Results and complications of external dacryocystorhinostomy surgery at a teaching hospital in Iran

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a survey of outcomes, failure frequency rates, and other complications of dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) at a teaching hospital in Iran.

METHODS: In this outcome study, we survey the results of DCR in 187 consecutive chronic dacryocystitis patients operated at the Eye Department of Yazd Medical University, Iran from March 2001 to April 2003. We investigated the results and probable complications of this surgical procedure.

RESULTS: Our data shows that the success rate of the operation was 90.4% with a confidence interval of 95% (86.3-94.5). The success rate was 91% in female and 89.3% in males (p=0.543). The failure rate was 9.6%. According to the methods used in this study, the success rate of the external method with silastic intubation was 96.3% and 88% without. These differences, however, were not statistically significant (p=0.08). The most frequent and important complication of DCR was failure and recurrence of epiphora or purulent discharge (9.6%). The less frequent complications included scar formation (8.6%), wound infection (5.3%) and granuloma formation (3.2%). There were no complications during the operation.

CONCLUSION: External DCR is an easy technique with a success rate of more than 90%, with few complications.