A Systematic Review of Benefit of Silicone Intubation in Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy

DCR preferences among oculoplastic surgeons: Barriers and facilitators to adoption of endoscopic DCR

OBJECTIVE

To determine the preference for dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), patient selection criteria for endoscopic DCR, endoscopic DCR technique, and barriers to adoption of endoscopic DCR.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study conducted from May-December 2021. A survey was sent to oculoplastic surgeons. Questions on demographic characteristics, type of clinical practice, technique preferences, barriers and facilitators to adoption of endoscopic DCR were included.

RESULTS

245 participants completed the survey. Most respondents were located at an urban site (84%), were in private practice (66%), and had been in practice for more than 10 years (58.9%). Sixty one percent perform external DCR as the first line procedure for treating primary nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The most common factor influencing the surgeon's decision to perform endoscopic DCR was the patient's request (37%) followed by endonasal exam (32%). The most common barrier for not performing endoscopic DCR was the lack of experience and lack of training during fellowship (42%). The most worrisome complication for most respondents was failure of the procedure (48%), followed by bleeding (30.3%). Eighty one percent believe surgical mentorship and supervision during initial cases would facilitate endoscopic DCR learning.

CONCLUSIONS

External Dacryocystorhinostomy is the preferred technique for treating primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Learning endoscopic DCR early during fellowship training and high surgical volume to improve the learning curve dramatically impacts the adoption of the procedure.

Success rate of external, endonasal, and transcanalicular laser DCR with or without silicone stent intubation for NLD obstruction: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PURPOSE

To define and compare the effectiveness of external dacryocystorhinostomy (EX-DCR), endonasal (EN-DCR), and transcanalicular laser-assisted (TL-DCR) with or without silicone stent (S) intubation.

METHODS

Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and WoS. Frequentist and Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed and pooled estimations were expressed as risk ratio (RR). We included all original investigations of prospective, randomized controlled trials comparing success rate for any two of the following six surgical procedures: standard EX-DCR with or without S, cold EN-DCR with or without S, and TL-DCR with or without S. The primary outcome measure was the objective success rate.

RESULTS

Thirty-two studies with 3277 cases were included in the final quantitative analysis. TL-DCR with S was inferior to EN-DCR with S (RR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05-1.37), EX-DCR with S (RR: 1.17 95% CI: 1.05-1.29), EN-DCR without S (RR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.35), and EX-DCR without S (RR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.05-1.26) in frequentist statistics. No other statistical difference was found between other surgeries. When we excluded studies with additional interventions (nasal and revision surgery) for sensitivity analysis, 23 studies with 2468 cases were included to analysis. The success rates of TL-DCR with S and EN-DCR without S became similar (RR: 1.14 95% CI: 0.99-1.30) but there was no change in other outcomes. Similar results were found in Bayesian statistics. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve was higher for EN-DCR with S (0.75), whereas it was higher for EX-DCR with S (0.56) after sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Between endoscopic and external and transcanalicular laser without S procedures, there is no statistical difference. The rank probability showed that EN-DCR with S was a more appropriate surgical option when patients with nasal disease were included, whereas EX-DCR with S was a more appropriate surgical option when patients with nasal disease were excluded from the analysis.

Long-term outcomes of transcanalicular laser dacryocystorhinostomy versus endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy and a review of the literature

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (EDCR) compared with transcanalicular laser DCR (TL-DCR).

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study and systematic review included patients that underwent DCR for nasolacrimal duct obstruction at our tertiary academic care hospital between January 2013 and December 2017. TL-DCR and EDCR were performed on 42 (group 1) and 45 (group 2) patients, respectively. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 4 years after DCR. Success was defined as the complete disappearance of epiphora and the observation of fluid flow without any anatomic obstruction during lacrimal system irrigation.

Results

This study included 87 patients who underwent DCR. Fourteen patients (18.7%) were male, and 61 (81.3%) were female. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of 42 and 45 patients who underwent TL-DCR and EDCR, respectively. Success was achieved by 78.5% and 84.4% in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Patients in both groups were followed up for at least 4 years. There was a significant difference in mean surgery time between groups: 33.8 ± 10.5 min vs. 69.9 ± 15.9 min for groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

EDCR and TL-DCR without silicone stent have offered a high success rate in the long term. Furthermore, endonasal procedures have less surgery time and leave no scar. We observed that EDCR and TL-DCR are favorable methods in cases of nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with mucosal anastomosing in chronic dacryocystitis with three categories of ethmoid sinuses

AIM

To evaluate the outcome of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (En-DCR) with mucosal anastomosis in chronic dacryocystitis patients, with various categories of ethmoid sinuses.

