12-year-old girl undergoes surgery for removal of stone in salivary gland at Delhi hospital

 New Delhi: A 12-year-old girl got a new lease of life after undergoing a surgery for removal of a 1.6-mm stone present in one of the salivary glands at a private hospital here, authorities said on Wednesday.

The patient had presented at the hospital with complaint of persistent swelling and pain in the right side of her neck, especially while eating, they said. With her problem deteriorating following complaint of repeated swelling and pain in the neck, difficulty in breathing and eating solid or liquid food, the patient’s family was referred to the Apollo hospital here by a local physician. Under the supervision of Dr Chanchal Pal, Senior Consultant, Department of ENT and Neck Surgery, at the facility, she was diagnosed with a stone of 1.6-mm in one of her salivary glands, the hospital said in a statement. She was recommended to undergo an immediate removal of the stone through a new advanced technique, Sialo endoscopy, it said.

”In a rare case, the 1.6-mm stone present in one of the salivary glands the 12-year-old girl was successfully removed,” it said.

The surgery took place late April, a hospital spokesperson said, adding the patient is a resident of Delhi.

”We have a few salivary glands present in our head and neck region of the body which help in digestion and production of saliva. Sometimes due to infection or dehydration, stones can be formed in the tubes of the glands which ultimately stops the saliva production. ”Traditionally, the whole gland is removed is such conditions. But with the advancement in technology, stones can be removed through Sialo endoscopy,” the statement quoting Dr Pal said. Sialo endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat and diagnose the disorders in salivary gland. Through the help of a small tube, the stone can be removed through this technique, the hospital said.

”Same was the case with the 12-year-old girl who was admitted with complaint of swelling and pain in neck while eating, for the past three months. If the condition was not addressed immediately, it would have led to infection and swelling of other salivary gland that could have spread to other parts of the body and caused additional complications,” he said.

Therefore, her stone in salivary gland was successfully removed through Sialo endoscopic technique in a 30-minute procedure. It was easy to see stone but as it was smooth small stone so retrieval is not usually easy, the doctor said. This whole procedure was done from inside of the mouth as to avoid any trauma to nearby nerves and to avoid a mark on the neck. The post-operative period was uneventful and patient has returned to her home happily, the doctor added.