Complications of traditional and modern therapeutic salivary approaches

The morbidity following traditional surgery of the salivary glands is well documented and includes postsurgical complications such as the Frey’s syndrome, complete or partial facial nerve damage, facial scarring, greater auricular nerve numbness, sialocoeles and salivary fistula. The avulsion of the salivary duct, secondary strictures, gland swelling, salivary fistulas and perforations (false rout), traumatic ranulas, and the lingual nerve paraesthesia are the main endoscopy-related complications. In general, the rate of postsurgical complications after modern advanced minimally invasive surgical interventions is significantly lower compared with traditional surgery of the salivary glands. However, such comparisons cannot be performed because up-to-date traditional and minimally invasive surgical techniques are applied to different salivary disorders. Combinations of various minimally invasive techniques are also possible. There is no clear borderline between “traditional” and “modern” surgery of the salivary glands. It is appropriate to write about gradual replacement of old techniques with newer ones, and this process has no traffic lights.