title: Short-term results of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy with a mucosal flap and a bone dissection technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the short-term results of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with a mucosal flap and a bone dissection technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study including consecutive 22 patients who underwent endonasal DCR between June 2004 and January 2006. The study was designed to look at the patients' symptoms and satisfaction following the procedure; hence, a telephone survey was undertaken. The absence or improvement of symptoms was defined as a successful outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 22 patients in the study cohort. The mean follow-up was 12 months. The procedure was successful in 20 patients (90.9%), with no residual epiphora. Failure was noted only in 2 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short-term success rate of endonasal DCR was 90.90%. In a previous study from our unit, the success rate with endonasal laser DCR at 1 year was 83% and the 5-year success rate was only 56%, which made us stop doing the laser approach. We currently favour endonasal DCR with the mucosal flap approach in our unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom. DhanasekarENT@aol.com
authors.forename: Ganapathy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dhanasekar
authors.forename: Neelapan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Umapathy
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Dapling
authors.forename: Derek W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000379:methods*; D019723:Endoscopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome