Treatment of Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction Using Silicone Intubation Set

ABSTRACT

Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, the most common cause of congenital epiphora, occurs in up to 6% of newborns. Bofore the advent of silicone intubation through canaliculus into nasolacrimal duct, management of congenital lacrimal obstruction that had failed with conservative management or probing necessitated bypass surgery such as dacryocystorhinostomy. Less-invastive lacrimal intubation improved the success rate and provided as a less-invasive surgical therapeutic alternative. We achieved 90.6% of success rate in 30 patients(34% eyes) with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction managed with silicone tube intubation. The most common complication was extrusion of silicone tube. The Crawford silicone tube intubation in congenital nasolacrimal duct obtruction is safe and a less-invasive surgical alternative, presenting high success rate.