Transoral Approach to Submandibular Gland Surgery Seen as Practical

Two of the eight patients who had completed transoral surgeries later experienced temporary changes in tongue sensation, which resolved within six weeks. None of them complained of a permanent change in sensation. Another patient experienced delayed healing in an area that had previous undergone radiation therapy for head and neck cancer treatment.

Ready for Prime Time?

Whether the procedure is ready for prime time, however, is not proven, said Mark Weissler, MD, the Joseph P. Riddle Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology and Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Oncology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Although the technical exercise is certainly possible, the authors suffered three moderately severe complications, and one patient had to be converted to an open approach. The facial artery, in particular, represents a major branch from the external carotid system, and incomplete ligation or loss of control could prove catastrophic, he said.

Dr. Weissler noted that in performing the submandibular gland resection, doctors will be involved with present or past inflammation and scarring. I am not convinced of the utility of this procedure, he said.

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