Background: Multiple procedures have been advocated for the surgical control of chronic sialorrhea in children. However, some of them are associated with significant complications or only short-term success.
Objectives: To evaluate the safety of bilateral submandibular gland excision (SGE) with parotid duct ligation (PDL) and to assess its long-term complications and efficacy in the treatment of chronic sialorrhea in children.
Design: Case series. Telephone interview of patients' families.
Setting: Tertiary care children's hospital.
Patients: Ninety-three patients with chronic sialorrhea who underwent bilateral SGE with PDL from 1988 to 1997.
Main outcome measures: Operative and postoperative complications, length of postoperative hospitalization, postoperative drooling, care requirements, xerostomia, dental caries, and overall satisfaction.
Results: The mean postoperative stay was 2.4 days. There were 3 postoperative complications. Seventy-two families were interviewed (follow-up time, 1-10 years): 62 (87%) reported no further drooling or significant improvement; 7 reported the occurrence of dry mouth; and 2 reported an increase in dental caries.
Conclusion: Bilateral SGE with PDL is a safe and consistently efficient procedure for the treatment of chronic sialorrhea in children.