Assessment of Patient Satisfaction Following External Versus Transcanalicular Dacryocystorhinostomy with a Diode Laser and Evaluation if Change in Quality of Life After Simultaneous Bilateral Surgery in Patients with Bilateral Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

Abstract

Aim: To compare patient satisfaction and experience after external dacryocystorhinostomy (EX-DCR) versus transcanalicular DCR (TC-DCR) with a diode laser and to evaluate the change in quality of life following simultaneous bilateral DCR.Methods: Prospective evaluation of 38 eyes of 19 patients with bilateral nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) who underwent TC-DCR for the right eye (Group 1) and EX-DCR for the left eye (Group 2) simultaneously. The subjective outcomes (tearing, irritation, pain, discharge, swelling, and change in visual acuity) of the patients in the two groups at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months were compared using a questionnaire. The patients answered the questions in the Glascow Benefit Inventory (GBI) to evaluate the change in quality of life after simultaneous bilateral DCR at 1 month and 3 months. The symptom scores were compared between Group 1 and Group 2 using a Mann–Whitney test. The Wilcoxon test was used for the comparison of intragroup differences.Results: The overall symptom scores significantly improved in both groups. The overall symptom score and six ocular symptom scores did not show a significant difference between the two groups at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. Quality of life of the patients significantly improved after simultaneous bilateral surgery according to GBI scoring at 1 month and 3 months.Conclusion: The subjective outcomes significantly improved in similar ways after successful TC-DCR and EX-DCR during the early postoperative period. Our study shows that simultaneous bilateral DCR confers a significant quality of life improvement.