4-months baby has dacryocystitis

[tati80]

Hello!

My baby, who's 4 months old, has dacryocystitis. I live in Moscow, Russia, and doctors here recomend eye surgery (it is a common practice here). I've been making eye massage for all this time (it started since birth), I also water eyes (both of them have pus) with antiseptic (not antibiotics, though I used them in the beginning).

I need your advise, please. Does my daughter really need a surgery here? Or can we wait until it goes away by itself? Or is it dangerous to wait, while her eyes have pus? (not extremely much of pus, but still it exists). The reason why I ask you -
I heard that in other countries doctors recomend to wait and not to use surgery for babies under 1 y.o.

Thanks a lot.
Tatiana.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

If you child has dacryocystitis it is an emergency to treat with iv antibiotics and drainage of the sac. If he has a blocked tear duct and recurrent mild eye infections then probing of the tear duct and irrigation is indicated.

JCH III MD