Mitomycin C augmented canalicular silicone intubation versus external dacryocystorhinostomy in primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Given the improvement in the instruments and techniques, novel surgical interventions emerged to avoid osteotomy from the gold standard dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) for treating primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). This study compares external dacryocystorhinostomy versus canalicular silicone intubation using Mitomycin C (MMC) in primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO).

METHODS

60 cases were diagnosed with primary acquired NLDO enrolled in a retrospective study at the Department of Ophthalmology, Menoufia University Hospital, Egypt, from June 2021 to July 2023. Data were collected from patient files, the study was conducted, statistics were conducted and the research was written during the period from May 2024 to August 2024. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: thirty cases underwent external DCR (Group Ex-DCR), and twenty-six underwent silicone intubation with MMC (Group SIMMC). This study was registered in the clinical trials with Gov ID: NCT037808.

RESULTS

At six months, external DCR and SI with MMC had success rates of 90% and 80.7%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference between both groups.

CONCLUSION

Silicon intubation with MMC is comparable to external DCR in terms of safety and efficacy, with the advantage of being a less invasive procedure, more accessible with a shorter learning curve, and shorter operative time in primary acquired NLDO.