The study aimed to retrospectively evaluate surgical treatment outcomes after delayed parotid gland and duct injuries. Nine patients subjected to parotid gland and duct injuries with 1- to 3-month treatment delay were retrospectively evaluated with special reference of etiology, past medical history, and injury location. Conservative treatment, microsurgical anastomosis, and diversion of salivary flow or ligation were chosen for delayed parotid gland and duct injuries concerning to their site of injury, time of repair and procedures. Assistant treatment as pressure dressing was adopted thereafter. All patients experienced an uneventful recovery at the time of finalizing the study. Two patients received Stensen's duct ligation, 5 received microsurgical anastomosis and 2 accepted salivary flow diversion for 5 patients with sialoceles and 4 patients with fistulas, and no re-occurrence was found. Facial paralysis occurred after surgery in 4 patients, and 3 of them recovered after the nerve nutrition treatment. Our study suggested that appropriate surgical treatment is efficient for the re-establishment of the tissue function and facial aesthetic for delayed injury of the parotid and its duct.
Keywords: Stensen's duct; salivary fistula; sialocele; surgical management; ureteral catheter.