Experience with bicanalicular intubation of the lacrimal drainage apparatus combined with conventional external dacryocystorhinostomy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the success rate of bicanalicular intubation of lacrimal drainage apparatus in chronic dacryocystitis patients who were at high risk of failure of surgery of dacryocystorhinostomy.


METHODS
A total of 24 patients with chronic dacryocystitis (25 eyes) including 11 males and 13 females (age range 3-80 years) having high risk factors of failure of dacryocystorhinostomy were enrolled. Factors such as previous attacks of acute dacryocystitis, trauma in lacrimal sac region, previously failed dacryocystorhinostomies, formation of false passages in the lacrimal drainage apparatus were considered. Conventional dacryocystorhinostomy followed by bicanalicular intubation of the lacrimal drainage apparatus with Jain metal silicone the lacrimal intubation tube (20-23 gauge) was performed in all these patients. The patients were followed up at weekly intervals for two months, at 6 months and at 1 year post surgery.


RESULTS
A total of 25 eyes in 24 patients (including 11 males and 3 females) were operated upon using the technique of bicanalicular intubation of lacrimal drainage apparatus with conventional external dacryocystorhinostomy. The procedure was successfully performed in 22 out of the 25 eyes. Perioperative complications included punctual damage due to recurrent attempts at passing these probes in 2 patients and mild damage to nasal mucosa in 5 patients. The majority of patients did not experience any untoward symptoms from these silicone tubes. However, in three eyes there was felt a mild foreign body sensation and two patients had chronic conjunctival erythema. The tubes could not be retained in two of these three eyes. Additionally, in one eye there was spontaneous extrusion of tubes whilst sneezing 3 months after surgery. All these three eyes had a recurrence of symptoms due to non-retention of the tubes and needed re-operation. On average the tubes were retained for a period of six months before they were spontaneously extruded or removed. Fifteen patients retained the silicone tubes for more than 1 year. The procedure gave a success rate of 76% (19/25 eyes) and these were the eyes in which the tubes had been retained for more than 6 months. The success was not influenced by the age or sex of patient, laterality of eye, aetiology of chronic dacryocystitis, or evidence of bony deformity or abnormality of the sac.


CONCLUSIONS
Bicanalicular intubation for lacrimal drainage system is a simple, inexpensive and straight forward adjunct to conventional external dacryocystorhinostomy. The procedure is strongly indicated for patients with chronic dacryocystitis who are at high risk of surgical failure. Carefully performed, it gives a 76% success rate and is not influenced by the different variables examined.
Sodhi
Punita Kumari
PK
Department of Ophthalmology, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India. hardeep333@hotmail.com
Pandey
Ravindra M
RM
Malik
K P S
KP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000601:surgery*; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012828:Silicones; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012828:Silicones