Long-term follow-up of tympanic neurectomy for sialorrhea

Thirty-one patients who had undergone a bilateral tympanic neurectomy (sectioning of both Jacobson's nerve and the chorda tympani) for sialorrhea are evaluated after two years (ranging from 24--45 months). Drooling control improved in 74%. There was a significant difference of improvement in the group where a diligent search was made to sever all branches of the tympanic plexus. A 50% improvement was attained in two failures of a tympanic neurectomy who underwent transposition of Stenson's ducts into the tonsillar fossa.