Surgeries of the lacrimal drainage system – A review

Nasolacrimal system serves as a conduit for tear flow from eye to the nasal cavity. Periodic blinking initiates a pump mechanism, helping in the even distribution of tears over the ocular surface, which then flows into the lacrimal sac and finally to the nasal cavity via the nasolacrimal duct (NLD). Obstruction in this system leads to inadequate tear drainage, which clinically presents as epiphora. Lacrimal outflow system disorders are very annoying to the patients, and sometimes vision threatening. Surgery is a definitive solution for most outflow obstructions, and patients should be counseled accordingly. Chronic use of topical medications for NLD problems is neither cost-effective nor efficacious, but only prolongs agony. This article aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the commonly performed lacrimal drainage surgeries. Literature search using PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar with a combination of various words appropriate to this article was done and relevant articles were reviewed.