Objective: To compare the outcomes of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) patients undergoing nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLD) probing in whom momentary probe indwelling was and was not performed.
Study design: Randomised controlled trial.
Place and duration of study: Department of Orbital and Oculoplastic Surgery, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China, from June 1, 2021, to January 30, 2022.
Methodology: Two hundred and four patients with CNLDO (217 eyes) were enrolled and underwent NLD probing. These patients were randomly assigned to undergo NLD probing with or without momentary probe indwelling. Specifically, no indwelling was performed for patients in Group A, whereas probe indwelling for 5 minutes was performed for patients in Group B. Patients were additionally separated into simple and complex CNLDO groups based on intraoperative exploration results. Preoperative characteristics, success rates, and procedure-related complications were compared among these patient groups, with the shortest follow-up time point being 6 months.
Results: In total, 205 eyes from 192 patients were included in the final study analyses. The respective success rates in Groups A and B were 92.08% and 94.23%, respectively (p = 0.541). The success rates for simple CNLDO procedures in Groups A and B were 97.65% and 96.43%, respectively (p = 0.640), whereas for complex CNLDO procedures these success rates were 62.50% and 85.00% (p = 0.146). Age, unilateral or bilateral disease, and prior dacryocyst massage were not found to be associated with the risk of operative failure.
Conclusion: While NLD probing is a beneficial treatment for children affected by CNLDO that is associated with satisfactory outcomes, momentary probe indwelling did not confer any additional benefits and is thus likely to be unnecessary.
Key words: Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, Nasolacrimal duct probing, Indwelling time.