METHODS

Between July 2015 and September 2019, 1439 adult patients, representing 1623 affected eyes, presented with chronic dacryocystitis and were scheduled for En-DCR. The categories of ethmoid sinuses were preoperatively determined, using computed tomography-dacryocystography (CT-DCG), and were classified as category 1 (C1), category 2 (C2), and category 3 (C3). No sinuses anterior to the posterior lacrimal crest defined as C1. Sinuses found between the anterior edge of the lacrimal bone and the posterior lacrimal crest defined as C2. Sinuses found anterior to the lacrimal bone suture defined as C3. At the end of surgery, the dacryocyst and nasal mucosa were anastomosed in C1, and the dacryocyst mucosa and anterior ethmoid sinus were anastomosed in C2 and C3 ethmoid sinus patients. The surgical success rate and related complications, in patients with 3 categories of ethmoid cells, were monitored and documented.

RESULTS

Postoperative data was obtained for 179 C1 affected eyes, 878 C2 affected eyes, and 432 C3 affected eyes. The overall success rate of En-DCR was 93.0% (1385/1489). Additionally, the success rates were comparable among the different ethmoid categories at 12mo post operation. We demonstrated that the major reason for surgical failure was intranasal ostial closure, due to granulation or scar tissue.

CONCLUSION

En-DCR is a feasible and highly effective primary treatment for chronic dacryocystitis. To ensure surgical success, the surgery protocol must be designed in accordance with the category of ethmoid sinuses present in individual patient.

Microbial Metagenomics of the Extubated Lacrimal Stents Following Dacryocystorhinostomy: The Lacriome Paper 4

PURPOSE

To study the metagenome of the microbes present on the extubated lacrimal stents following a dacryocystorhinostomy.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed on 10 consecutive extubated lacrimal stents obtained for the metagenomic analysis from the patients following an endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. The stents were extubated at 4 weeks postoperatively under endoscopic guidance and immediately transported on ice to the laboratory. Following DNA extraction and library preparation, a whole shotgun metagenome sequencing was performed on the Illumina platform. The downstream processing and bioinformatics of the samples were performed using multiple software packaged in SqueezeMeta pipeline or MG-RAST pipeline.

RESULTS

The taxonomic hit distribution across the stent samples showed that bacteria were the most common isolates (mean, 69.70%), followed by viruses (mean, 0.02%) and archaea (0.003%). The 3 major phyla identified were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. The prevalent organisms include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium accolens, Dolosigranulum pigrum, Citrobacter koserii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, E. coli, and Hemophilus influenza . The functional subsystem profiling demonstrated microbial genes associated with metabolism, cellular, and information processing. The functional subsystem categories were metabolism involving carbohydrates, amino acids, DNA and RNA, cell wall or cell capsule biogenesis, membrane transport, virulence, and defense mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study is the first whole metagenome sequencing of the microbes isolated from the extubated lacrimal stents. The stents harbor diverse microbial communities with distinct ecosystem dynamics. Further studies on microbes-host interactions in the early postoperative period would provide valuable insights.

Endoscopic and external dacryocystorhinostomy: A therapeutic proposal for distal acquired lacrimal obstructions

Endoscopic (END-DCR) and external dacryocystorhinostomies (EXT-DCR) are nowadays considered the gold standard techniques for non-oncologic distal acquired lacrimal disorders (DALO). However, no unanimous consensus has been achieved on which of these surgeries is the most suitable to the individual patient. Herein, we review the available literature of the last 30 years with the aim of defining a simple and reproduceable treatment algorithm to treat DALO. A search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Cochrane databases was last performed in December 2021 to examine evidence regarding the role of END-DCR and EXT-DCR in primary and revision surgeries. If considered primary surgeries, END-DCR should be preferred in case of intranasal comorbidities, given the possibility to directly visualize and treat potential intranasal pathologies. Conversely, EXT-DCR should be chosen in case of need/preference for local anesthesia, given the major historical experience and wider surgical field that helps to resolve intra-operatory complications (e.g., bleeding) in an uncollaborative patient. In the absence of the abovementioned conditions, the decision of one or other approach should be discussed with the patient. In recurrent cases, END-DCR should be considered the treatment of choice given the major likelihood to visualize the causes of primary failure and directly resolve it. In conclusion, END-DCR should be considered the treatment of choice in revision cases or in primary ones associated with intranasal pathologies, whereas EXT-DCR should be chosen if local anesthesia is needed. In the absence of these scenarios, it is still open to debate which of these two approaches should be used.

Is Stenting Really Necessary in Primary Endonasal DCR-Our Experience

To Know the relevance of silicone intubation in Endoscopic DCR. A prospective randomized controlled trial study was conducted in the Department of ENT at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial Central Railway Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai. Duration of study was from March 2015 to November 2018. 100 patients in the age group ranging from 20 to 70 years, with acquired Nasolacrimal duct obstruction with epiphora and recurrent dacryocystitis were evaluated and managed. These patients were randomized into two groups based on using table of random numbers into two Group A: DCR without stent (n = 50) and Group B: DCR with stent (n = 50). Every patient was subjected to detailed history and examination. The overall success rate in our study with silicone stent was 92% and without stent was 88%. There was no statistically significant (p > 0.05) difference between the two groups. According to our experience silicone stent is really not needed in Endoscopic DCR and if at all used it should be used up to 7 days to prevent restenosis and to prevent mucosal flaps to cover stoma again. Use of silicone stent should be restricted to following cases like post traumatic, revision, fibrosed small contracted sac and suspected canalicular block cases.

