Gangnam Severance Achieves 1,200 Cases of Salivary Gland Endoscopy Procedures

Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital announced on the 9th that it has recently achieved 1,200 cases of salivary gland endoscopy procedures.

The Department of Otorhinolaryngology team, led by Professors Lim Jae-yeol and Park Young-min at Gangnam Severance Hospital, opened the Salivary Gland Endoscopy Clinic in March 2017 and has actively applied endoscopic procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland diseases. Since then, more than 200 salivary gland endoscopy procedures have been performed annually, reaching a cumulative total of 1,200 cases this year. This is the highest record for a single medical institution in Korea.

Medical staff from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Gangnam Severance Hospital are taking a commemorative photo to celebrate achieving 1,200 cases of salivary gland endoscopy. (Photo by Gangnam Severance Hospital)

Salivary gland endoscopy is a method in which a micro-endoscope about 1.3mm in diameter is inserted into the salivary gland to directly observe the interior for diagnosis and treatment. It is used to treat various salivary gland diseases such as sialolithiasis and salivary duct stenosis. In particular, in the case of sialolithiasis, where calcified material forms in the salivary gland, the stones can be removed intraorally while preserving the salivary gland, resulting in faster recovery and a higher rate of function preservation. For salivary duct stenosis, when symptoms do not improve with conservative treatment, salivary duct plasty using salivary gland endoscopy is known to be the only treatment method.

Professor Lim Jae-yeol stated, “Cases of patients who were advised to undergo salivary gland removal surgery but were reluctant to have surgery, as well as those whose symptoms persist despite poor treatment or multiple other procedures, are increasing every year as they seek salivary gland endoscopy procedures.” He added, “In the past, salivary gland removal surgery through skin incisions was inevitable, but now, considering the characteristics of the salivary gland, which is an important element of life, and the advancement of salivary gland endoscopy, we can expect good treatment outcomes in terms of salivary gland function recovery and patient satisfaction.”

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