Long-term impact of saliva control surgery in children with disability

Abstract

Sialorrhea is a common problem in children with disability, often negatively affecting socialization, self-esteem, and burden of care. Saliva control surgery is an available option to manage this problem, particularly when other conservative methods have failed. As little is known about the long-term impact of surgery, we followed up 62 patients who had combined bilateral submandibular duct translocation and bilateral sublingual gland excision at our pediatric hospital between 1994 and 2014. Eligible individuals were identified through a search of ICD procedure codes. When families of patients were contacted successfully, they were invited to complete a 14-item questionnaire designed specifi..