Audit of minimally-invasive surgery for submandibular sialolithiasis

Sialolithiasis is one of most common diseases to affect major salivary glands, with a symptomatic incidence of 27 cases per million per annum. The majority form within the submandibular gland where minimally-invasive treatments have all but eliminated adenectomy. All records of patients presenting with submandibular stones between 1997 and 2015 were reviewed. Stones <5 mm were retrieved through endoscopic or radiographic techniques, 5-7 mm stones were initially considered for extra-corporeal shock wave lithotripsy, but after poor results were treated through intraoral surgical removal with those >7 mm. Follow up was performed at 1 week and 3 months with current status performed with postal and telephone questionnaires. 378 patients had 424 stones removed, successful retrieval in 94% (n = 356), with 50 having had previous failures. Median number of stones per patient was 1 (range 1-4), with a mean size of 8.6 mm (SD 4.5 mm) mainly located at the hilum (50.5%), anterior duct (30%) and Genu (17%). 256 patients (65%) treated through intraoral surgical extraction, 92 (24%) endoscopic alone. Inpatient stay was 1.4 days in first third and 0.5 days in final third. Adenectomy occurred in 14 patients, due to failure to retrieve the sialolith or unresolved symptoms. Complications involved 11 patients with permanent paraesthesia, 7 ranulas and 14 strictures. Patients with preoperative strictures were more likely to develop complications (p = 0.002) with paraesthesia being most common. Intraoral minimally-invasive surgery is aesthetic, curative and spares the risk to marginal mandibular nerve and submandibular gland. Length of inpatient stay improved and ranula risk reduced throughout the study.     

Sialendoscopy-assisted transfacial surgical removal of parotid stones

Minimally invasive surgical approaches to parotid stones (such as extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy and sialendoscopy) have proved to be effective in a high percentage of cases, although success depends on factors such as the localisation of the stone, its size and its mobility. The failure rate of 10% is largely due to large and impacted stones and, in such cases, a combined external and sialendoscopic approach can be used to avoid morbidity and the risks of more invasive superficial parotidectomy. We treated eight patients with large parotid stones (>7 mm) using a sialendoscopy-assisted transfacial surgical approach that was effective in all but one case, which was successfully solved by combining this procedure with extra-corporeal lithotripsy and operative sialendoscopy. Our results confirm that the combined approach is a valid alternative to parotidectomy for large parotid stones and should be added to other minimally invasive techniques aimed at restoring the function of the affected parotid gland.     

利胆排石片治疗颌下腺导管涎石症临床研究

目的:观察利胆排石片治疗颌下腺导管涎石症的临床疗效及初探异物涎石的可能成因。方法:收集16年间影像学检查确诊为颌下腺导管涎石症者58例,随机分为利胆片组30例和手术组28例,进行疗效比较。结果:利胆片组有效率为93.33%,手术组为92.86%,二者的疗效比较无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论:①利胆片中的药物归胃和胆经,具有清热利湿、调气通瘀、化积排石之功效。涎石排出后,利胆片组约73%和手术组75%的病人能恢复腺体功能。②口腔内异物,经"虹吸现象"和"逆蠕动"作用,诱其进入导管致涎石的发生。