DIY guide-needle-assisted conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR)

Abstract

In this study, we introduce DIY guide-needle-assisted conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR), in which a guide needle helps in measuring the initial Jones tube length for insertion and reduces unnecessary handling for tube changes. Three CDCR procedures were conducted in which the length of the Jones tube was calculated using a 22-gauge DIY guide needle, and a prospective study of tube position change and migration, (a major cause of CDCR failure) was done. Wound healing was almost complete within 4 weeks postoperatively in the osteotomy site, but in cases of partial middle turbinectomy, a little more time was necessary. There was a slight change in Jones tube position in the nasal cavity compared with the expected position of original tube tip, but no tube migration from the caruncle fixation position had occurred by the final follow-up time. This guide-needle-assisted CDCR has multiple advantages, such as easy measurement of the proper initial tube size, utilization of the initial needle path, and easy replacement of tubes. Finally, this approach to CDCR can be readily applied because it uses materials ordinarily found in hospitals to create the devices needed for the procedure, so there is no additional cost.