Which patients are candidates for transnasal lacrimal sac rhinostomy?

Given the many advantages of the transnasal lacrimal sac nasal anastomosis, which patients are suitable candidates for this surgical option? First of all, this surgical approach involves abandoning the posterior portion of the lacrimal duct and still utilizing the anterior portion of the lacrimal duct and rerouting it. Therefore, it requires that the patient has a functioning lacrimal duct with a certain size of lacrimal sac remaining. Patients with blocked lacrimal ducts or patients with severe structural damage to the lacrimal sac due to trauma are not suitable for this approach. Secondly, the surgery is performed in the nasal cavity, and patients with obvious abnormalities in the nasal cavity structure or a deviated nasal septum that causes a narrow nasal space are also not suitable for this option, so we routinely check whether the patient’s nasal cavity is suitable for surgery before surgery. Again, patients with severe hypertension and other diseases that are not well controlled are not suitable for this procedure because of the risk of nasal hemorrhage. Taken together, patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction, no significant abnormalities in the nasal structure, and no contraindications to systemic diseases can choose this procedure.