A Clinical Study on the Endonasal Microdrill-assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy

ABSTRACT

As noe of causes of epipora, anatomic abnormality of nasolacrimal duct, has been treated with dacryocystorhinostomy. Recently, the development of nasal endoscopy has made it easy to observe the intranasal sturcture. Thus, authors investigated the effect of nasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy used in combination with microdrill and nasal endoscopy in those patients, with nasolcrimal obsturction at the time of dacryocystorhinography. From 1995 to April 1997, twenty-four patients have been treated by the intranasal dacryocystorhinostomy using the microdrill with follow up more than six months. All patients had been tested by preoperative intranasal exam and was measured radiologically preoperative`s size of lacrimal sac. The nasal endoscopy using microdrill had shown success rate of 83.3 percent and the surgerywas more successful as the size of preoperative lacrimal sac was larer without any complication. The formation of accurate bone foramen did not remarkably differ from the skin incisio at the time of operation. Therefore, dacryocystorhinostomy using microdrill can be useful for the treatment of lacrimal canal obstruction, especially with the proper operating equipment.