[Treatment of lacrimal duct obstruction with a Tear-Leader stent].

PURPOSE To compare the effectiveness and patency of the TearLeader stent (PBN) for treatment of lacrimal system obstruction. METHODS A prospective study of 68 patients referred from the ophthalmology department with suspicion of lacrimal system obstruction. We placed 74 TearLeader PBN stents. Inclusion criteria were: complete obstruction of lacrimal duct with canalicula and lacrimal puncta patency, and absence of acute infection. We studied the clinical improvement by means of an opinion survey, and the patency of stents was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS Follow-up of patients was two years. A painful procedure was reported in 10% of cases. Minor dacryocystitis appeared in 18.9% of cases, while complete resolution of epiphora was confirmed in 77% of cases (23% of cases showed grade I epiphora). Patency of stents: median patency 490 days (15 months), range 11 to 730 days; 1 year after stent placement patency was 0.51 and long term patency rate for 2 years was 0.31. Opinion survey of the 68 patients: satisfaction with the technique, the procedure and prosthesis placement was 41%; satisfaction whilst the stent remained patent was 60.8%. CONCLUSION Tearleader stent placement is easy to perform and comfortable for patients. TearLeader placement gave a patency outcome similar to other stents (Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 2009; 84: 515-522).