Abstract

Although canalicular injuries are relatively common, controversy persists regarding indications for repair and the surgical methods that should be employed. In this review, these various treatment philosophies and techniques are analyzed in an historical and a contemporary context. The surgical anatomy, epidemiology and clinical presentation of canalicular injuries are discussed. Inconsistencies in current nomenclature regarding the surgical anatomy of canalicular lacerations are analyzed. Recent studies of lacrimal drainage in systems with monocanalicular obstruction are cited. Various surgical techniques in the repair of canalicular injuries are reviewed, including methods of identifying the medial lacerated lacrimal passages and the various lacrimal stents that have been used. The current popularity of silicone tubing as a lacrimal stent is reviewed. The various methods of stent placement and fixation are systematically categorized. Case series of canalicular repair reported in the literature are reviewed, and the results and complications are compared.