LacriCATH®
Patient Information
Tears normally drain from the eye through small tubes called tear ducts that extend from the eye into the nose. As many as 20% of newborn babies have a blocked tear duct at birth, usually clearing up on its own during the first year of life. Adults can get a blocked tear duct as a result of an infection, inflammation, injury, or tumor.
A blocked tear duct occurs when the duct that normally allows tears to drain from the eyes is obstructed or fails to open properly. A blocked tear duct is almost always correctable, but the treatment depends on the cause and your age.
Signs and symptoms:
- Excessive tearing or watery eyes
- Recurrent eye inflammation (conjunctivitis) or recurrent eye infections (dacryocystitis)
- Painful swelling of the inside corner of the eye
- Eye mucus discharge
- Blurred vision
- Bloody tears
Choose the Best Treatment Option
For children, one treatment for this condition includes the probing of the lacrimal system. The problem is that the effect may be temporary. However, the LacriCATH® technology is used in a similar manner as ordinary probing with the added benefit of an expandable balloon, which opens the blocked tear duct effectively. This balloon technology means patients can achieve highly effective results while reducing the trauma they experience.
Another treatment is endoscopic or incisional Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery for adults, and as needed for children. The DCR catheter provides more options to patients who have been told that only an incisional DCR surgery will solve their chronic tearing problem. Incisional DCRs often result in scarring that can make wearing glasses uncomfortable. Doctors using the LacriCATH® balloon catheter have found it is easy to use and provides a cost-effective way to treat epiphora (chronic tearing) in both pediatric and adult patients.
LacriCATH® Advantages with DCP Procedure
- Reduces trauma
- No tubes to remove or pull out
- No need for a second procedure with anesthesia for tube removal
Patient Resources
For complete indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and potential adverse events, refer to the product's Instructions for Use (IFU).