Surgeon uses sialoendoscopy to remove 27 stones from patient’s salivary gland

Bhubaneswar: As many as 27 stones were removed from the submandibular duct of a young male patient by using sialoendoscopy at SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) recently.

Sialoendoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure to diagnose and treat salivary gland disorders and the procedure involves an extremely small endoscope measuring 1.3 mm which is introduced into the salivary gland duct to directly address the cause of obstruction, Dr Radhamadhab Sahu, senior consultant of ENT and Skull Base Surgery at the hospital who conducted the surgery, said.

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The gland became functional again after the procedure was done, he said.

Dr Sahu said in many centres it is a routine practice to remove the entire salivary gland when stones are found in it leaving a visible scar on the neck of the patient. After this technique was introduced in SUMUM, many patients of all age groups have benefitted and it has been possible to preserve the salivary gland, he said.

Sialoendoscopy is a promising new method used for diagnosis, treatment and post operative management of sialadenitis, sialothiasis and other obstructive salivary gland diseases, Dr. Sahu said.