Silicone Intubation for Canalicular or Common Canalicular Obstruction in Adult

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Patients with canalicular or common canalicular obstruction have been treated by carrying out conjuctivodacryocystorhinostomy mainly through skin or the nasal cavity, but all sorts of defects attendant on an operation have been indicated. At this, the authors inquired into a result of a surgery and their satisfaction in a different viewpoint for silicone intubation. METHODS: We inquired into a result of a surgery and their satisfaction in a different viewpoint for 68 patients' 72 eyes who can be observed over 3 months among patients diagnosed as canalicular or common canalicular obstruction and operated on with silicone intubation as subject. RESULTS: After surgery, silicone tube was removed at average postoperative 5.8 months and we observed them for average 10.5 months. The result of operations showed that successful cases are 72.2% (52 eyes) and failing cases are 28.8% (20 eyes). CONCLUSION: For the cases with canalicular obstruction, especially common canalicular obstruction for short period, primary silicone intubation would be one of the ideal lacrimal surgery that should be explained the possible secondary conjuctivodacryocystorhinostomy later.