In the recently launched awareness campaign, the Face Change Foundation assesses the procedures, risks, and recovery process after surgery for the treatment of blocked tear ducts – a condition that occurs in up to 10% of newborns that can also develop in adults.
More information can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-harvey-chip-cole-iii-md-facs-5a86649a
Face Change Foundation’s new campaign explains that the procedure, known as a dacryocystorhinostomy, can be performed either externally or internally using endoscopic tools. Though both types of surgery have a high rate of success with low risks, the endoscopic procedure allows the surgeon to complete the operation with no external incisions to the patient’s face.
While an external surgery requires a small incision on the side of the patient’s nose, Dr. Cole notes that it has a 95% chance of success, as compared to 85% for an endoscopic procedure.
The latest campaign covers the most common causes of a blocked tear duct, which include infections, chronic sinus problems, and broken noses. The expert highlights that patients requiring a dacryocystorhinostomy procedure often have mild but persistent symptoms, such as excessive tearing, redness, swelling, watery eyes, and discomfort.
Though the risks involved in the procedure are minimal, and only 5% of patients require additional surgery, patients should be aware of the potential for excessive bleeding, infections, and abnormally fused tissue in the nose, Dr. Cole says. It is also possible for the stent used to redirect a patient’s tears to become dislodged, and when an external procedure is used, there is a slight risk of prominent facial scarring.
Dr. Cole also points out that the recovery process can vary based on whether the procedure is internal or external, but emphasizes that most patients can resume their normal activities within 1 to 2 weeks. During this time, some residual tearing often occurs, and if it persists, patients may want to consider returning to their surgeon’s office to have the area irrigated.
This new awareness campaign is part of an educational series launched by Dr. Chip Cole and his Face Change Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides cosmetic services for troubled teens that have been victims of domestic or sexual abuse. Dr. Chip Cole is an oculoplastic rejuvenation and reconstruction specialist, with over 33 years of experience.
Additional details are available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-harvey-chip-cole-iii-md-facs-5a86649a
Face Change Foundation
[email protected]
+1-404-680-2653
5505 Peachtree Dunwoody Road
suite 630
United States
COMTEX_416369385/2764/2022-10-11T03:34:05
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Smart Herald journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.