A New Orleans physician has reported the first use of a surgical robot guided by a miniature salivary endoscope to remove a salivary stone and repair the salivary duct, according to a Medical News report.
Rohan Walvekar, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery, director of clinical research and the salivary endoscopy service at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, and his team significantly advanced the salivary endoscopy procedure by adding robotics, according to the report. The technique saves the salivary gland and reduces blood loss, scarring and hospital stay.
Several factors can produce challenges in the removal of large stones, including a small mouth opening, large teeth and obesity, which limit access and exposure. Salivary endoscopes improve stone management by increasing surgical view, exposure and magnification of the surgical field through a two-dimensional view. The robot's dexterity allow for accurate suture placement as well.
Read the Medical News report on salivary endoscopy.
Rohan Walvekar, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery, director of clinical research and the salivary endoscopy service at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, and his team significantly advanced the salivary endoscopy procedure by adding robotics, according to the report. The technique saves the salivary gland and reduces blood loss, scarring and hospital stay.
Several factors can produce challenges in the removal of large stones, including a small mouth opening, large teeth and obesity, which limit access and exposure. Salivary endoscopes improve stone management by increasing surgical view, exposure and magnification of the surgical field through a two-dimensional view. The robot's dexterity allow for accurate suture placement as well.
Read the Medical News report on salivary endoscopy.