Is cauterization the answer for me?

[Dot]

Hi all

I am wondering if there is anyone out there who has had cauterization done? My opthalmologist wants to do this next although I am tempted to request the 90 day ones again since they helped so much. I am now past the 90 days and feeling dryer again. I think they aren't all the way gone though and I am sure they take a little while to dissolve..? Anyone have an idea?
It is now 7 months since my Lasik op and I am a lot better than I was. Restasis is working for me aswell as flaxseed oil, lots of fluids, tranquileyes and exercise. My optomotrist says that the nerves are healed and it shouldn't get any better.. Anyone?
Dot

[dianat]

Dot,

I am cauterized in all four puntae. (I'm having a really hard time pluralizing punta...is there some rule that applies here, Rebecca?!)

Thus far I do not regret the cautery, though it has disallowed me to wear makeup and has caused me to blot very frequently throughout the day. It took some time but I eventually got a reasonable amount of comfort with them. My eye lids don't skip across my eye anymore.

Your situation is different than mine. I was a year away from my surgery and was so terribly dry I coudn't stand it anymore.

If you do opt for cautery, you might consider starting with the bottom two first just to see you progress. You can always go back to your doc and have the top two done.

Here's something I posted some time ago.

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=115

Best of luck in your decision.

Diana

[heather g]

Dot,
I have 2 plugs in the upper and 2 flow controller in the upper and am doing pretty well with that so far. I am almost a year and a half post lasik. I didn't really see progress with the dryness until after 9 months and then it was small. However I found with 4 permanent plugs I was really full of tears and kept going until I found a solution I can live with for now. It isn't perfect but it is the best I have been since lasik. Maybe try other options or give it more time until you decide? Especially if you are seeing progress. I have been told many times you can continue to see it up to 2 years. But I am by
Hope this helps!
Heather

[Dot]

decisions, decisions, decisions!

Thanks Heather and Diana for your replies. Sorry I am responding several days later. Life is busy! I see it's not quite so black and white... I really got a lot of relief from the 90 day plugs... I wish I could get ones just like those but be permanent... I need to have my surgeon be willing to try more options. He has seen all the bad case scenario's and is not willing to risk more. I guess I have to just keep researching and hope I can come up with something in between .
Thanks again.
Diana I really appreciate your prior thread about these options - that was VERY helpful!

[Rebecca Petris]

I am cauterized in all four puntae. (I'm having a really hard time pluralizing punta...is there some rule that applies here, Rebecca?!)

Heh. I think I probably spell it differently every time I write it. I've seen them referred to at least 2-3 different ways even on medical websites. But I think that the "correct" way is:

1 punctum
2, 3 or 4 puncta

Latin experts feel free to jump in here

Anybody know the plural of mongoose, while we're at it?

[GeorgeT]

Hi,

I am not a latin expert but I speak a language with latin roots.

I don't see anything wrong with plural of punctae although I am not sure...

George

[Hangus]

Mongeese is allowable but the accepted form is Mongooses. We are plagued by them in Hartlepool as well as monkeys.

[brd888]

Isn't it Mongi?

[Nicole2]

Hi Dot,

I went for the cautarisation of all my four ducts and I am very happy with it. Just like Dianne it took me while for my eyes to get used to the new environment it was created, the eyes balanced the amount of tears itself. I am much happier now that I got it done. I tried all kinds of plugs and this is the best option.

[joonmom]

didn't help me

If I was you, I would wait. I regret having mine done. I also remember it being a bit painful which I didn't expect.

[jas3256]

make sure first

After I had my lower ducts plugged at least twice and they kept going south my doctor suggested getting cauterized but I only wanted my right eye done since I had the most dryness in that eye and Retasis didn't help much.
It does'nt hurt when its done but afterwards it is no fun at all. I am going on my second week and it still kinda hurts. I would recommend it after all else fails because I do get some relief from it because when you use drops they don't evaporate as quickly.

[Dot]

I got em plugged with the "90 day" ones again...

Well I don't know if because of the fact that the old ones absorbed and the new ones went in in the beginning of fall but my dry eyes WORSENED! I got the scratchy painful symptoms back and it has been about 2-3 weeks since they were plugged and I still don't feel like they are as moist as they were the last time I had these plugs in... Is it the change in the season too?
Interestingly I was reading some posts and someone mentioned the use of benadryl and it helping. After reading this thread I remembered I was taking Benadryl at night because of my allergies (post nasal drip keeping me awake) and during that time my eyes were doing great(somewhere in the summer). Recently I decided I should quit the benadryl because of the new course of events...Now I am wondering if there is in fact a connection and I should start taking the diphenhadramine at night again??
Anyone?

[Dot]

Why?

Hi Joonmom,

Why do you regret it?

[uksnupy]

After I had my lower ducts plugged at least twice and they kept going south my doctor suggested getting cauterized but I only wanted my right eye done since I had the most dryness in that eye and Retasis didn't help much.
It does'nt hurt when its done but afterwards it is no fun at all.

Wow-and here I thought I had a high pain tolerance!

I had my lower lids cauterized 6 years ago, and I thought it hurt a lot. Last year, the left duct opened and now I think the the right has, as I'm having a lot of pain. I live in the UK now, but I'm going home to the US for Xmas and will be having them redone(too much of a hassle to see a specialist here plus I used to work for the ophthalmologist who will be doing it so it will be cheap or possibly free).

I don't regret having them done-except for a brief period of about a month of tearing in the left(possibly when the tear duct first reopened??), I had no problem. I still had to use tears but not nearly as often. I couldn't tolerate most plugs, except the ones that went in deep into the duct, and those seemed to disappear all the time. Lacriserts worked quite well for me, but they are so hard to get now and a bit inconvenient(blurred vision after awhile, "heavy", tired feeling after awhile, too). I never would have survived plane trips without them, though-I suggest anyone who can get hold of them do try them.

I've had dry eye for over 20 years now, but clinically, my cornea has always been fine and Schirmer normal. I was tested for Sjogren's, but that was negative. I have allergies and have to use Patanol every day(Cromolyn before that), so they think it is most likely secondary to the allergies

Hope that helps anyone considering cauterization, but do try Lacriserts if you can.

[Jody]

Punctual plugs

I've had many punctual plugs put in (like tiny grains of rice). They all eventually worked their way out. I had my plugs cauterized (it hurt but I have a really high pain tolerance after all I've been through. The nurse said she had actually had grown men faint when having them put in.) Actually, those became uncauterized within a couple of years. I then had then tied off (in the hospital) and one of them has come undone. I would say go for the cauterization. It is the least invasive. Before you go, take 5 tylenol, seriously, about 20 minutes before you have it done. No aspirin or anything, just tylenol, because of the blood.

Jody