Submandibular gland excision: 15 years of experience

Purpose: The surgical management of submandibular gland diseases has always been a challenge because it carries a considerable risk of nerve injury. The aim of this study was to review a single institution's experience of a nonselected case series of submandibular gland excision over 15 years. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 258 unselected submandibular excisions of a tertiary university center for the histopathologic diagnosis and postoperative morbidity; 119 patients (46%) with sialolithiasis, 88 patients (34%) with sialadenitis, and 51 patients (20%) with submandibular tumors were operated. Results: We found a high rate of malignant tumors (42%) in the group of submandibular gland tumors. A low rate of transient palsies of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve (9%) and lingual nerve (2%) was observed. One patient developed a permanent paresis of the mandibular branch (<1%). Conclusion: Our large series has shown that standardized submandibular sialadenectomy is a safe operation with a low rate of complications. Malignant disease is frequent in tumors of the submandibular gland. (c) 2007 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons