Submandibular Gland Excision with Facial Artery Preservation: The Argument for Changing the Established Norms

To evaluate the difference in average operating time and intraoperative blood loss in transcervical submandibular gland excision for isolated benign submandibular diseases, while preserving the facial artery and ligating the facial artery. A prospective study was conducted in our institute for a duration of 6 months from January 2022 to June 2022. 30 patients undergoing excision of the submandibular gland as an isolated procedure were included. They were randomly divided into 2 groups of 15, Group "A" where the facial artery was preserved, and "B" where the artery was ligated. The operating time in minutes and intra operative blood loss was compared. The mean operating time was 48.26 min in Group A, and 46.2 min in Group B. The p value between the two groups was 0.189586, which was not significant. The mean blood loss in group A was 44.6 ml, and 45.8 ml in group B. The p value was not significant at 0.331254. Preserving the facial artery in benign tumours while excising the gland neither increases operating time nor intraoperative bleeding. This will not only retain the anatomy, but provide a second option for flap reconstruction in case needed later.