Effect of Nasal Wall Fixation of Silicone Tube Intubation on Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE@#We determined the effects of silicone tube tip fixation on the nasal wall using an absorbable suture during silicone tube intubation in patients with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.@*METHODS@#Patients (5571 eyes) diagnosed with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction and who underwent silicone tube intubation were divided into two groups those in which the silicone tube was fixed to the nasal wall using an absorbable suture (fixed group) or not (non-fixed group). We investigated the percentage of silicone tube displacement, the time for displacement, the success of surgery, and the method of removing the silicone tube after surgery.@*RESULTS@#The mean age, percentage of early displacement within 1 month, time to displacement, and success rate of surgery were 2.4 years, 0% (0/35), 1.4 months, and 100% (35/35) in the fixed group (35 patients) and 1.8 years, 44% (16/36), 0.8 months, and 97% (35/36) in the non-fixed group (36 patients), respectively. Both groups were able to remove the silicone tube simply through lacrimal punctum at the outpatient clinic.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In patients with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, silicone tube fixation at the nasal wall after silicone tube intubation can prevent early displacement of silicone tubes within 1 month. This is a simple and effective technique because it removes the silicone tube through the lacrimal punctum without general anesthesia or intravenous anesthesia.