COMPLICATIONS OF SALIVARY

GLAND SURGERY
Intra oral complications
• Anaesthesia or paresthesia in distribution of
lingual nerve
• Damage to whartons duct
 Extra oral complications
• Weakness of facial muscles
• Weakness of muscles of upper eyelid. It is
necessary to patch up the concerned eye to
prevent corneal abrasion
• Frey’s syndrome
• Numbness of the ear due to injury to greater
auricular nerve
 Frey’s Syndrome
• Auriculotemporal nerve damage, particularly
to the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers
from otic ganglion
• These fibers unite with sympathetic fibers
arising from the superior cervical ganglion
which supplies the sweat glands of skin
• The syndrome can occur due to:
1. Surgery of parotid gland
2. Surgery of TM joint
3. Injuries to the area of face
4. Injections to this region
 Treatment of Frey’s Syndrome
• No specific treatment
• To minimize it, following grafts are used:
1. Porcine derma collagen
2. Alloderm (Lifecell Co-orp, USA)
 Facial Nerve Paralysis
• Occurs due to damage to marginal mandibular
part of VII nerve
• The depressor activity of orbicularis oris and
oculi muscles gets affected
• Onset of paresis is usually 1-3 hours post
surgery
• Treatment- Supportive care, resolves within
days to months
Salivary fistulae
and Sialoceles
• It refers to collection of
saliva under the flap due to
fistula formation

• Treatment consists of aspiration of fluid,

compression dressings andnot using salivary
stimulants
• Botulinum neurotoxin A is widely used
• Systemic hyoscine or propantheline bromide may
be used