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Comparison of preoperative and postoperative results of "canalicular triangular flap" and "triangular three-snip"
Elif H L Turkoglu1, Arzu T Comez2, Mustafa Demir3
1Ophthalmology Department, Malkara State Hospital, Tekirdag, Turkey.
Purpose:
To compare the results and success rates of patients with epiphora due to punctal stenosis operated with the "canalicular triangular flap punctoplasty" and the "triangular three -snip punctoplasty" using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).
Methods:
This study is a retrospective cohort analysis of patients who were diagnosed with punctal stenosis and underwent canalicular triangular flap or triangular three-snip punctoplasty between September 2021 and June 2022.
Results:
The study included 80 eyes of 43 patients consisting of 15 males and 28 females. Forty eyes underwent canalicular triangular flap punctoplasty (Group A) and 40 eyes underwent triangular three-snip punctoplasty (Group B) technique. The mean age of the patients was 63.9 ± 10.9 years (37-88 years). In Group A, the anatomic success was 100% and functional success was 95% at 6 months. In Group B, 77.5% functional success and 75% anatomic success were achieved at 6 months.
Conclusions:
The canalicular triangular flap technique was more successful in providing punctal patency both anatomically and functionally than the triangular three-snip punctoplasty. AS-OCT is a method that provides objective, quantitative results in the diagnosis and follow-up of punctal stenosis and may be used more widely in punctum and vertical canaliculi pathologies.
