More on the Optometrist

Lily had her post-op appointment today. The doctor did confirm that the procedure was NOT successful. Ugh! The next step is to do another procedure that is a probe like the last with a balloon catheter. A balloon catheter is the same thing they do in the arteries when people have a heart attack. Basically, they will go into the eye, insert the balloon, blow it up to stretch the duct out and deflate the balloon and then they are done. If you want more information on what Lily is going through you can check out this site here. She goes in on the 29th. The procedure is about 5 minutes longer than the first procedure. They are also going to look a little closer at the tear duct to see if they can determine why her tear duct failed with the first procedure and why it clogs, they are also going to try to turn her tear duct to bend the opposite way, which seems weird but I trust the doctor, I know that HE knows what he is doing. The success rate for the balloon catheter is 85%, which is 10% less successful than the first and she failed with that one. I am hoping, praying that this procedure works for her because the next step is to have a silicone tube intubation. This is where they will put a tube down her tear duct and it stays in for about 6 months. It is also visible from the outside. The doctor told us about times where children have had the tube pulled out by uninformed day care providers and once even by another child. He said that if no one pulls the tube out then that procedure is 100% successful. So we will do what we need to do but like I said, I just hope this next procedure works. The silicone tube scares me. Well, if you can keep Lily and me in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!