Assessment of the role of intranasal silicone-tube fixation in congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction: a comparative study

• Published in: Delta Journal of Ophthalmology 2021-10, Vol.22 (4), p.323-329
• Main Authors: Yomna A Alahmadawy, Rana A Abdelfattah, Kareem B Elessawy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: intranasal tube fixation; lacrimal tube extrusion; nasolacrimal intubation
• ISSN: 1110-9173; 2090-4835
• DOI: 10.4103/djo.djo_34_21

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of intranasal lacrimal tube fixation compared with no fixation on postoperative lacrimal tube stability. Patients and methods This is a prospective, comparative, interventional study that included 160 eyes of 133 children with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Cases were randomly categorized into two groups: group A that included 80 eyes for whom intranasal fixation of lacrimal tube was performed and group B that included 80 eyes for whom lacrimal intubation without tube fixation was performed. Results Tube extrusion occurred in three (3.8%) eyes of group A compared with 14 (17.5%) eyes of group B after the first month of follow-up, a statistically significant difference (P=0.005). At the end of the sixth postoperative month, the tube was still present in 71 (88.75%) eyes in group A compared with 58 (72.5%) eyes in group B with a statistically significant difference (P=0.009). Loose tube occurred in five (6.25%) eyes of group A compared with 16 (20%) eyes of group B with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.018). Tubes were well tolerated in 68 (85%) eyes of group A and in 54 (67.5%) eyes of group B, a statistically significant difference (P=0.009). A positive correlation was detected between the looseness of the tube and tube tolerance (P