 2007.. how long did your friend have symptoms before going into remission??? was it her eyes that totally went into remission??? how long has she been in remission???? thanks!!!

[dianat]

I've been cauterized for 8 yrs. It was done in the office and it wasn't pleasant, but doable. I'll admit that while I do have overflow on my worst days, on the days when my eyes feel at their best, I blot the least and don't have much of an issue with too much fluid.

I know that sounds odd. So perhaps if you go into remission you may not have severe overflow. When the general health of the eye improves, it seems reflex tearing is at a minimum.

[jenny2008]

I agree.. i think my doc is just going to do the lower left punctum at first anyway and keep my upper left plugged.. my right eye-the lower punctum actually grew shut on its own...!!

I agree with you Diana-on my "best" days -even being double plugged.i have to blot here and there but i also get moments in those days where if I stare too long at a computer or tv my eyes still burn like mad!! so , even if i were to go into a "remission"..me having both sjogrens and MGD i highly doubt my eyes will ever go to what they used to be ...normal that is.... i know people get dry from MGD alone--i got sjogrens on top of that...

thanks everybody.i just hope my new doc will perform the cautery...