Endonasal Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy with and Without Stents-A Comparative Study

The study aims to compare the outcomes of endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with and without nasolacrimal stents. A prospective randomized comparative study involving fifty patients, divided into two groups of 25 patients each. Group A consists of patients who underwent endoscopic DCR with silicon stent and group B consists of patients who underwent endoscopic DCR without stent. Patients were regularly followed up at 1st week, 6th week, 10th week and at the end of 5th month postoperatively. The silicone stents were removed at 6th postoperative week. Using statistical analysis results between the two groups were compared. Post-operative improvement in nasolacrimal duct obstruction and epiphora was seen in both the groups. Age of the patients ranged from 18 to 69 years with most of the patients in the age group of 40 to 49 years (46% N = 23, 12 in group A and 11 in group B). 88% of the patients were females. (N = 44, 21 in group A and 23 in group B) and 12% were males (N = 6, 4 in group A and 2 in group B). The disease was more commonly observed on the left side with 72% of the cases (N = 36, 19 in group A and 17 in group B) and 28% (N = 14, 6 in group A and 8 in group B) on the right side. In group A, (En DCR with silicone stent) 96% of the cases were successful while 4% resulted in failure whereas in group B (En DCR without stent) 92% of the cases were successful while 8% resulted in failure. Endoscopic DCR is simple and safe method. It is minimally invasive procedure as it is a direct approach to the sac. Cosmetically it is acceptable as there is no external scar. Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with canalicular silicone intubation for shorter duration (6 weeks) is a safe and successful procedure for the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Close follow up immediately after surgery is needed to reduce the failure rate. Regular post-operative follow up is necessary and any defect like synechia and granulation tissue formation can be released at follow up period thus increasing the success rate. En DCR has a good success rate with and without stenting of 96% and 92% respectively.

Does Bicanalicular Intubation Improve the Outcome of Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy?

The aim of this study was to compare the success of endoscopic dacryocystorinostomy with and without bicanalicular intubation in the treatment of distal nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, comparative study, endoscopic dacryocystorinostomy without bicanalicular silicone intubation (Group I) and endoscopic dacryocystorinostomy with intubation (Group II) were performed in patients with distal nasolacrimal duct obstructions. The tubes were removed 3 months after surgery in Group II, and the patients were followed up for 6 months after surgery. Therapeutic success was defined as the fluorescein dye disappearance test grade 0–1 corresponding with a complete resolution of symptoms. Results: Thirty patients, aged 23–86 years, were included in the study. The success rate was 13/15 (86.67%) in Group I and in 14/15 (93.33%) in Group II. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.483). Most common complications were granulations that occurred in 1/15 (6.67%) patient in Group I and in 2/15 (13.33%) patients in Group II. Adhesions in rhinostomy with epiphora and persistent secretion were observed in 1/15 (6.67%) patient in Group II. Conclusions: Bicanalicular intubation does not significantly increase the success rate of EDCR in distal nasolacrimal obstruction in adults.

Efficacy of Hyaluronic Acid in Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective

The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the surgical results of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (Endo-DCR) for chronic dacryocystitis (CD) with and without intraoperative hyaluronic acid (HA) application.

Methods

An electronic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wan Fang databases in April 1, 2022. Review Manager software version 5.4 was used for data synthesis and a forest plot was generated for each outcome measure.

Results

Seven randomized control trials (RCTs), which involved 739 eyes, were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, compared with the control group, intraoperative HA application significantly enhance the success rate (odds ratio [OR] = 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15–4.98, P < .00001), promote re-epithelization (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.83–4.68, P < .00001), reduce granulation (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21–0.80, P = .008), and scar (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22–0.68, P = .001) formation after Endo-DCR.

Conclusion

Intraoperative HA application seems to be a useful adjuvant that could enhance success rate by promoting re-epithelization and inhabiting granulation and scar formation around the ostium.

Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with short-term, pushed-type bicanalicular intubation vs. pulled-type monocanalicular intubation for primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) has been a primary treatment for adults with nasolacrimal duct obstruction, while the optimal approach and technique remain controversial. With the advancement of endoscopic DCR and the silicone stents, an update of the surgical outcomes and preferable approaches is required. This study aims at comparing the surgical outcomes of endoscopic DCR using pushed bicanalicular intubation (BCI) to pulled monocanalicular intubation (MCI) in adults with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO). Forty five eyes of 45 patients were enrolled, including 22 eyes of 22 patients treated with endoscopic DCR with pulled MCI and 23 eyes of 23 patients with pushed BCI from January 2014 to June 2021. The success rates at stent removal, 1 month and 3 months after removal were 95, 91, and 82%, respectively, in the MCI group, and 100, 87, and 87% in the BCI group. The BCI group had better success rates but failed to reach a significant difference (p = 0.49, p = 0.67, p = 0.24, respectively). After analyzing with binary logistic regression, the implant material was demonstrated as the predictive of surgical success (p = 0.045). There was no significant difference in success rates between patients with dacryocystitis and those without dacryocystitis. We conclude that endoscopic DCR with pushed BCI is easily manipulated and has a promising surgical outcome over pulled MCI. Stent indwelling duration as well as history of dacryocystitis have less influence on the success rates.

Comparison of Tranexamic acid, Remifentanil, and Hydralazine on the bleeding volume during Dacryocystorhinostomy surgery

BACKGROUND

Bleeding in Dacryocystorhinostomy (DRC) limits the surgeon's sight and access. Tranexamic acid, Remifentanil, and Hydralazine reduce intraoperative blood loss. However, no study has been carried out to compare the efficacy of the latter drugs during DCR surgery.

METHODS

Ninety healthy candidates for DCR surgery with chronic Dacryocystitis (aging 20-80) were randomly assigned in groups of 30 to receive low doses of Tranexamic acid (TXA) (10 mg/kg with a maximum dose of 1000 mg), Remifentanil (0.1 µ/kg), or Hydralazine (0.1 mg/kg). All drugs were infused over 15 minutes before the initiation of surgery. The primary outcome was the bleeding volume during the surgery and until 2 hours in recovery. This study was approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the code of IRCT20210614051574N10 (https://en.irct.ir/trial/62759).

RESULTS

Thirty patients (mean age ± SD: 50.48±13.4) were investigated. Mean blood loss volume was lower in Remifentanil and Hydralazine groups compared with the TXA group (P<0.05); there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in bleeding volume between Remifentanil and Hydralazine groups (Tranexamic acid group: 146.83±91 ml, Remifentanil group: 77.6±52.1 ml, Hydralazine group: 80.0±48.7 ml, 95% confidence interval, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results show that Remifentanil and Hydralazine are more effective than Tranexamic acid in bleeding control.

The importance of clinical presentation on long-term outcomes of external dacryocystorhinostomies: Our experience on 245 cases

PURPOSE

External dacryocystorhinostomy (EXT-DCR) is a surgical approach commonly used to treat post-canalicular acquired lacrimal obstruction whose success rate has been described, equally with endoscopic DCR, to be superior to other available treatments.

METHODS

At San Raffaele Hospital, Milan (Italy), from January 2008 to December 2020, 245 EXT-DCRs were performed. All patients underwent routine pre-operative work-up including Jones tests and probing and irrigation of the lacrimal pathway; when necessary, a multidisciplinary approach with nasal endoscopy was performed. The surgical approach was followed by positioning of a bicanalicular stent which was left in place for 6 months. Success was defined as resolution of clinical signs/symptoms and free lacrimal flow on functional test.

RESULTS

Of the cases enrolled, 26.9% were treated for recurrent epiphora (group 1), and 73.1% for epiphora associated with chronic dacryocystitis (group 2). After a median follow-up of 71 months, group 1 had success at T0 (1 month) and T1 (long-term) of 81.8% and 60.6%, respectively, compared to 93.8% and 77.7% in group 2. Statistical analysis showed a significant association with surgery both at T0 (p = 0.018) and T1 (p = 0.012) with group 2 showing better outcomes. Additionally, the cosmetic outcome of the external scar was defined as invisible in 91.8% of cases and slightly visible in 8.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

External dacryocystorhinostomy provides long-term reliable results particularly in case of chronic dacryocystitis. Moreover, the optimal esthetic outcome of the external scar should be no longer considered the only guiding principle of treatment modality, particularly in the elderly.

[Experimental investigation of the efficacy of pirfenidone in prevention of ostium cicatricial closure after dacryocystorhinostomy]

One of the main reasons of failure of dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is cicatricial closure of the ostium. Finding a way to prevent this outcome remains one of the leading aims of research in dacryology. The effectiveness of the most widespread methods is often considered contradictory by various researchers. Pirfenidone is a small-molecule agent that demonstrated good antifibrotic effect and low toxicity in previous in vitro research. There haven't been any in vivo studies of its intraoperative use in DCR.

