Salivary glands are located in and around the mouth and throat. The major salivary glands are the parotid, sub-mandibular and sub-lingual glands. Their function is to produce saliva that keeps the mouth moist, begin the digestion process by breaking down food during chewing and maintain oral hygiene. Lesser salivary glands located in the lips, inner cheek and linings of the mouth and throat. From time to time, these glands are affected by infection, obstructions and growths (both malignant and benign) which cause them to malfunction. If antibiotics or other treatments do not work to correct the problem, surgical intervention may be needed.
Salivary gland surgery can be very precarious for an unskilled surgeon because of their close proximity to important facial nerves. The parotid gland poses the greatest risk for facial nerve disruption because the nerve that controls the movement of the eyes, nose and lips runs through the middle of this gland. Even if no permanent damage to the nerve occurs, patients may still experience weak facial muscles while the incision (made along the jawline near the earlobe) is healing. Surgery on the sub-mandibular gland is not as risky in regards to damaging the facial nerve as surgery on the parotid gland is. While the risk of nerve damage remains, during the sub-mandibular gland procedure, the nerve can be moved away from the incision site for the duration of the procedure. Surgeries involving the sub-lingual gland are performed through incisions in the mouth, not the jaw or face, so the potential for facial nerve damage is considerably less than with the other procedures.
Depending on the reason the salivary gland was affected, additional treatments may be required even after having the affected gland removed. If the gland had a cancerous growth, radiation and/or chemotherapy is often administered to the location in case any cancerous cells remain in the surrounding tissues after the removal of the affected glands. It is very possible that the patient can lose some facial nerve function, even with the most successful of salivary gland surgeries. Physical therapy or other facial reanimation techniques may be needed to regain control over the lost functions. Having an an otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon) with experience in this area is imperative for achieving the best outcome after salivary gland surgery.