Efficacy of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with and without mitomycin-C in chronic dacryocystitis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with and without intraoperative application of mitomycin-C in patients with chronic dacryocystitis. STUDY DESIGN An experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Ophthalmology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur, from September 2009 to December 2010. METHODOLOGY One hundred and sixty patients with chronic dacryocystitis undergoing external DCR were divided into two groups comprising of 80 patients each. Group A included patients, who underwent external DCR with intraoperative use of mitomycin-C. Group B included those patients who were not administered intraoperative mitomycin-C. Sociodemographic information and the data regarding the patency of the lacrimal drainage system by irrigation with normal saline were collected at the end of the third month after the surgery. Chi-square test was used, at 95% confidence level, as the test of significance to compare the success of surgery between the two groups. RESULTS Surgical success rate (efficacy) in group 'A' was found to be 97.5% and 86.25% in group 'B'. The difference in success rate was statistically significant (p=0.017). CONCLUSION External dacryocystorhinostomy with intraoperative mitomycin-C is more efficacious in achieving lacrimal system patency than external dacryocystorhinostomy without mitomycin-C.