Difference between skin incision size at the start and at the end of external dacryocystorhinostomy

Abstract

Purpose To study the difference between the intended skin incision size at the start of the surgery in Ex-DCR and the actual final intraoperative incision size after its closure at the end of the surgery, and to look for a correlation between this difference and the patient’s age, gender and side of surgery. Methods A prospective Observational case series study was performed on 50 patients with unilateral nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The incision will be measured in millimeters using a caliper. The incision size was measured again after wound closure at the end of the surgery in millimeters. The difference between both sizes was correlated to the age, gender and side of surgery. Results The mean age of the patients was 45.6±16.6 years. Twenty-nine were females (58%). There was a statistically significant increase in the mean incision size at the end of the surgery (10.5±0.6 vs. 12.9±1.3 mm). This change was related to female gender, age above 50 years of age and procedures done on the left side. Conclusions Size of skin incision increases inevitably at the end of the surgery. The amount of increase is related to age, sex and side of the procedure.