“Why are my mother's eyes watering 1 year after cataract surgery?”

Most cases of excessive tearing after eye surgery are due to dryness of the surface of the eye. This can cause a reflex tearing/watering. Most cases can be controlled with artificial tear drops, but you should check with your Ophthalmologist to make sure no other issues are present.

Most likely it is due to dry eyes. It is not a result of the cataract surgery. She can try artificial tears (Refresh or Systane) that can be purchased at CVS or Walgreens. Best to purchase the kind that is in single vials as it is preservative free. Each box comes in 25 or 30 vials. See if that helps. Depending on the severity of the dry eyes that may enough or she may need to see an ophthalmologist and he/she can put in punctal plugs.
Punctal plug is a very small device that is inserted into the tear duct of the an eye to prevent the drainage of fluid from the eye. This treats people with severe dry eyes. This procedure is just a few minutes with little discomfort.

Quick answer: dry eyes, or bilateral blocked tear ducts. Your mother needs to see an ophthalmologist interested in working up dry eyes to determine the etiology.

Go back for a review. It could be dry eyes or sutures protruding from the wound.

In a large majority of cases, the tearing in an older patient is due to dry eyes (ironically) and often post-operative tearing is due to loose lower eyelids that in turn create dry eyes and compensatory tearing. You need to take her to an Oculoplastic surgeon who can evaluate the cause of her tearing and suggest a solution.

Darab Hormozi, MD