Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube. A 10-year study

One hundred and eight patients (111 eyes) underwent conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with a Jones tube for treatment of epiphora resulting from canalicular obstruction. Sixty-nine patients (63.9%) were females and thirty-nine (36.1%) were males. Their ages ranged from 9 to 64 years, the mean age being 30.1 years. The causes of lacrimal drainage abnormalities included idiopathy (76 cases, 68.5%), trauma (15 cases 13.5%), tumors (8 cases, 7.2%) congenital abnormalities (6 cases, 5.4%) and conjunctival inflammation (6 cases, 5.4%). Twenty-eight (36.8%) eyes in the idiopathic group had previous failed dacryocystorhinostomies. The operation was successful in 90.1% of the eyes with relief of epiphora. Fifty-one out of 111 (45.9%) eyes had complications. Extrusion of the tube was the most frequent complication occurring in 20 (18%) eyes. Malposition (12 eyes 10.8%), infection (12 eyes, 10.8%) and obstruction of the tube (7 eyes, 6.3%) were the other major complications. Of the 20 eyes with tube extrusion, 11 experienced recurrent tube losses. Five of 11 eyes were free of epiphora after tube loss. Four out of five had the tube in place for 2 to 5 years and one had the tube, in place for one year. The remaining 6 eyes which had the tubes for 6 months to 3 years were complicated by epiphora. Our experience confirms the general belief that the tube should stay in place forever. The large majority of our patients could wear their tubes successfully and have done so in our practice for as long as 10 years.