About a surgery dealing with dry eyes

[zhousu]

I have heard of a transplant surgery dealing with dry eyes. It seems the surgery cut something from inside the mouth and move it to the eyes. Has anyone heard about it or taken the surgery?

[ringo]

I guess you are talking about the transplantation of salivary glands in the eye. It is practised in Europe as a last resort for helping dry eye severe cases.
It has been practised on pets with dry eye for many years as well.

However, I am not very informed regarding the procedure, especially the effects of saliva bathing the eye surface.

Does anyone know more about this procedure, and to me it seems there ar risks associated with saliva in contact with eye surface? Does anyone know more about this and think this operation might be a solution for some of us here?
Also I am not sure in Sjogren's patients with inflamed saliva as well, how would that help-- it mght make things worse.

[zhousu]

I think the compositions of salivia and tear are about the same. I visited some one who has done the surgery. He said the salivia was not very stable. Sometimes he got too much of it and sometimes not enough. And the surgery can do some damage to the appearance.