Soft tissue surgery of the head and neck.

A variety of surgical techniques and procedures have been described for diseases of soft tissues of the oral cavity. Mandibulectomy and maxillectomy have been described for the management of oral neoplasia. These procedures involve removal of parts of the mandible and maxilla in the affected regions of the mouth. Salivary mucocele or sialocele is defined as an abnormal accumulation of saliva in the tissues of the head and neck. Depending on the location of the salivary collection, swelling can occur in the ventral neck, under the tongue, or in the oropharynx just posterior to the tonsil. In the dog this condition is managed most successfully by excision of the mandibular and sublingual salivary glands on the affected side. The ventral approach is preferred because of ease of drainage postoperatively. Diseases of the soft palate which lend themselves to surgical correction include elongation of the soft palate and hypoplasia of the soft palate. Corrective surgery for both of these conditions is desirable and the surgical results are excellent. Tonsillectomy and removal of the tonsillar crypts is recommended along with excision of the elongated soft palate to enlarge the size of the airway.