Evaluation of the efficacy of postoperative triamcinolone in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy using lacrimal symptom questionnaire.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of postoperative nasal triamcinolone spray use in primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy using The Lacrimal Symptom Questionnaire.

Methods: This study included a series of 50 consecutive retrospective cases with primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy and with silicone stent implantation who were followed up for 6 months postoperatively. Patients using nasal triamcinolone spray for 3 months postoperatively were included in the triamcinolone group. Patients not using triamcinolone were included in the control group. Lacrimal stents were removed 3 months postoperatively. The Lacrimal Symptom Questionnaire (Lac-Q) was performed in the preoperative and postoperative 6th month. Anatomical success, functional success, and changes in lacrimal symptom and social impact scores were compared between the two groups 6 months after surgery.

Results: Results of 48 endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomies performed on 48 patients (23 triamcinolone group, 25 control group) meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The anatomical success rate (95.7% vs. 84.0%, p = 0.350) and the functional success rate (91.3% vs. 76.0%, p = 0.249) were higher in the triamcinolone group, but this difference was not statistically significant. No complications were observed in the triamcinolone group, whereas complications developed in two patients in the control group (p = 0.490). The mean change in total lac-Q score was 11.0 in the triamcinolone group and 9.0 in the control group (p = 0.011). The mean change in social impact score was 4.0 in the triamcinolone group and 3.0 in the control group (p = 0.005). Mean change in lacrimal symptom score was 6.0 in the triamcinolone group and 6.0 in the control group (p = 0.368) CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated that postoperative use of triamcinolone spray increases the success rate of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy and also revealed that triamcinolone may also lead to greater improvement in quality of life scores than the control group using a validated questionnaire.