Background: Sialendoscopy is gaining in popularity in treating calculus disease. The
delicacy of the instrument and the diameter of the salivary ducts are factors that limit the
ability to achieve complete success. There is also continued speculation regarding the utility
of the procedure, especially among clinicians who are masters of conventional methods like
sialadenectomy and sialodochotomy.
Objective: To assess the efficacy of sialendoscopy over conventional methods in treating
sialolithiasis.
Methods: A prospective case control study was conducted in a tertiary care centre; this
study involved 50 patients of sialolithiasis, and it extended over a 36-month period. All had
undergone treatment, either by conventional methods or interventional sialendoscopy. All
patients with nonpalpable calculi smaller than 6 mm underwent interventional sialendoscopy.
Failed sialendoscopies and larger nonpalpable calculi were removed through sialadenectomy.
The outcome variables studied included calculus removal, postoperative symptoms, and gland
preservation.
Results: The success rate in terms of calculus removal by sialendoscopy was 88%,
versus 100% by sialadenectomy. The salivary gland was preserved in 88% of the cases in the
sialendoscopy group. Only 12% of patients were symptomatic.
Conclusion: Sialendoscopy was effective in removing calculi of various sizes; it was
definitely superior to conventional methods. Sialadenectomy should be reserved for cases either
not suitable for sialendoscopy or in which there was an intervention failure.