Purpose - to determine the in vivo efficacy of pirfenidone in prevention of ostium cicatricial closure following dacryocystorhinostomy in an animal experiment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was conducted on 18 Chinchilla rabbits. They were divided into 3 groups and each animal underwent modified dacryocystorhinostomy. On the final stage of surgery rabbits of group 1 were injected 1 ml of 0.15 mg/ml pirfenidone solution, rabbits of group 2 - 0.3 mg/ml pirfenidone solution. No injections were performed in group 3. Animals were terminated on days 7 (6 rabbits), 14 (6 rabbits) and 28 (6 rabbits) following surgery. Lacrimal stoma patency was evaluated in vivo by irrigation, and morphologically postmortem. Tissue samples obtained from the stoma area were examined histologically for signs of fibrosis.

RESULTS

Failure of dacryocystorhinostomy was observed in 4 out of 18 cases: all rabbits of group 3 terminated on days 14 and 28. The most pronounced morphological signs of fibrosis were also noted in group 3. No topical or systemic adverse effects of the medication were observed in groups 1 and 2.

CONCLUSION

Pirfenidone demonstrated high antifibrotic efficacy and low toxicity in experimental dacrycystorhinostomy in rabbits. These results provide grounds for further research into the use of pirfenidone in dacrycystorhinostomy.

Effect of Silver Nitrate Application on the Success of Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy

OBJECTIVES

To compare the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing additional procedures in endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (End-DCR) surgery and discuss the factors affecting the success of End-DCR surgery in light of relevant literature.

METHODS

The study included 155 patients who underwent End-DCR surgery in our clinic due to epiphora. This was a prospective randomized, single-blind, controlled trial. Group I (control) included 54 patients who did not undergo silicone stent insertion or silver nitrate application, group II included 51 patients who underwent silicone stent insertion only, and group III included 50 patients who underwent silver nitrate application only. Statistical analysis was performed on follow-up data regarding anatomic and functional success rates.

RESULTS

Revision surgery was performed in 16 patients who developed persistent epiphora in the postoperative period, including 6 in group I, 7 in group II, and 3 in group III (P = .4). The most common reason for revision surgery was stenosis of the neo-ostium (n = 8), followed by granulation tissue formation (n = 5) and synechia formation (n = 3). Granuloma formation was the most common postoperative complication, and a significant difference was found among the groups with regard to granuloma formation (P = .04). At postoperative month 12, the functional success rate was estimated to be 88%, 86%, and 94%, and the anatomic success rate was estimated to be 94%, 92%, and 96% in groups I, II, and III, respectively, with no significant difference, found among the 3 groups with regard to both rates (P = .79 and P = .76, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The results indicated that stenting and silver nitrate application did not affect surgical success. Our preliminary results on silver nitrate cauterization showed that it is an effective, inexpensive, and practical method to reduce granulation formation in the postoperative period.

Role of anaesthesia in endoscopic and external dacryocystorhinostomy: A meta-analysis of 3282 cases

Distal acquired lacrimal obstruction is a common adulthood pathology whose primary treatment is represented by EXT-DCR and END-DCR. When considering their influencing factors, the role of the type of anaesthesia applied during these surgeries has a major role. The aim of this study is to systematically analyse the influence of general and local/regional anaesthesia on the final success rates of EXT-DCR and END-DCR. Primary EXT-DCR and END-DCR articles published later than 2000 with at least 50 single clinician procedures were selected. Exclusion criteria included acute dacryocystitis, tumours, studies focussing on revision surgeries, surgeries with adjunctive procedures, not clearly demarcated surgeons, mixed cohort study of acquired and congenital disorders. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with MOOSE guidelines; where feasible, a meta-analysis of the collected results was conducted. As a result, 11,445 articles were selected of which 2741 were examined after screening, and 16 included after full text review (0.6% of the initial papers). Among all papers included, the number of EXT-DCR was not enough to provide a solid analysis of the effect of anaesthesia; conversely, a significant difference of success rate was noted between local anaesthesia + sedation (85.1%, IC 77.8%-90.4%), and general anaesthesia (90.8%, IC 88.8%-92.4%) in END-DCR (p = 0.048). In conclusion, END-DCR performed with general anaesthesia should be considered as the solution of choice; however, local anaesthesia, eventually associated with a sedation, can be used as an alternative in selected cases. No meaningful conclusions could be drawn for EXT-DCR, due to the lack of data.

Possibility of Pseudo-Obstruction in Lacrimal Canalicular Obstruction Diagnosed with Dacryocystography

INTRODUCTION

Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is the treatment of choice for patients with lacrimal drainage system obstruction. Dacryocystography (DCG) is one of the most common preoperative studies and considered as a useful test demonstrating the anatomy of lacrimal drainage systems.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of DCG for canalicular obstruction and to compare surgical outcomes between true-obstruction versus pseudo-obstruction diagnosed with DCG.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed on 45 consecutive patients with lacrimal canalicular obstruction who had underwent endoscopic DCR with silicone tube insertion from January 2009 to December 2014 at a single tertiary hospital. A review of medical records included demographic data, preoperative symptoms and signs, results of intraoperative canalicular probing, and surgical outcomes including the postoperative symptom improvement and endoscopic finding.

