The Surgical Efficacy of External Dacryocystorrhinostomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the success rate of conventional skin dacryocystorhinostomy(DCR), the success rate and postoperative complications were evaluated after the follow-up period of 6~72 months(average 16.7 months), and compared with those of our previous reports on endonasal DCR, at postoperative 6 months(PO6M) and 12 months(PO12M). METHODS: skin DCR was performed in 76 patients, 89 eyes between July 1993 and June 2000 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine. RESULTS: Primary success rate of skin DCR was 93.3%, and the final success rate after revision of mucosal ostium revealed 96.6%. Postoperative complications included 7 cases of silicone tube protrusion and 4 cases of mucosal ostium obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Primary success rate of skin DCR was 93.3%, and those of endonasal DCR were 92.3%(PO6M) and 89.8%(PO12M). The final success rate of skin DCR was 96.6%, and those of endonasal DCR were 98.4%(PO6M) and 99.2%(PO12M).

Success Rate of Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy

Primary success rate of endonasal DCR has been reported as lower than that of the conventional procedure. Endonasal DCR has been performed from July 1991 to October 1994, with a follow-up period of 6 to 37.3months(mean, 14.2months). According to the period of the operation, 156 eyes of 132 patients were classified into three groups: Group 1;47 eyes between July 1991 and June 1992. Group 2;44 eyes between July 1992 and June 1993, and Group 3;65 eyes between July 1993 and October 1994. Success rates of the primary operation were 68.1% in Group 1, 84.1% in Group 2, and 92.3% in Group 3 respectively. The success rate of Group 3 reached almost similar to that of the conventional procedure. Improvement of success rate may be owing to appropriate preoperative evaluation, skillful surgical technique, and careful postoperative management.