Concomitant nasal procedures in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is the preferred treatment for lacrimal duct blockage. Endoscopic DCR has been practised increasingly in recent years as it avoids a facial scar and can be performed as a day procedure. Recent improvements in endonasal surgical technique led to success rates of up to 90 per cent. However, the endonasal approach often requires septal or turbinate surgery to optimze access to the lacrimal area. The incidence of concomitant procedures was investigated in 256 patients undergoing endonasal nonlaser DCR. In this study 55 out of 256 patients (21.5 per cent) required additional endonasal procedures to improve access to the lacrimal area. It is therefore advisable that otolaryngologists are involved in this procedure.