Endoscopic laser-assisted lacrimal surgery.

Since Sept. 1, 1989, we have successfully performed 20 video-endoscopic, transnasal, laser-assisted lacrimal procedures on 18 patients ranging in age from 3 to 88 years. This technique avoided a cutaneous scar and caused less surgical trauma and bleeding than that seen in conventional lacrimal surgery, which shortened postoperative recovery time and lessened postoperative pain. With minor modifications in surgical technique, both dacryocystorhinostomy and conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy were performed with either the potassium titanyl phosphate or carbon dioxide lasers. The use of the video endoscope allowed laser surgery to be performed across a broad range of intranasal structural variations and provided an excellent medium for teaching this new technique.