Deterioration of feeding behavior following surgical treatment of drooling

Few adverse effects of the surgical treatment of drooling are reported in the literature. This report describes a young man with severe extrapyramidal cerebral palsy and profuse drooling whose oral feeding behavior deteriorated following bilateral submandibular gland excision and parotid duct rerouting. Before surgery the patient had safe, functional oral feeding skills, and eating was enjoyable. Following surgery he developed progressive feeding difficulties, weight loss, and aspiration pneumonia. His deterioration led to the placement of a feeding gastrostomy and the end of all oral feedings. Surgery had a disturbing and apparently irreversible negative impact on the patient's quality of life.