[Alternatives to recovery of lacrimal duct patency]

Based on his many years' experience in treating patients with lacrimal duct abnormalities and on his familiarity with the latest progress of endoscopic microsurgery of dacryocystitis, the author presents a historic analysis of the development of currently available surgical treatments of dacryocystitis in Russia and foreign countries. He reviews treatments divided into the following groups: 1) operations applying an external approach to the lacrimal sac, such as Toti's-type ones; 2) those applying an intranasal approach to the lacrimal sac, such as West's-type operations; 3) intranasal endoscopic microdacryocystorhinostomies; 4) intranasal laser microdacryocystorhinostomies; 5) transcanalicular endoscopic laser microdacryocystorhinostomies; 6) operations that recanalize the lacrimal duct; 7) medical treatments of dacryocystitis. The author emphases the merits and discloses the prospects of endoscopic microsurgical treatments for impaired lacrimal duct patency and dacryocystitis.