External and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy in chronic dacryocystitis: comparison of results

To compare external and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy outcomes in patients with chronic dacryocystitis, a total of 103 patients with the complaint of epiphora and diagnosed as chronic dacryocystitis were included in the study. We performed external dacryocystorhinostomy on 55 patients under local anesthesia and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy on 48 patients under general anesthesia by means of drill and placed silicon stents to all the patients. The patients were examined endoscopically, at postoperative intervals of 1 week, first month, third month, sixth month and the first year. The patency of the tubes and nasolacrimal ducts were evaluated by irrigation and complaints of the patients were noted. Silicon stents were harvested at the sixth week postoperatively. Outcomes were classified as successful when epiphora diminished, no recurrent infection was noted and minimal or no reflux from the canaliculis during or after lacrimal irrigation was seen. A prospective endoscopic surgery group was compared to a prospective control group (external dacryocystorhinostomy). Full success was achieved in 69.9% of the patients with external dacryocystorhinostomy group whereas the full success rate of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy was 89.7%. Recently popularized endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy is a safe and reliable procedure with high success rates.