Secondary haemorrhage after dacryocystorhinostomy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence, clinical features, possible risk factors and outcome of patients suffering secondary haemorrhage after dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). METHODS: Records of all patients undergoing external DCR by one surgeon (AAM) over a 6-year period were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: After 293 DCR operations in 260 patients, 10 patients had a secondary haemorrhage (one after bilateral DCR), usually between days 4 and 10 post-operatively (mean 6.8 days). Six of the 10 were hospitalized for 2-5 days (mean 2.8 days), all of whom had nasal packing, intravenous antibiotics and intravenous fluids; none required blood transfusion. Three patients had immune system defects, th..