Endoscopic holmium:YAG laser dacryocystorhinostomy-safe and effective as a day-case procedure.

Endoscopic holmium laser dacryocystorhinostomy can be used safely and efficiently to relieve symptoms of distal nasolacrimal duct obstruction. It has great advantages over the conventional external approach as it can be done as a day-case procedure under local anaesthesia. The excellent ablation of bone and soft tissue using this type of laser contribute to the fact that the procedure can be performed in a mean time of 20 minutes. We report on the results of our first 50 patients and review the literature on the subject.