RESULTS

Of 45 patients, 34 patients (75.6%) had true-canalicular obstructions and 11 patients (24.4%) had pseudo-canalicular obstructions. The success rate of endoscopic DCR was 50% (17 of 34) in cases with true-canalicular obstruction while 90.9% (10 of 11) in pseudo-canalicular obstruction (p value <0.05). No intraoperative or postoperative complications including sinusitis or synechia were found.

CONCLUSIONS

About a quarter of lacrimal canalicular obstruction cases diagnosed with DCG seem to be pseudo-obstruction. The success rate of endoscopic DCR in pseudo-canalicular obstruction is similar to that of saccal and nasolacrimal ductal obstruction.

Long-term results of a balloon-assisted endoscopic approach in failed dacryocystorhinostomies

Purpose

Endoscopic endonasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty is a minimally invasive surgical approach that can be applied after failure of dacryocystorhinostomy with recurrence of distal acquired lacrimal obstruction.

Methods

At the Department of Otolaryngology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan (Italy), from December 2016 to October 2020, 14 patients underwent trans-nasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty after a failed dacryocystorhinostomy (both external and endoscopic endonasal). The routinary pre-operative work-up included multidisciplinary study of the lacrimal disease, which consisted in primary ophthalmological and otorhinolaryngological visits associated with nasal endoscopy, in which a radiological exam was added if needed. The surgical approach includes pneumatic enlargement of the stenotic rhinostomy, created during the primary dacryocystorhinostomy, using a high-pressure trans-nasal balloon catheter. Anatomical success was considered when the ostium was patent upon irrigation, while functional success was considered as resolution of epiphora or free lacrimal flow on functional test.

Results

Among 14 patients included and after a mean follow-up of 19.5 months (range 13–51 months), anatomic success was achieved in 100% of patients and functional success was achieved in the 85.7% (12/14). Operative time ranged from 9 to 28 min (mean 18 min) and no complications were reported.

Conclusion

Trans-nasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty is a mini-invasive surgical approach to treat failed dacryocystorhinostomies with reliable and stable outcomes in the long term. The absence of post-surgical complications, high success rate and short operative time are the main features of this innovative procedure.

Influence of Indwelling Lacrimal Drainage Tube on the Curative Effect of Endonasal Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy

Endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EES-DCR) has gradually become the main surgical method for treating chronic dacryocystitis. Whether the placement of the lacrimal drainage tube during the operation can improve the operation’s success rate is an issue. This study observes the effect of an indwelling lacrimal drainage tube on the curative effect of EES-DCR in patients with chronic dacryocystitis. The cure rate of the Lacrimal duct drainage tube non-indwelling group A was 93.8% (46/49). The 3 cases failed because of the nasal cavity’s inflammation, which resulted in the adhesion of the anastomotic stoma and the middle turbinate. The cure rate of the Lacrimal drainage tube indwelling group B was 85.7% (42/49). The 7 cases failed because of the excessive proliferation of the tissue around the anastomosis, the hyperplasia of granulation tissue, the shedding of the lacrimal duct drainage tube, the crack of the lacrimal duct, and the premature removal of the lacrimal duct drainage tube caused the contraction of the mucosa around the anastomosis, resulting in the anastomosis obstruction. There was no obvious difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). At 6 months, 46 cases of the EES-DCR group A had gradually epithelialized anastomoses without granulation tissue growth with the follow up time extension. In the EES-DCR group B, 42 cases of anastomoses were gradually epithelialized without granulation tissue growth. Nasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy combined with an indwelling lacrimal duct drainage tube can be used to treat chronic dacryocystitis, but an indwelling lacrimal duct drainage tube has no significant effect on the efficacy of chronic dacryocystitis.

Evaluation of ostium size following endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy as a predictive factor of outcome: A prospective study

INTRODUCTION

Endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is a surgical procedure that aims to increase tear drainage to treat epiphora caused by nasolacrimal obstruction by creating a bypass through the bone between the lacrimal sac and the nasal cavity. A silicone stent is temporarily put in place for 2 months to avoid early obstruction of the rhinostomy. One of the causes of surgical failure is related to progressive stenosis of intranasal ostium, due to fibrosis and new bone growth, inducing a relapse of epiphora and/or dacryocystitis. Few studies have described changes in the size of the intranasal ostium on direct post-DCR measurement or kinetics of its shrinkage. The purpose of this study is to determine whether changes in the size of intranasal ostium might be a predictor of final functional efficacy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective cohort of eighteen consecutive patients undergoing endonasal DCR for chronic epiphora or chronic dacryocystitis between January 2017 and April 2018 was analyzed. Eight patients who underwent bilateral DCR, and twenty-six intranasal ostia were finally analyzed. Follow-up took place every two months for 1 year, with the silicone tube removed at 2 months. Functional success was defined as absence of recurrent epiphora or dacryocystitis. Ostium size was systematically measured on photos taken during intranasal endoscopy performed every 2 months for 1 year.

