The salivary ducts in our mouth often go unnoticed and seem unnecessary, but we forget to realize their importance. If you think the saliva is of no use to the body, hold on! No body part has been built by God for no reason! The saliva, apart from keeping our mouth moist and comfortable, also helps us chew and swallow, prevents bad breath, fights germs, protects tooth enamel, prevents tooth decay, prevents gum diseases, and helps keep dentures secure. With all of this importance, now you would never imagine your mouth without saliva! But, what if one day you start noticing problems with production of saliva within your mouth? What if you start noticing lesser or zero production of saliva within your mouth? You would immediately have to rush to the doctor for diagnosis. One reason why this could be possible is because of the presence of stones within your salivary glands. Yes, just like kidney stones, there are also salivary stones that can be produced within the body. These kidney stones when noticed must be immediately treated and taken out by a professional to help in the manufacture of good amount of saliva and regular performance of the mouth.
Sialoendoscopy is the latest technology that is used to visualize the lumen of the salivary glands and treat various kinds of inflammatory and obstructive pathologies. Miniature endoscopes are used to enter the small glands of the salivary systems to search for the disease. These endoscopes are around 1mm in diameter and are flexible to pass through the glands. One diagnosed, the problem can then be treated, whether it involves stone removal, sludge/mucus plugs removal, salivary gland biopsy, or dilation duct structures. It can take up to 30 minutes to examine the salivary glands, along with 1-2 hours of treatment procedures with this technology.
Sialoendoscopy has opened new ways to treat such intricate faults of the salivary system, which were otherwise treated with open surgery, which was not only a long procedure requiring a long hospital stay, but was also painful, complicated, and risky. But, sialoendoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves no scarring, no tissue damage, and no hospital stay, along with quicker and easier recovery. So, you can opt for this procedure if you are facing saliva-related problems like dryness of the mouth, mucus plugs, strictures, or salivary stones. However, you require diagnosis and approval from a professional for the same. Because the salivary glands are a part of the mouth, you will need to approach an ENT doctor if you notice related problems. And, when you are looking for a surgeon to have any kind of ENT related surgery performed, you can rely upon Maitri Hospital’s ENT surgeon in Kota, who has expertise in successfully performing various ENT related surgeries like sinus repair, thyroid gland surgery, ear wax removal, and tonsil surgery. If you have to undergo sialoendoscopy, you may be worried about the recovery time and procedure. Worry not! There is no pain and no invested time for recovery from sialoendoscopy. All you need to do is rest and relax on the day of the surgery, and then you can resume all your activities the next day itself!
