Is Nasal Packing Necessary After Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy Without Stent and Mucosal Flaps Preservation?

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nasal packing on the surgical success and postoperative complications of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EnDCR) without using stents and mucosal flaps.

Methods: The retrospective study comprised of 75 eyes of 65 consecutive patients undergoing EnDCR with the biting and removing technique. The patients were assigned to 2 groups depending on whether the biodegradable synthetic polyurethane foam was used or not (the packing group, 34 eyes; the nonpacking group, 41 eyes). At least 6 months after the EnDCR, the postoperative outcomes including anatomical and functional successes, and the postoperative complications such as synechia, granuloma, and bleeding were compared between the packing and nonpacking groups.

Results: Synechia was lower in the packing group (23.5% versus 24.4%) but it was not statistically significant (P = 0.93). There were also no significant differences in the granuloma and bleeding complications between the 2 groups (respectively, P = 0.72, P = 0.08). The success rates of anatomical and functional reached 88% in the packing group compared with 82.9%, and 75.6% in the nonpacking group (respectively, P = 0.74, P = 0.76).

Conclusions: The present study findings suggest that both groups have no superiorities over each other in the surgical outcomes after the EnDCR. However, further randomized studies are recommended before the generalization can be made.