RESULTS

At 2 months after endonasal DCR, 23 of the 26 ostia (88.5%) were functional, but only 19 (73.1%) of them were directly measurable. The mean horizontal diameter at 2 months was 1.44 (SD 0.61) mm, and the mean vertical diameter was 0.86 (SD 0.37) mm, which corresponded to a mean area of 10 (SD 0.84)mm². We noted a statistically significant decrease in ostium size and area between 2 and 4 months after the procedure (P -0.001), followed by a stabilization period with no statistical correlation between the size of the ostium and its final functional efficacy. At 6 months after DCR, of the 7 ostia that were not initially measurable, 3 were immediately non-functional at 2 months, 3 had a relapse of epiphora at 4 months, and 1 had a relapse of dacryocystitis at 6 months, i.e., 100% clinical failures at 6 months. The other procedures all remained functional after 1 year of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The intranasal ostium of an endonasal DCR shrinks significantly within the 2 months after removal of the silicone tube and remains stable thereafter. There is no correlation between the size or area of intranasal ostium and its final functional efficacy. However, when the ostium is not measurable at the time of 2-month stent removal, all patients experienced a relapse of epiphora or dacryocystitis within 6 months.

Influence of Surgical Techniques on Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective

Endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (END-DCR) has increased as a valid alternative to the classic external approach to treat distal lacrimal obstruction. Different surgical varieties of the END-DCR approach have been proposed with no clear understanding of the best surgical technique.

Data Source

A comprehensive research was performed in PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases with a final search on March 2020.

Review Methods

The aim of this search was to identify relevant END-DCR procedures performed with mechanical (Mecn-END-DCR) and powered (Pow-END-DCR) approaches to compare their functional success rate. In addition, the influence of mucosal flaps was evaluated. Articles were selected only if they were published later than 2000 and had at least 50 single-clinician surgical procedures performed. Excluded articles included acute infections, cancers, mixed cohort study, and revision cases.

Results

A total of 11,445 publications were identified and 2741 reviewed after screening; 15 articles were included after full-text review (0.6% of the initial articles reviewed). The mean success rate was 91.34% (95% CI, 87.1%-94.3%) for Pow-END-DCR and 89.5% (95% CI, 86.5%-91.9%) for Mecn-END-DCR with no significant difference between the surgical approaches ( P = .43). For mucosal flaps performed during END-DCR, the mean success rate was 89% (95% CI, 86%-91%) if mucosal flaps were used and 92% (95% CI, 88%-95%) if they were not used, with no statistical difference present ( P = .14).

Conclusions

Our analyses suggest that there are no differences in outcomes between mechanical and powered approaches in END-DCR and that mucosal flap preservation is not essential to achieve a superior END-DCR outcome.

A case of endonasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty after failure of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy

Endonasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty is a minimally invasive technique that uses a high-pressure balloon catheter introduced into the lacrimal pathway through the nasal fossa into the neorhinostomy to treat recurrent epiphora after primary dacryocystorhinostomy. This procedure can be considered to be a reliable technique in patients unfit for general anesthesia.

Success of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with or without stents: systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of stents on the success of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR-EN) for treating primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO).

METHOD

A systematic review of randomized clinical trials of DCR-EN for NLDO comparing outcomes of surgeries performed with and without the use of bicanalicular stents and the complications associated with each procedure. Two authors independently searched six databases (Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science) up to May 2019. Statistical analysis and meta-analysis were performed using RevMan 5.3 software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration.

RESULTS

Twelve studies involving 997 surgeries were included in this systematic review. The meta-analysis using a fixed-effects model showed a 94% success rate with stents versus 90.6% without stent. Although stent use favors greater success of DCR-EN, the confidence interval (CI) was wide and very close to nullity line (1.01), decreasing the strength of the recommendation for stent (odds ratio: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.01-2.59, I ² = 0%). Meta-analysis of the adverse effects was not possible. A descriptive analysis was performed of the general complications related to the stents.

CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that the use of bicanalicular stents slightly improves the success rate of DCR-EN, but the quality of evidence is low. Future prospective, randomized trials enrolling larger sample sizes may provide stronger evidence to determine whether the stent use influences the success of primary acquired DCR-EN.

Impact of Post-Surgical Therapies on Endoscopic and External Dacryocystorhinostomy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Epiphora is a common ophthalmologic sign that is most commonly caused by distal acquired lacrimal obstruction. Recent data have demonstrated that external dacryocystorhinostomy (EXT-DCR) and endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (END-DCR) can be considered the treatments of choice. However, different post-surgical medical therapies are available and are currently used to improve surgical outcomes, although no direct comparison has been performed.

