Introduction: Sialoliths can be removed by sialendoscopy in some cases. But sometimes it fails if the stone is located in the proximal or hilum of Wharton's duct.
Aim: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the sialendoscopy-assisted intraoral incision approach to remove large stones located in the proximal or hilum of Wharton's duct, when sialendoscopy alone fails.
Material and methods: Twenty patients with large stones located in the proximal or hilum of Wharton's duct were included in our study. We used a sialendoscopy-assisted intraoral incision approach to remove large stones located in the proximal or hilum of Wharton's duct when endoscopy failed. The complications and treatment effect were observed.
Results: The stones were removed successfully in this way in all patients. Two cases had tongue numbness after the operation, and recovered 3 months later without additional intervention. No swelling or pain appeared during the 3-month to 1-year follow-up. Saliva could be observed from the orifice in 15 patients, with little or none in 5 patients.
Conclusions: The sialendoscopy-assisted intraoral incision approach to remove large stones located in the proximal or hilum of Wharton's duct is effective and safe.
Keywords: Wharton’s duct; sialendoscopy; stone; submandibular gland.
Copyright: © 2020 Fundacja Videochirurgii.