Surgical approaches to the submandibular gland: a review of literature.

Objectives: Surgical excision of the submandibular gland (SMG) is commonly indicated in patients with neoplasms, and non-neoplastic conditions such as chronic sialadenitis, sialolithiasis, ranula and drooling. Traditional SMG surgery involves a direct transcervical approach. In the recent past, alternative approaches to SMG excision have been described in effort to offer minimally invasive options or better cosmetic results.