Use of the carbon dioxide laser to locate small sialoliths

doi:10.1016/S0278-2391(10)80349-0

Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Volume 51, Issue 4, April 1993, Pages 379-381

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-2391(10)80349-0 Get rights and content

Six cases of small salivary duct sialoliths were treated using the carbon dioxide laser as a surgical dissector. When the laser beam encountered the small sialolith (3 mm or less), a light-scattering effect (flash or burst) was observed, thus enabling an almost immediate localization of the stone in the salivary duct or in the surrounding tissue. Stone extirpation is more rapid, with less surgical trauma, using this technique.

References (7)

MooseSM
Transoral surgical removal of a sialolith in the sub-mandibular gland
Int J Oral Surg
(1974)
PecaroBC et al.
The CO₂ laser in oral and maxillofacial surgery
J Oral Maxillofac Surg
(1983)
SewardGR
Anatomic surgery for salivary calculi. Part I
Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol
(1968)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (10)

Transoral carbon dioxide laser sialolithectomy with topical anaesthesia. A simple, effective, and minimally invasive method
2011, International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Citation Excerpt :
These three techniques all expose Wharton's duct and identify the lingual nerve. Using the present technique, the authors think that exposure of Wharton's duct can be limited and identification of the lingual nerve might not be absolutely necessary if the stone can be localized clearly by finger palpation, or the insertion of a lacrimal duct probe with or without diagnostic images; a similar approach is reported by Barak et al.2 The invariable occurrence of haemorrhage when the duct is incised, as described by Combes et al.4, could be avoided if the incision is made by CO2 laser (Fig. 1B), because the laser can coagulate vessels 0.5–2.0 mm in diameter8. The method has some limitations.
Sialolithiasis frequently causes a variable degree of inflammation of the submandibular gland and stone removal can be a critical issue when incursion is deep, causing neck infection or abscess formation. The authors present their 6-year experience of performing sialolithectomy with CO₂ laser. Nineteen patients with stones in Wharton's duct were treated with CO₂ laser. Topical anaesthesia was applied by maintaining the patient in an upright position after spraying 10% lidocaine onto the oral cavity. The laser was set up in continuous mode at 4–6 W with a focusing spot. Locating the stone was accomplished by manual palpation or lacrimal probe insertion with or without the aid of radiological images. The success rate was 95%; only one procedure was unsuccessful, necessitating stone removal under general anaesthesia. Mean stone size was 0.37 cm. Only one patient developed ranula after laser surgery. The results suggest that transoral CO₂ laser sialolithectomy is simple and safe, with a low incidence of complications, and can be readily managed on an out-patient basis. This technique can be chosen for first-line treatment of sialolithiasis in cases where the stone is above the hilum of Wharton's duct.
Intraoral laser surgery
2004, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America
The use of CO<inf>2</inf>laser for treatment of salivary gland disease in seven cases
2003, International Congress Series
CO₂ laser was successfully applied for the treatment of various soft tissue pathologic lesions in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This is composed of seven cases of patients who had salivary gland disease treated by CO₂ laser. There were two cases of mucocele, two cases of ranula and three cases of sialolith. The advantages included bloodless operation field, precision of the incision, ease of the operation, decrease of post-operative swelling and minimized scar tissue. The visible light scatter effect of laser beam served for the localization of the salivary stone. The patients eventually healed without any remarkable complications in the period of observation.
Sialolithectomy done with a CO<inf>2</inf> laser: Clinical and scintigraphic results
1996, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
$Purpose:$ This study reviews the results of Sialolithectomy performed with the CO₂ laser.
$Patients and Methods:$ Forty-nine patients were treated under local anesthesia at initial presentation in the outpatient clinic.
$Results:$ All patients had immediate relief after surgery. Clinical and scintographic follow-up of up to 28 months on 27 patients showed that all but 1 were asymptomatic. The single exception required excision of the submandibular gland because of two recurrences of sialoliths in Wharton's duct. Although some glands had no function clinically and scintigraphically, they were asymptomatic and needed no further treatment.
$Conclusions:$ Salivary glands that are nonfunctioning clinically and scintographically should only be removed when there is a recurrence of symptoms.
Regenerative approaches in oral medicine
2021, Regenerative Approaches in Dentistry: An Evidence-Based Perspective
Sialolith removal in the submandibular region using surgical diode laser: report of two cases and literature review
2018, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Use of the carbon dioxide laser to locate small sialoliths

Int J Oral Surg

J Oral Maxillofac Surg

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol