Patient-Reported Quality-of-Life Benefit and Symptom Improvement After Lacrimal Drainage Surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Otorhinolaryngology
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Epiphora, or excessive tearing, significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is a surgical procedure to address epiphora by restoring lacrimal drainage.
• Evaluating patient-reported outcomes is crucial for understanding the full benefit of DCR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the postoperative quality-of-life benefits following DCR for epiphora using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI).
• To determine the association between quality-of-life improvements and symptomatic relief measured by the Munk score.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 61 patients who underwent DCR for epiphora.
• Collected data included Munk scores (pre- and post-op), dacryocystography (DCG) findings, and Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) scores at 6 months.
• Analyzed correlations between GBI scores and Munk score improvement, with subgroup analyses.

Main Results:

• DCR achieved 100% anatomic success and 90.2% subjective success.
• Significant reduction in Munk scores (median 3 to 0, P <0.001) and high GBI total scores (mean 39.56±27.25) were observed.
• Greater Munk score improvement strongly correlated with higher GBI scores (rho=0.473, P <0.001); higher GBI scores were noted with obstructive DCG findings.

Conclusions:

• Dacryocystorhinostomy surgery offers substantial symptomatic relief and enhances patient quality of life.
• Combining symptom-based scores (Munk) with patient-reported outcomes (GBI) provides a comprehensive assessment of surgical success.
• The findings support the utility of GBI in evaluating the benefits of lacrimal drainage surgery.