One-stitch anastomosis through the skin with bicanalicular intubation:a modified approach for repair of bicanalicular laceration

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of one-stitch anastomosis through the skin with bicanalicular silicone tube intubation in repairing of bicanalicular laceration.METHODS:The clinical data of 15 consecutive patients with both superior and inferior canalicular laceration in one eye who underwent surgical repair using one-stitch anastomosis through the skin and bicanalicular stent were retrospective studied.All the operations were performed under surgical microscope,5-0 silk sutures were used and were with bicanalicular silicone tube(diameter was 8mm) intubation,for one lacerated canaliculi one-stitch anastomosis through the skin.The stents were left in place for 3 months postoperatively and then removed.The follow-up period was 3-36 months(average 14 months). RESULTS:In 15 patients,13 patients were cured entirely,1 patient was meliorated,1 patient with no effects.All patients had got good recovery of eyelid laceration with no traumatic deformity in eyelid and canthus.Complication was seen in one case,for not followed the doctor’s guidance to come back to hospital to had the suture removed on the 7thday after operation,when he came at the 15thday,the inferior canalicular wall and eyelid skin were corroded by the suture caused 2mm wound,and the inside silicone tube was exposed,a promptly repair with 10-0 nylon suture was done,the wound healed in a week.There were no early tube protrusions and punctal slits in the patients.CONCLUSION:One-stitch anastomosis through the skin with bicanalicular silicone tube intubation is a good method in repair of bicanalicular laceration in one eye,the cut ends can be anastomosed directly,and with excellent cosmetic results,it is acceptable for the patients.For there is no suture remained in the wound permanently,so there is no suture-related granuloma which may cause obstruction or stenosis of canaliculi.It is simple,economical,effective and safe.

Old canalicular laceration repair:a retrospective study of the curative effects and prognostic factors

AIM： To investigate the epidemiology and surgical outcomes of old canalicular laceration and analyze the variables impacting on the prognosis of reparation. METHODS： A retrospective review of all old canalicular laceration repairs from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 30, 2015 was performed. Analyzed data included demographics, mechanisms of injury, the time from injury to repair, causes for delayed repair, old associated injuries, the types of surgery, and the effects of repair using canaliculus anastomosis combined with bicanalicular stent intubation. RESULTS： Totally 148 patients with old canalicular laceration received surgical repair and were enrolled. The mean age at presentation was 32.52 years old （ranged from 3 to 63 years old）. The 110 patients （74.32%） were male and 127 patients （85.81%） were adults （__.18 years old）. The old upper, lower, and bicanalicular lacerations were found in 5 （3.38%）, 39 （26.35%）, and 104 patients （70.27%）, respectively. The mechanism of old injury was primarily due to motor vehicle accidents （n=53, 35.81%）. The mean time from injury to repair was 43.61mo （ranged from 1 to 360mo）. Associated old ocular and orbit injuries were found in 65 patients （43.92%）, and chronic dacryocystitis in 18 patients （12.16%）. The main cause of delayed repair was that doctors or patients didn＇t pay attention to the canalicular laceration because of the concurrent severe injuries （n=71, 47.97%）. Totally 136 patients （91.89%） with old canalicular laceration underwent canaliculus anastomosis combined with bicanalicular stent intubation. In all of them, 20 patients （13.51%） were combined with dacryocystorhinostomy. In these cases, 132 patients （97.06%） attained anatomic success, 121 patients （88.97%）reported no epiphora （functional success）, 11 patients （8.09%） reported significant epiphora anesis （functional improvement）, and 4 （2.94%） reported no significant anesis （functional failure）. Rates of anatomic success and functional success were significantly correlated with different canaliculus involved. However, rates of anatomic success and functional success were not significantly affected by the time from injury to repair. CONCLUSION： The canalicular anastomosis combined with bicanalicular stent intubation could act as an effective therapeutics for old canalicular laceration.

