Effects of Analgesics and Sedatives before Silicone-tube Intubation on Patients’ Pain with Nasolacrimal Duct Stenosis

Purpose: We investigated the effect of preoperative administration of analgesics and sedatives on pain levels during silicone tube intubation conducted under local anesthesia in patients with acquired nasolacrimal duct stenosis.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records from 121 patients at the ophthalmology department of our hospital from July 2016 to May 2022. In total, 71 patients were administered acetaminophen and diazepam orally, while the remaining 50 were not. Postoperative pain (measured using the visual analogue scale [VAS] score [0 = no pain, 10 = severe pain] immediately after operation), operative duration, and improvement in epiphora symptoms were compared between the two groups.Results: The premedication group had significantly lower VAS scores than the non-premedication group (5.23 ± 2.75 vs. 6.34 ± 2.33, p = 0.02). It also had a notably shorter (p < 0.01) operation duration and higher subjective improvement rate of epiphora symptoms. However, premedication did not influence the tube retention period post-surgery (p = 0.86).Conclusions: The administration of analgesics and sedatives prior to silicone tube intubation effectively mitigates operative pain and reduces operation duration. Furthermore, it may help improve postoperative epiphora symptoms.