Tater got cherry eye around 4 months in one eye and about two months later in the other.  My vet told me most likely the other one would pop out too so I waited to get the surgery until they both were out.

First one popped out.

This is a week after surgery. Poor baby!!!

This is after surgery.  The right eye one popped back out.  Redness from her rubbing it.

I took Tater to an opthamologist for the surgery.  The surgey is called "Tucked"  the surgery cost $900.00 and since the right eye popped back out the Dr. will do the second "tuck" for $500.00.  She will tuck it deeper. As of May 2007 we have still not done this.

Insurance will not pay for cherry eye surgery.  The reason is that it is cosmetic.

There are other options rather than tucking. 

The only acceptable  treatment of "Cherry Eye" is replacement of the gland in its proper location. There are two techniques for doing this. The traditional “tucking” method is probably most commonly performed. Here, a single stitch is permanently placed drawing the gland back where it belongs. Complications are uncommon but the owner should be aware of the following possibilities:If the stitch unties, the surface of the eye could become scratched by the suture. If this occurs, the eye will become suddenly painful and the suture thread may be visable. The suture can be removed and the problem solved.

The tuck may not be anchored well enough to hold permanently. In fact, this surgery is notorious for this type of failure and frequently a second tuck is needed. If this occurs, we recommend that a board certified ophthalmologist perform the second surgery to maximize the chances of permanent resolution.
 

Sometimes Cherry Eye is accompanied by other eyelid problems which make the repair more difficult or less likely to succeed. In these cases, again, if the simple surgery is not adequate, we recommend that a veterinary ophthalmologist perform the second surgery to maximize the chances of a permanent resolution.

In a newer surgical technique a wedge of tissue is removed from directly over the actual gland. This technique is more challenging as it is not easy to determine how much tissue to remove.  Tiny stitches which will eventually dissolve are used to close the gap so that the tightening of the incision margins pushes the gland back in place. Complications may include:Inflammation or swelling as the stitches dissolve.
 

Inadequate tightening of the tissue gap may lead to recurrence of the Cherry Eye. As mentioned, if the surgery fails, a veterinary ophthalmologist should perform the second surgery.
  Failure of the stitches to hold and associated discomfort. Loose stitches could injure the eye depending on the type of suture used.

Sometimes both surgical techniques are used in the same eye to achieve a good replacement. Harmful complications from Cherry Eye surgery are unusual but recurrence of the Cherry Eye is not. If a Cherry Eye recurs it is important to let your veterinarian know so that a second surgery either with your normal veterinarian or with an ophthalmology specialist can be planned. An owner should expect some postoperative swelling after Cherry Eye repair but this should resolve and the eye should be comfortable and normal in appearance after about a week. If the eye appears suddenly painful or unusual in appearance, it is important that it be rechecked as soon as possible.

The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists also has a web site which includes an index of veterinary eye specialists. This site may be visited at:

http://www.acvo.com