Long-term follow-up of submandibular duct rerouting for the treatment of sialorrhea in the pediatric population

Objective: To determine the long-term control of sialorrhea in children who underwent submandibular duct rerouting (SMDR) and to identify potential preoperative predictors of outcome. Design: Retrospective chart review of children who underwent SMDR; information updated by discussion with the permanent caregiver. Setting: Tertiary care center. Patients: Children who had significant sialorrhea resulting from a variety of neuromuscular disabilities between January 1980 and December 1995. Outcome: We report the outcome on 59 patients who underwent SMDR for the treatment of sialorrhea. Patients were ascribed a preoperative sialorrhea and global neurologic deficit score. Postoperative outcome was scored as marked, moderate, no improvement, or worse. Twenty-eight of 59 (47.4%), 28 of 59 (47.4%), and 3 of 59 (5.1%) of the patients had preoperative sialorrhea scores of 3 (profuse), 2 (moderate), and 1 (mild), respectively. Twenty of 59 (33.9%), 29 of 59 (49.2%), and 10 of 59 (16.9%) had preoperative scores of 3 (severe), 2 (moderate), and 1 (mild) neurologic impairment, respectively. Mean time to follow-up of the 59 patients was 5.46 years. Postoperative improvement scores were as follows: 50.8% had marked, 28.8% had moderate, and 20% had no to minimal improvement in their sialorrhea. Two patients were transiently worse. A complication rate of 11.3% (9 of 79) was demonstrated: 7 ranulae, 1 transient swelling of the floor of the mouth, and 1 submandibular gland infection. The preoperative global neurologic deficit score was found to be more predictive of surgical outcome than sialorrhea score. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999;120:303-7.)