To evaluate the surgical results of endonasal dacrocystorhinostomy with two silicone intubation in common canalicular obstruction.

Forty patients (57 eyes) who complained of tearing due to common canalicular obstruction underwent endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. In this study, We randomly divided patients into two groups. One group underwent one-silicone tube intubation (29 eyes, group A) and the other group underwent two-silicone tube intubation (28 eyes, group B). After surgery, we compared the success rates and the causes of surgical failure between the two groups.

There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to age, sex, duration of silicone intubation, or follow-up time. The primary success rates of the group A and the group B were 65.5% (19/29) and 85.7% (24/28) [(P=0.078)], respectively. the final success rates after the revisional surgery were 76.4% (21/29) and 92.8% (26/28) [(P=0.043)] respectively. Primary causes of surgical failure in the group A were: membranous obstruction of the internal ostium (6), common canalicular re-obstruction (2), sump syndrome (1), and functional obstruction (1). The main causes of surgical failure in the group B were: membranous obstruction of the internal ostium (2), and granuloma formation (2).

We believe that endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy with two-silicone tube intubation might be an excellent alternative treatment modality in order to improve success rates in common canalicular obstruction.