The surgical management of drooling

Drooling is the end result of excessive production of saliva, the inability to retain oral secretions, or the outcome of deglutition problems. Mentally retarded children are frequently affected. Although medically managable, surgical correction is recommended. The classic surgical technique is Wilkie's procedure, consisting of retropositioning of the parotid ducts into the tonsillar fossae region along with bilateral submandibular gland resection. Modifications include transposition (instead of resection) of the submandibular gland ducts, ligation (instead of repositioning the parotid ducts) along with the usual submandibular gland resection and other variants. Surgical results are usually beneficial and are associated with relatively insignificant complications and side effects.