Background: Nasolacrimal duct obstruction as a common problem causes bothersome social and physical symptoms such as euphoria, acute and chronic dacryocystitis attacks, pain, pruritus and erythm of eye. Although, there is no consensus about available therapeutic methods. So the aim of this study is to investigate and compare the effect and complications of endoscopic dacryocystorhinstomy and patients' preferences in two common surgical methods for settling nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 220 patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction were randomly divided into two groups and underwent external and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy surgery. Finally, patients were compared with a view to echymosis and tearing after operation and the time of surgery and bleeding during operation. The patients data were analysed by Chi-square test and using SPSS-16 software.

Results: Our results show significant difference between two groups in post-operative echymosis, post-operative bleeding and the time of surgery (p=0.000). There was no significant difference in post-operative tearing between two groups (p=0.418).

Conclusion: According to the results of our study, the use of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy is remarkably better than external dacryocystorhinostomy Therefore, with regard to the most of patients' tendency to endoscopic surgery, surgeons should achieve more experience in this method.