Incidence and management techniques of severed lacrimal canaliculi : 11 years experience

الملخص EN

Objectives : To study the incidence and technique for repair of lacrimal canalicular laceration at the Royal Medical Services military hospitals in Jordan.

Methods : A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent mono-canalicular or bi-canalicular laceration microscopic repair with or without stenting consecutively between May 2003 and March 2014 at Royal Medical Services Military hospitals was conducted.

Collected data included: age, gender, cause of injury, time between injury and surgical treatment, affected canaliculus, other adnexal injury, coexisting ocular injury, type of stent used, duration of stenting, anatomical and functional success after removal of stent.

Results : Forty- four patients were included in this study.

The mean age was 18.2 years (range 1.5- 63 year).

Males represented 88.6 % of the patients and females 11.4 % with a ratio of 7.8:1.

The lower canaliculus was injured in 68.2 %, the upper canaliculus in 27.7 %, and both upper and lower in 4.5 % of cases.

Associated ocular injuries were seen in 29.5 % of cases.

The most common cause of injury was falling down with direct injury to the canaliculus, 47.7 %.

Mini-Monoka stent was used in 75 % and Mono-stent in 25 % of cases.

Premature stent extrusion was noticed in 18.2 % of cases.

The stent was removed between 3 and 6 months in 81.8 % of cases.

All cases had patent lacrimal drainage system after removal of stent.

Postoperative epiphora not subjectively annoying to the patient was found in 61.4 % of cases.

Duration of follow up after stent removal ranged between 3 and 12 months, mean 6.4 months.