Diagnosis of lacrimal canalicular diseases using ultrasound biomicroscopy: a preliminary study

· AIM: To evaluate the application of ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM) in the examination of lacrimal canalicular diseases, and to investigate UBM image characteristics of lacrimal canaliculi in disease states.·METHODS: Sixty cases(63 eyes, 69 canaliculi) of lacrimal canalicular diseases were enrolled that included32 patients(32 eyes, 32 canaliculi) with chronic lacrimal canaliculitis, 18 patients(18 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with previous lacrimal canalicular laceration, 9 patients(12eyes, 18 canaliculi) with congenital absence of lacrimal puncta and canaliculi, and 1 case(1 eye, 1 canaliculus)of canalicular mass. The patients were examined using UBM, and disease-specific features of the UBM images were noted.· RESULTS: UBM imaging of lacrimal canaliculi in chronic canaliculitis patients showed obvious ectasia of the lacrimal canalicular lumen. Dot-like moderate echoic signals were detected on some ectatic lumina of the lacrimal canaliculus. Some lumen-like structures of the lower lacrimal canaliculus were observed in 2(2 eyes, 2canaliculi) of the 9 patients(12 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with congenital absence of the lacrimal canaliculus. Of the 18patients(18 eyes, 18 canaliculi) with previous lacrimal canalicular laceration, the lacerated end on the nasal side of the lacrimal canaliculus was detected only in 14patients(14 eyes, 14 canaliculi).·CONCLUSION: UBM can be used to evaluate lacrimal canalicular diseases and can provide an imaging basis for the diagnosis of lacrimal canalicular diseases.

Risk factors for persistent epiphora following successful canalicular laceration repair

AIM:To identify the risk factors of epiphora in patients with anatomical patency after surgical repair of canalicular laceration.METHODS:This retrospective case series included 178 cases of canalicular laceration repair from 2005 to 2012.Demographic data collected from each patient included age,sex,type of injury,distance from the distal lacerated end of the canaliculus to the punctum,the severity score for the structural abnormity of the medial canthus,the duration of stent placement,and the timing of surgery.The risk factors for epiphora were evaluated using Logistic regression models.RESULTS:Among the 178 cases,45(25.3%)with lacrimal patency after irrigation had symptomatic epiphora at the final follow-up.Patients'sex,age,type of injury,duration of stent placement,timing of surgery,and concurrent trauma were not found to be significantly associated with symptomatic epiphora after surgical repair of the lacerated canaliculus(P>0.05).A distance of more than 5 mm from the distal cut end to the punctum was closely and significantly associated with symptomatic epiphora after surgical repair of the lacerated canaliculus(P<0.01).Symptomatic epiphora was significantly more frequent in patients with higher severity scores for structural abnormities of the medial canthus(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Our results indicate that the risk factors for postoperative symptomatic epiphora include a further distance between the distal cut end and the lacrimal punctum and a higher severity score for structural abnormities of the medial canthus.These findings could be used to prognosticate postoperative symptomatic epiphora.

A clinical application of laser direction in anastomosis for inferior canalicular laceration

Objective： To study the therapeutic efficiency and effecacy of laser-directing approach on searching for the nasal broken end of lacerated lacrimal canaliculus in anastomosis for canalicular laceration. Methods ： Forty-nine patients （ 49 eyes ） suffering from traumatic inferior canalicular laceration were divided into control group and laser-directing group. The distance between the lacrimal puncture and the nasal broken end of lacerated lacrimal canaliculus was more than 6 ram. During the course of management of eyelid trauma, the patients were treated by canalicular anastomosis operation with traditional method and laser-directing method in searching for the nasal broken end of lacerated lacrimal canaliculus respectively. The silicone tube of 1 mm diameter was intubated in the lacrimal passage as a stent for 4 to 6 months. Results： In the laser-directing group, the mean time in searching for the nasal broken end of lacerated lacrimal canaliculus was （5.75 ± 1.49） minutes and the mean time of operation was （49.21 ±3.37） minutes; both were significantly shorter than that of the control group （P 〈 0.01 ）. The cure rate of the laser-directing group was 96.55 %, higher than that of the control group but without statistical significance （ P 〉 0.05 ）. Conclusions： The laser-directing method is much quicker and more convenient to searching for the nasal broken end of the lacerated lacrimal canaliculus than the traditional approach, and patients suffer less pain and damaging in canalicular anastomosis operation.