title: [Bilateral submandibulectomy for the treatment of drooling in pediatric age: 10 years of experience].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sialorrhea is a medical problem and can become a social issue, common in children with neurological disabilities. The bilateral submandibulectomy is one of the available treatment options for managing this pathology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bilateral submandibulectomy in the management of sialorrhea in children with neurological disabilities through the parents' satisfaction grade.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 91 bilateral submandibulectomies for a period of time of 10 years (2004-2015). Data were taken from surgical records and patients files and were informatically processed. The severity grade before and after surgery was evaluated in line with the modified Teacher scale. Parental satisfaction was evaluated by applying a scale graded into five classes, according to the degree of sialorrhea severity in postoperative period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the reporting period, 91 children underwent bilateral submandibulectomy in our center. Of these, 7 cases were excluded for lack of data. The average age of the children was 8,9 [± 3,5] years; 58,3% were male. The degree of preoperative sialorrhea severity was, in 52,4% of cases, level 4 (severe drooling), and in 28,6%, level 5 (very severe). The grade of parental satisfaction in postoperative period was ranked, in 73,8% of cases, between 81-100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For children with drooling, a bilateral submandibulectomy emerges as an effective and efficient treatment, leaving parents with an extremely high satisfaction grade.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgía Pediátrica, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte. Departamento da Criança e Adolescência, Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgía Pediátrica, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte. Departamento da Criança e Adolescência, Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgía Pediátrica, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte. Departamento da Criança e Adolescência, Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgía Pediátrica, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte. Departamento da Criança e Adolescência, Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barbosa-Sequeira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgía Pediátrica, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte. Departamento da Criança e Adolescência, Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Recamán
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgía Pediátrica, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte. Departamento da Criança e Adolescência, Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000601:surgery*; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Neurological disabilities; Pediatrics; Sialorrhea; Submandibulectomy; Teacher scale