Silicone intubation for the treatment of congenital lacrimal duct obstruction: successful results removing the tubes after six weeks.

There is little agreement in the ophthalmic literature on the optimum length of time that silicone tubes should be left in place after lacrimal intubation for the treatment of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Various authors have recommended leaving the tubes in for 3 to 6 months. The authors of this article believe this to be an excessive amount of time. Lacrimal probing, inferior turbinate fracture, and silicone intubation were performed in children ranging in age from 3 months to 5 years. The tubes were removed after 6 weeks in all cases. Resolution of epiphora and dacryocystitis was achieved in all cases. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 81 months. The authors recommend that the silicone tubes be removed after 6 weeks. They also believe that fracture of the inferior turbinate should be performed along with silicone intubation.