Nasolacrimal duct obstruction
OPERATIONS
Tympanic membrane and ossicle reconstruction Middle ear surgery for inflammatory lesions or cholesteatoma FESS – Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Nasolacrimal duct obstruction Tonsillotomy – “trimming” of palatine tonsils Middle ear tube surgery Adenoidectomy removal of the pharyngeal tonsil Tonsillectomy – removal of palatine tonsils Septoplasty Correction of nasal septum deformityOPERATIONS
Nasolacrimal duct obstruction is most often caused by recurrent inflammation. Obstruction can also be a congenital condition.
Symptoms of the disease depend on the obstruction site. The most common symptom is excessive tearing. Stagnation of tears in the tear ducts can also cause further infection and appearance of a bulge in the medial angle of the eye.
If pharmacological treatment and probing of tear ducts usually performed by an ophthalmologist do not bring improvement, surgical treatment is recommended.
Currently the recommended method of treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction is intranasal, endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). During the procedure a connection is made between the lacrimal sac and the nasal cavity, thanks to which tears avoid the narrowed area.
The operation requires general anesthesia. It is performed through the nose and therefore, after the procedure, there are no scars on the patient’s face. During the procedure, the doctor removes a bone fragment in the nasal cavity, exposing the lower part of the tear sac where an opening is created through which tears will flow into the nasal cavity. To reduce risk of the opening leading to tear ducts skinning over, a soft plastic stent is put on for a few months. Sometimes, it is necessary to adjust the shape of the nasal septum during surgery.
The operation usually takes about 1-1.5 hours. The patient can leave the hospital on the day of the procedure.