Objective

To analyse the influence of post-surgical medical treatments on END-DCR and EXT-DCR outcomes.

Methods

A structured search was conducted using the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed), EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases with a final search performed in May 2020. The research identified papers published later than 2000 with at least 50 single clinician procedures performed in EXT-DCR and END-DCR. Articles that studied acute infections, revision cases, mixed cohort studies of acquired and congenital obstruction, and tumour were excluded. The influence of systemic antibiotic/steroids, local application of mitomycin C, nasal/ocular antibiotic, nasal/ocular steroids and nasal decongestants was analysed.

Results

In total, 11,445 papers were selected, 2,741 of which were reviewed after screening, and 18 included after full text review (0.6% of the initial articles reviewed) which involved 3,590 procedures. Considering the low number of publications on EXT-DCR, statistical analysis of post-surgical therapy was not feasible. In END-DCR, the analyses were performed only for nasal steroids (p = 0.58), oral antibiotics (p = 0.45) and nasal decongestant (p = 0.27), which demonstrated no meaningful influence. Given the variable association between adjunctive medical therapies, pharmacologic molecular heterogeneity and modality/concentration of application, these results should be considered critically. Additionally, no differences were seen for application of silicone stenting, whereas, no statistical analysis was performed for mitomycin C.

Conclusions

Given the high success rate of EXT-DCR and END-DCR and the heterogeneity of literature data, the effective influence of post-surgical medical therapy is difficult to identify. Future large prospective randomized studies could help in detecting the optimal adjunctive therapy for these surgeries.

Endoscopic endonasal balloon-dacryoplasty in failed dacryocystorhinostomy

OBJECTIVE

Endoscopic endonasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure that can be used in recurrent epiphora, a common pathology in both adulthood and childhood.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTINGS

We present a retrospective case series of eight patients who underwent trans-nasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty after a failed external or endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, from March 2019 to January 2020, at the Department of Otolaryngology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

All patients underwent routine preoperative work-up including fluorescein test (Jones test I-II), probing and irrigation of the lacrimal pathway and nasal endoscopy. Because of the recurrent nature of the pathology, pre-operatory computed tomography scan or dacryocystography was not performed. The surgical procedure was based on enlargement of the stenotic neorhinostomy created by primary dacryocystorhinostomy through the use of a high-pressure balloon catheter. Anatomical success was defined as a patent ostium on irrigation, whereas functional success was defined as free lacrimal flow on functional test and resolution of epiphora.

RESULTS

Anatomic and functional success was achieved in 100% of patients. Operative time ranged from 9 to 22 min (mean 16 min). No significant complications were reported.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that trans-nasal balloon-assisted dacryoplasty can be considered as a safe and reliable surgical approach after a failed primary dacryocystorhinostomy. The shorter surgical time and reduced post-operative complication rates are the main advantages of this procedure.

Evaluation of the Role of Silicone Intubation in Non-complicated External Dacryocystorhinostomy

Aim:

Evaluation of the role of silicone intubation in non-complicated External dacryocystorhinostomy (Ext-DCR).

Background:

Silicone intubation is described as a step of Ext-DCR. It was proposed that it may prevent obstruction involving the osteotomy or the common canaliculus. However, its necessity in non-complicated Ext-DCR is controversial.

Objective:

To study the effect of intubation and its duration on the results of non-complicated Ext-DCR.

Methods:

A prospective randomized interventional study that included 75 Ext-DCRs. Patients with a high risk of failure were not included. Patients were randomly distributed between 3 equal groups with either traditional 3 months intubation (group A), short-term intubation for 2-3 weeks (group B), or non-intubation (group C).

Results:

The success rate was 92%, 96%, and 92% in groups A, B, and C, respectively, with no significant differences (P = 0.853). Temporary foreign body sensation was reported in 16% in group A and 12% in group B. No significant complications were recorded in any of the 3 groups.

Conclusion:

Intubation (either short-term or 3 months) did not affect the results of Ext-DCR, which gives more evidence that it is not necessary in non-complicated cases.

Endoscopic DCR: A 10 Years Personal Experience

Endoscopic DCR is an endonasal minimally invasive procedure to bypass an obstructed nasolacrimal duct by creating a direct fistula between the lacrimal sac and the nasal cavity. This is a retrospective case series review of the author's experience in endoscopic DCR in the period from 2007 to 2017. This series included 193 adult patients with a mean age of 47 years who underwent endoscopic DCR surgery. In this study, both primary and revision cases were reviewed including non-stented primary cases and bilateral simultaneous surgeries at the same session. Causes of failure in primary surgeries were stated, and indications of secondary cases were also reviewed. As a conclusion, endoscopic DCR remains the standard procedure in treating nasolacrimal duct obstruction with its consequent symptoms of epiphora, recurrent or chronic dacryocystitis.