- Patient presented with the complaints of swelling and pain in the right side of the neck especially while eating
- Sialo endoscopy, a new advanced minimally invasive procedure was used to remove the stone
New Delhi, May 26, 2022:
In a rare case, a 1.6mm stone present in one of the salivary glands of a 12 year old girl was successfully removed by the experts of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi. The patient presented with the complaint of persistent swelling and pain in the right side of the neck especially while eating. Her father consulted many doctors for the problem but since the symptoms were vague the problem was not diagnosed at any other facility.
With her problem deteriorating with complaint of repeated swelling and pain in the neck, difficulty in breathing and eating solid or liquid food, the patient’s family was referred to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals by a local physician. Here, under the supervision of Dr Chanchal Pal, Senior Consultant, Department of ENT and Neck Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, she was diagnosed with a stone of 1.6mm in one of her salivary glands. Hence she was recommended to undergo an immediate removal of the stone through a new advanced technique, Sialo endoscopy.
Speaking about the same Dr Pal, said, “We have few salivary glands present in our head and neck region of the body which help in digestion and production of saliva. Sometimes due to infection or dehydration, stones can be formed in the tubes of the glands which ultimately stops the saliva production. Traditionally, the whole gland is removed is such conditions. But with the advancement in technology, the stones can be removed through Sialo endoscopy. It is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat and diagnose the disorders in salivary gland. Through the help of small tube the stone can be removed through this technique.
Same was the case with the 12 year old girl who was admitted with complaint of swelling and pain in neck while eating from past 3 months. If the condition was not treated immediately, it would have led to infection and swelling of other salivary gland that could have spread to other parts of the body and caused additional complications.
Therefore, her stone in salivary gland was successfully removed through Sialo endoscopic technique in a 30 minute long procedure. It was easy to see stone but as it was smooth small stone so retrieval was not usually easy. This whole procedure was done from inside of the mouth as to avoid any trauma to nearby nerves and to avoid a mark on the neck. The post-operative period was uneventful and patient has returned to her home happily.”
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