[Treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction with Song's stent. Long term efficacy].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long-term efficacy (5 years) of Song's stent in the treatment of naso-lachrymal duct obstruction.


METHODS
We examined Song's stents installed in 64 eyes from 62 patients with naso-lachrymal duct obstruction (NLD). Of the 64, 48 were women and 14 men of mean age 60 SD 13.17 years. Obstructions of right side 62.5% and left side 37.5%, and location in dacriocystography: sac-NLD junction 82.8%, distant NLD 10.9%, medium NLD 3.1% and both proximal and complete NLD 1.6%.


METHODS
chronic epiphora 96.8%, acute dacriocystitis 67.2%, purulent discharge 25% and mucocele 17.2%. Mean follow-up period was 25.23 months.


RESULTS
13 stents were removed and 2 changed during the follow-up. 67.2% were patent at the end of the study; epiphora reduced to 32.8%, number of acute dacryocystitis, purulent discharge and mucocele to 1.6%. Subjective improvement was found in 73.5%. Surgical complications included epistaxis (15.6%) and pain (14.1%), and post-operative complications included reobstruction in 22 cases within a mean time of 8.6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Song's stent is a quick and useful option in treatment of epiphora. Despite not being efficient in all cases, it leads to improvement of symptoms and avoidance of surgery in the majority of cases. However, it requires periodical washes to maintain its patency.
Asencio Durán
M
M
Hospital General Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain. masedur@terra.es
Fernández Prieto
A
A
Arbizu Duralde
A
A
Sánchez-Orgaz
M
M
Oliver Pascual
N
N
Ruiz del Río
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors