Surgery of the Salivary Glands

The human salivary gland system can be divided into two distinct exocrine groups. The major salivary glands, which include the paired parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands, and the minor salivary glands, which are hundreds of small glands lining the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. The major function of the salivary glands is to secrete saliva, which plays a major role in lubrication, digestion, immunity, and the overall maintenance of homeostasis within the human body. This chapter describes the embryology, histology, surgical anatomy, and physiology of the salivary glands and the pathology of salivary gland lesions. It discusses the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of salivary gland injuries, calculi, inflammatory disorders (sialadenitis), sialadenosis (sialosis), and neoplasms (both benign and malignant). In addition, this chapter addresses the different techniques of parotid and submandibular surgical procedures.