Introduction: Silicone stents are often employed in dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) procedures to maintain the patency of the newly created tear drainage passage during the healing stage. These stents are flexible, biocompatible, and generally well tolerated by patients. They help prevent adhesion formation and ensure that the surgical opening remains open as the tissue heals. Use of stents in primary DCR is well documented, but their advantages in revision DCR need further exploration. We evaluated the advantages of silicone stents in revision endoscopic DCR performed at a tertiary care hospital. Objective: To compare the surgical success rates of revision endoscopic DCR with and without the use of silicone stents, analyze the incidence of postoperative complications, assess patient satisfaction and quality of life following revision endoscopic DCR using standardized patient questionnaires and evaluate the effectiveness of silicone stents in maintaining ostium patency during the healing process. Methods: The present prospective, interventional, hospital-based study involved 160 patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction with patent upper and lower canaliculi with symptoms like epiphora, discharge from the eye, swelling in the lacrimal region, hard stop on lacrimal syringing and previous failed endoscopic endonasal DCR and common canalicular obstruction for 2 years. Results: When compared with the non-silicone stent group, the silicone stent group experienced shorter hospital stays, larger anatomical patency, lower recurrence rates, higher satisfaction, and higher success rates. Conclusion: In revision DCR, the use of silicone stents greatly improves surgical results, patient satisfaction, recurrence rates, and hospital stays.
Sonawane et al. (2026) studied this question.