Can Lester Jones tubes be tolerated for decades?

PurposeLester Jones described canalicular bypass tubes 50 years ago. We present a cohort of patients with Jones' tubes first placed between 1969 and 1989, and who were reviewed within the last 15 years.Patients and methodsRetrospective case-note review for living patients identified as having had Jones' tube placement prior to 1990. The duration of Jones' tube usage was noted and the number of replacements recorded.ResultsTwenty-nine patients (33 eyes) had maintenance of their Jones' tube(s) within the last 15 years, and had first tube placement before 1990. The average follow-up was 29.5 years (median 28.8 years, range 17-45.7 years). The original tube was present in 8/33 (24%) of eyes, at a mean survival of 34 years (33.3 years; range 29.4-44.4 years). The number of tube replacements during follow-up ranged from 0 to 9 (mean 1.7; median 1). When considering the initially placed tube in all 33 eyes, however, the survival ranged between 18 days and 44.4 years (mean 13.6 years; median 6.9 years). At last follow-up, 11/33 (33%) of eyes had lost their tubes, with 9 having minimal or no symptoms.ConclusionsThese patients with Jones' tube placement before 1990 provides the first recorded evidence that the device can be tolerated for at least four decades, and that some patients will-with appropriate outpatient maintenance-retain their originally placed tube. This information may be useful in counselling patients about the lifetime expectation for bypass tubes.