Giant stones have traditionally required complete removal of the salivary gland. This technique not only saves the salivary gland, but reduces blood loss, scarring, and hospital stay.

"Robot-assisted removal of stones is a technical advance in the management of salivary stones within the submandibular gland," notes Dr. Walvekar. "We have found it to be helpful in performing ...

"The robot-assisted stone removal was first devised and performed in the department of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans," Dr. Walvekar said. "With these ...

Loretta Estes Spainhoward had a bad taste in her mouth that worsened when she ate. She simply rinsed her mouth out and forgot about it.

If a surgeon is unable to remove the stone endoscopically, the gland would still have to be removed. If you suffer from salivary gland stones, talk to your specialist about the best options for you.

Nitinkumar J. Patel, MD is a board-certified head and neck surgeon with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, who specializes in voice disorders/vocal surgery and salivary gland surgery.

If you suffer from salivary gland stones, talk to your specialist about the best options for you. Insurance companies typically cover the procedure. DOWNLOAD and VIEW research summary ...

Submandibular gland removal may be indicated following failure of lithotripsy or if the size of an intraglandular stone reaches 12 mm or more as the success of lithotripsy may be less than 20% in ...

Small stones can sometimes work themselves out into the mouth. If a stone is near a duct opening, a doctor can sometimes free a stone with gentle manual probing. If stones are deeper, or large, then ...

"The robot-assisted stone removal was first devised and performed in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans," said Dr. Walvekar. "With ...