In-office versus Operating Room Sialendoscopy: Comparison of Outcomes, Patient Time Burden, and Charge Analysis

Objective To evaluate outcomes of in-office versus operating room (OR) sialendoscopy/sialolithotomy and to recognize the efficiency of outpatient salivary gland surgery with significant time and facility charge reductions. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting State hospital OR and ambulatory clinic. Subjects and Methods Retrospective review was performed of adult patients treated for inflammatory salivary diseases by a single surgeon from 2011 to 2016. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on procedure setting (office vs OR) and compared by various baseline features, including demographics, symptom onset and duration, stone size, symptomatic improvement, and recurrence. Patient time burden was compared via office procedure records and OR time charting from the electronic health record. Retrospective clinic and hospital charge sheets were tallied and similarly compared. Results The 2 cohorts (office, n = 111; OR, n = 96) were comparable in all demographics, including sialolith number and size (7.36 vs 6.69 mm, P = .45). Additional subgrouping was statistically similar. Both cohorts had similar postprocedure symptom improvement (97% vs 95.8%, P = .65) and recurrence rates (8.9% vs 14.5%, P = .22) independent of subgroup. Overall time burden for patients was 39 minutes in the office versus 277 minutes in the OR (P <= .0001). Procedure and hospital charge data were tallied and compared (office, $719.21; OR, $13,956.14; P <= .0001). Conclusion Bothcohorts were statistically similar in all features. There was significant reduction in patient time burden and health care charges with office-based procedures while maintaining similar symptom improvement and recurrence rates.