ENDOSCOPIC HOLMIUM-YAG LASER DACRYOCYSTORHINOSTOMY

The early results of the first 50 primary endonasal laser dacryocystor hinostomies in 49 patients performed with the holmium:YAG laser are pr esented, Overall, 35 (70%) were successful in relieving symptoms of na solacrimal obstruction after a mean follow-up-period of 4 months, This improved to 79% in the subgroup of patients who underwent intubation of the naso-lacrinal system. These results were similar to the results of a retrospective study of 67 patients,undergoing conventional dacry ocystorhinostomy in our unit. Conventional surgery was performed under general anaesthesia in all but 1 case and all were treated as inpatie nts, with a mean hospital stay of 2.3 days, whereas all but 1 of the l aser group had their surgery under local anaesthesia and 46 operations (94%) were performed as an outpatient procedure, Surgery was signific antly quicker with the endonasal laser technique and 90% of patients q uestioned found this technique to be entirely acceptable.