Factors affecting the need for silicon tube implantation in cases of congenital dacriostenosis: Time of delivery, mode of delivery and age of operation

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the delivery time, mode of delivery, age at the time of operation, and surgical methods applied in cases of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO). Methods This study retrospectively included a total of 207 eyes of 160 patients who underwent surgery for CNLDO between February 2012 and April 2021. According to their age at the time of operation, the patients were divided into 0–12, 12–24, 24–36, 36–48 and > 48 months groups. The cases were evaluated as term/preterm according to the delivery time and cesarean section/vaginal delivery according to the mode of delivery. The surgical methods applied were examined as probing alone and probing plus silicone tube implantation. Results Of the cases, 190 (91.8%) were born at term and 17 (0.08%) were born preterm, and there was no statistically significant difference in the silicone tube implantation rates according to the time of delivery. The rate of tube implantation was statistically significantly higher in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean section group (p = 0.001; p < 0.01). The rate of silicone tube implantation was higher in those who were older than the age of the operation. Conclusions Although the rate of those who were born by cesarean section was higher in probing cases, those who required silicone intubation were more common in those who were born vaginally. This suggests that dacryostenosis in the vaginally born cases resulted from a persistent structural and anatomical obstruction despite the presence of a high intrauterine pressure increase and enzymatic lysis.