The Effects of Silicone Tube Intubation During Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy in Patients With Acute Dacryocystitis With Acquired Skin Fistulization.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the silicone tube intubation requirement for endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (En-DCR) in patients with acute dacryocystitis (AD) with acquired skin fistulization. METHODS: Between September 2012 and October 2020, patients with AD and acquired skin fistulization undergoing En-DCR at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University were randomized into treatment groups in which silicone tube intubation was carried out or not (groups A and B, respectively). All patients with skin fistulae present for 1+ months at En-DCR underwent fistulectomy. Operative success was assessed at 12 months post En-DCR in both treatment groups. Multiple logistic analyses were performed to assess for influencing factors on surgical success. RESULTS: This study evaluated 94 patients for whom complete postoperative data were available, including 45 in group A and 44 in group B. Overall, 15 patients underwent fistulectomy and En-DCR simultaneously (8 from group A; 7 from group B ). At 12-month follow-up, anatomic and functional success rates were higher for patients in group A (93.3%, 86.7%) relative to those in group B (77.3%, 68.2%) (P<0.05). Intranasal ostium obstruction caused lacrimal passage reconstruction failure in group A. In contrast, intranasal ostium and canalicular obstruction caused it in patients in group B. No significant variations in operation success rates across groups were seen when group B cases with canalicular obstruction were eliminated from the analyses (P=0.070, >0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed operative success was significantly influenced by fistulectomy (OR: 1.641, P<0.05) and intubation (OR: -1.559, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings imply that in patients with AD with skin fistulization undergoing En-DCR, intraoperative intubation is linked with a lower incidence of canalicular obstruction and positive outcomes. Accordingly, intraoperative intubation should be performed when operating on patients with AD with skin fistulization.