Preoperative probing and dilation in nasolacrimal silicone intubation for incomplete primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstructionOA

AIM:To assess the influence of preoperative lacrimal passage probing and dilation on the therapeutic effectiveness of nasolacrimal silicone intubation in cases of incomplete primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction(PANDO).METHODS:A retrospective case-control clinical study was conducted.The study included patients with incomplete PANDO who underwent nasolacrimal silicone intubation at the hospital between October 2022 and October 2024.Participants were categorized into two groups based on their receipt of nasolacrimal duct probing and dilation prior to intubation.Group A consisted of patients who had undergone one or more sessions of nasolacrimal duct probing and dilation before nasolacrimal silicone intubation,while Group B included patients who did not receive nasolacrimal duct probing and dilation before intubation.All patients had their nasolacrimal silicone tubes removed 3 mo postoperatively and were monitored for 6 mo following tube removal to evaluate surgical success rates.RESULTS:A total of 136 patients(152 eyes)completed the six-month follow-up period.The overall surgical success rate for both groups was 72.4%(110/152 eyes).Group A included 22 males and 36 females,mean age 58.09±11.07 y,and achieved a success rate of 82.8%(53/64 eyes),while Group B included 27 males and 51 females,mean age 59.35±8.84 y and attained a success rate of 64.8%(57/88 eyes).The difference in surgical success rates between the two groups was statistically significant(P=0.014).Furthermore,Group A achieved a complete success rate of 67.2%(43/64 eyes),compared to 47.7%(42/88 eyes)in Group B,with this difference also reaching statistical significance(P=0.017).No serious postoperative complications were observed in either group.CONCLUSION:Nasolacrimal silicone intubation is a safe and effective intervention for incomplete PANDO,with preoperative nasolacrimal duct probing and dilation potentially enhancing therapeutic outcomes.