[Radio-wave surgery in the treatment of dacryocystitis]

By improving the existing surgical technologies for dacryocystitis, one enhances the effectiveness of patient rehabilitation.

To evaluate the effectiveness of radio-wave surgery in the treatment of dacryocystitis and lacrimal sac abscesses.

The clinical group consisted of 207 patients ranging in age from 7 to 89 years (the mean age of 41±7.3 years). For 39% of patients this was a repeated treatment, while 9.3% had undergone 4-5 surgical interventions. The following types of surgical interventions were performed: dacryocystorhinostomy with external approach and lacrimal stent placement - 128, dacryocystectomy for stenosing dacryocystitis with lacrimal stent placement - 21, dacryocystectomy without lacrimal stent placement in somatically complicated patients after repeated dissection of the abscess who developed fistula and granulation - 23, and lacrimal sac abscess drainage - 35. In all patients, the treatment involved high-frequency radio-wave surgery (3.8 to 4 MHz). The article contains a detailed description of the four types of interventions and provides an explanation of the choice of electrode, mode and power level.

Positive changes were observed in all cases of chronic dacryocystitis and lacrimal sac abscess. The patency of the lacrimal system, including canalicular and nasolacrimal tests, was assessed 6 months after dacryocystorhinostomy. The results were judged positive in all cases despite slowed dye evacuation in 11 cases. The severity of epiphora (Munk scores) decreased from 3.45±0.7 at baseline to 1.0±0.7 (p<0.05). In 5 dacryocystorhinostomy patients the stoma occluded.

Positive characteristics of radio-wave surgery help increase the effectiveness of surgical treatment of dacryocystitis, improve surgical performance, reduce duration of the procedure and postoperative care, reduce the number of complications, and achieve a better cosmetic effect.