Endoscopy as minimal invasive routine treatment for sialolithiasis.

Endoscopy as a minimally invasive procedure with video-monitoring and documentation is demonstrated for diagnostics and therapy of sialolithiasis, which is the main indication for endoscopy in the area of the submandibular and parotid glands. Sialoendoscopy has become the routine procedure under ambulatory conditions. While on the one hand endoscopy is a diagnostic method especially in the case of radiolucent calculi, on the other hand it can be used as a therapeutic option for calculi removal in the same session. Endoscopy is also of high value in the diagnosis and treatment of other salivary gland diseases. In our experience, this procedure has an extremely low complication rate and is less stressful for the patient than other methods.