[Microsurgical reanastomosis of the parotid duct]

Indigenous Management of Parotid Sialocele Using Foley's Catheter: A Report of Two Cases

Background

Parotid gland and duct injuries are rare complications following surgery of parotid gland and temporomandibular joint. Sialocele is a cavity filled with saliva, usually formed as a result of trauma to salivary gland/duct or an iatrogenic complication of surgery. Several methods of managing parotid duct injury have been reported in the literature. In this article, we describe an indigenous way of internalisation of salivary fistula that resulted from traumatic injury to the parotid duct.

Methods

The authors present two cases of parotid sialocele managed using Foley's catheter through an intraoral opening, and catheter was internalised, secured and left in situ for 15 days.

Results

The salivary flow was found to be normal through the intraoral opening, and no recurrence was observed postoperatively.

Conclusion

Parotid duct injury associated with sialocele and cutaneous salivary fistula could be effectively internalised using Foley's catheter, under local anaesthesia. This technique of internalisation of parotid sialocele is simple, less invasive and may be performed as an outpatient procedure.

Surgical management of Stenson's duct injury by using double J stent urethral catheter

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The safety and efficiency of using normal saline in diagnosis of parotid duct injury instead of methylene blue dye, milk and propofol.

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Using of double J stent urethral catheter in the diagnosis and repair of the parotid duct during traumatic facial and/or parotid injuries is a valuable technique to be used in the surgical practice.

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Early diagnosis and urgent repair of the parotid duct injury enhance the functional recovery of the parotid duct.

Background

Parotid duct or gland injury can be caused by assault with a knife, bottle, electrical-saw, road traffic accident, or rarely gunshot and fractures of the facial skeleton. The injury can be in the form of laceration, ductal exposure, total cutting, or crushing of the duct. These conditions are difficult to diagnose because of complex anatomy and variable forms of the injury. A successful management of parotid duct injuries depends on early diagnosis and appropriate intervention; improper surgery may lead to complications such as sialocele or salivary fistula

Case report

A 27-years-old man was presented to the maxillofacial unit, complaining of bleeding over the right side of his face after accidental exposure to a chain-saw three hours before admission. On examination, a 6 cm deep lacerated wound was found over the right buccal area, suspecting facial nerve-buccal branch and parotid duct injury. Under general anesthesia the parotid duct injury diagnosed, microsurgical anastomosis of the cut-ends of the parotid duct performed using the double J catheter. Sutures and JJ stent removed seven and twenty postoperative days respectively. After a proper supportive treatment a complete healing of the duct was obtained with normal amount of saliva.

Conclusions

Herein, we described an easy yet efficient technique in management of parotid duct injury using a JJ stent which is often used for urethra. We think that use of JJ stent is a valuable technique to be used in the diagnosis and surgical repair of the parotid duct during traumatic facial and/or parotid injuries.

[Penetrating injuries in the face and neck region. Diagnosis and treatment]

Penetrating head and neck injuries often present with vascular lesions and airway compromise and may be life-threatening. Thus controlling bleeding and airway stabilisation take priority in emergency treatment. High-velocity projectiles, fragmentations from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and shrapnel can cause severe tissue injury, representing a challenge for the head and neck surgeon. Since several organ structures, such as the eyes, midface, pharynx, larynx, trachea, esophagus, nerves, vessels and vertebral spine can be injured at the same time, patients should be referred to a specialized trauma center for interdisciplinary treatment following emergency treatment. High-speed ballistic injuries were once confined to the battle field and have been uncommon in Europe since World War II. For this reason, experience among civilian head and neck surgeons is at present limited. With the increased incidence of terrorism and the use of IEDs as the preferred weapon in terrorism it has become important for civilian head and neck surgeons to understand the role of ballistic injuries in mass casualty events. The present paper discusses current viewpoints in the diagnosis and treatment of penetrating head and neck injuries.

Experimental microsurgery of salivary ducts in dogs

The results achieved by experimental microsurgical suturing of salivary ducts in dogs are presented. Nine partial lesions and one complete transection of the ducts were made on parotid and submandibular ducts. Four to seven interrupted microsutures were used for each lesion. The operations were successful in seven out of 10 cases, as observed by sialography. Histologically, granulation tissue compressing the ducts was observed after suturing the lesions. Four venous graft transplantations were performed and none were successful. After venous graft transplantation, the transplant was not apparent histologically, raising doubt as to the potential success of this technique. The use of stenting is discussed based on a summary of the published literature. Those reports indicate that long-term stenting can benefit the outcome of salivary duct repair. The use of dogs as a model for experimental salivary duct operations has been shown to be valuable in assessing various surgical techniques.