The authors describe a retrospective review of 18 patients (25 eyes) who underwent medial conjunctivoplasty for epiphora between 2000 and 2012. In all cases, the epiphora was felt to be predominantly due to the mechanical disruption of normal tear flow or dry eye exacerbation due to conjunctivochalasis. Patients requiring more than one eyelid procedure that would affect lacrimal pump function performed at the same time as the conjunctivoplasty or had clinically significant lid malposition or nasolacrimal duct obstruction were excluded. At an average of 2.7 months post-conjunctivoplasty, 80% of patients experienced an improvement in their epiphora with 60% reporting minimal or no tearing postoperatively. One third of the patients ultimately needed an additional surgical procedure for unresolved or recurrent tearing. The authors conclude that simple medial conjunctivoplasty is an effective treatment for patients with epiphora secondary to conjunctivochalasis.
Medial conjunctivoplasty for epiphora associated with conjunctivochalasis
Reviewed by Vinod Gauba
Medial conjunctival resection for tearing associated with conjunctivochalasis.
