Surgeons dried a one-year-old girl's watery eyes yesterday in a short but complicated operation which was a first for Mater Dei Hospital.

The girl was suffering from epiphora, a condition that left her with watery eyes caused by a blockage that forced the tears to drain down her face, rather than through her nose.

The operation, not previously carried out at a public hospital in Malta, required the joint effort of an ENT (ears, nose and throat) specialist and an ophthalmic surgeon because it involved the tear duct and channel in the nose.

ENT specialist Hermann Borg Xuereb and ophthalmic surgeon Franco Mercieca carried out the 10-minute operation on the young girl yesterday while explaining the procedure to the media.

Mr Mercieca explained that this type of DCR (dacryocystorhinostomy) operation was rare because it was done internally with an endoscope. This provided a better aesthetic result with no external scarring, and could be done in less time.

He said one in 10 young children suffered from a blockage in their tear duct but most recovered naturally, or after minor medical probing. Ten per cent, however, required further medical treatment that was, until now, only available at private hospitals.

Mr Borg Xuereb said that by bringing together both eye and nose specialists this operation became quicker and safer.

About 20 young children require this operation every year in Malta, but a larger number of elderly people will require this intervention. Following some logistic alterations and better technology, Mater Dei is now able to provide these operations on a regular basis.