title: Vision-related quality of life in patients undergoing silicone tube intubation for lacrimal passage obstructions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes in vision-related quality of life in patients with lacrimal passage obstructions undergoing silicone tube intubations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, consecutive, comparative, interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five patients with the chief complaint of epiphora diagnosed with complete and unilateral lacrimal passage obstructions were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included history of congenital nasolacrimal stenosis; lacrimal passage obstructions resulting from trauma, tumor, or chemotherapy; previous lacrimal passage surgery; and partial and functional nasolacrimal duct obstructions. Silicone tube intubation using a Nunchaku-style tube was performed under direct visualization with dacryoendoscope in all patients. Operations were considered as successful when the irrigating fluid could pass through the lacrimal passage and the disappearance of dye was observed in dye disappearance test and the patients' epiphora symptoms improved 3 months postoperatively. The 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) was self-administered in all patients preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Patients' preoperative and 3-months-postoperative NEI VFQ-25 scores were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Operations were successful in 40 patients (89%). Fully completed questionnaires were received from 32 patients (80%). Silicone tube intubation using a Nunchaku-style tube was associated with a significant improvement of the NEI VFQ-25 composite score (P = .0001), ocular pain score (P < .0001), and mental health score (P = .0003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relief of epiphora by silicone tube intubation using a Nunchaku-style tube treatment significantly improved the vision-related quality of life in patients with lacrimal passage obstructions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Aoto Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. kabata22122@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kabata
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Genichiro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuneoka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012826:Silicone Elastomers