Ho:Yag laser for sialolithiasis of Wharton's duct.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility of intracorporeal lithotripsy with holmium YAG laser under sialoendoscopic guidance for sialolithiasis of Wharton's duct.

STUDY

DESIGN

Case series with planned data collection.

SETTING

Tertiary referral university hospital.

METHODS

This study was conducted on 16 patients with sialolithiasis of Wharton's duct. Diagnosis was confirmed at ultrasound examination. Patients with stones ranging from 5 to 8 mm in diameter were enrolled in the study. The selected patients underwent intracorporeal lithotripsy with holmium Yag laser under endoscopic control. Debris was removed using sialoendoscopic forceps or a wire basket during the same procedure. After a 3-month follow-up, radiological tests were rerun.

RESULTS

Stone fragmentation was possible in all cases. All patients experienced a regular postoperative course. Postoperative ultrasound examinations revealed residual stones in 3 patients, 1 of whom was asymptomatic. Three patients complained of residual symptoms after 3 months of follow-up. These patients were treated successfully during a second sialoendoscopic procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, endoscopic laser lithotripsy was proved to be a feasible technique for Wharton's duct lithiasis in clinical practice.