The Surgical Efficacy of External Dacryocystorrhinostomy

ABSTRACT

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).