Efficacy of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy combined with bicanalicular silicone tube intubation for the management of chronic dacryocystitis with small lacrimal sac

[Objective] To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (En-DCR) Combined with bicanalicular silicone tube intubation (BSTI) for the Management of Chronic dacryocystitis with Small Lacrimal sac. [Methods] A total of 69 patients (69 eyes) with chronic dacryocystitis with small lacrimal sac diagnosed by CT dacryocystography(CT-DCG) treated with En-DCR combined with BSTI at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from July 2020 to March 2023 were reviewed. The surgery procedure exposed the plane of common canalicular, and followed by BSTI. The tube was removed 3 months after surgery. The basic data, surgical treatment, therapeutic effect (including anatomical and functional success rates) and complications of the included patients were recorded and analyzed through the follow-up data before and 9 months after surgery. [Results] Ultimately, 61 patients (61 eyes) were included in this study—21 males and 40 females—with a distribution of 33 right eyes and 28 left eyes. The mean age was calculated at 55.31±12.28 years (range: 27 to 75 years). All patients underwent a successful En-DCR with exposed the plane of common canalicular and BSTI. At the nine-month follow-up, the anatomical success rate of En-DCR was 80.33%(49/61), the functional success rate was 75.41%(46/61). No complications such as visual impairment,intraorbital hemorrhage, or spread of infection occurred during the follow-up period. [Conclusions] The combination of En-DCR and BSTI surgery for chronic dacryocystitis with small lacrimal sac can achieve a satisfactory therapeutic effect.