Is There Surgery for Dry Eyes?

Dry eyes affect approximately 12 million Americans and can decrease vision. Most forms of dry eye are treated only by artificial lubricants, but some types of dry eye may benefit from surgery.

Punctum Closure

• Punctums are small openings at the base of the lacrimal ducts on the lower eyelids; punctums allow excess moisture to escape from the eyes. If lacrimal ducts aren't producing enough tears, tissue at the base of the punctum is cauterized using heat or a laser, permanently sealing the opening and preventing tears from escaping.

Ectropion Repair

• Malpositioned lower eyelid conditions such as ectropion, where the lower lid turns outward and doesn't touch the eye, can cause dry eye. Ectropion can be surgically corrected by repositioning the eyelid closer to the eye.

Tarsorrhaphy

• Tarsorrhaphy is a surgical procedure in which the upper and lower eyelids are partially sutured together to correct conditions where eyelids don't completely close. This reduces tear evaporation from the surface of the eye.

Gold Weight Placement

• When upper eyelids won't completely close--a condition known as lagophthalmos, which can occur after a stroke or as a result of Bell's Palsy--a gold weight may be implanted in the upper lid.

Blepharoplasty

• Drooping lids, a condition known as dermatochalasis, sometimes cause chronic dry eye. Symptoms of dermatochalasis may be helped by blepharoplasty, a procedure where excess skin is removed from the eyelids.