Aim To analyse the long-term outcome of lacrimal bypass surgery with an angled extended Jones’ tube.

Design Retrospective, non-comparative, non-interventional case series.

Methods Seventy-one patients who underwent transcaruncular insertion of an angled extended Jones’ tube between 1995 and 2005 were followed up over a median period of 8.7 years (range 11 days–17 years).

Main outcome measures Patency and anatomic position of the tube, type and time lapse of the complications and subjective relief of epiphora.

Results Overall, complications occurred in 39% of the tubes (35/90) at a median of 25 days (range 3 days–6 years) after the insertion. The major complications, that is, tube displacement or obstruction, were observed in 31% (28/90), with an incidence rate of 8% per year. The minor complications, that is, conjunctival overgrowth or granuloma at the lateral end, were encountered in 8% (seven of 90). The 10-year tube survival rate was 60%, with complete relief of epiphora in 88% of the patients.

Conclusions The long-term outcome with the angled extended Jones’ tube inserted transcaruncularly remains relatively good, with most of the complications occurring in the early postoperative period.