Facelift Question. Is it normal to have part of my glands under my jawline removed?

Occasionally the sub mandibular glands can be large.. When this is the case These salivary glands are often chronically obstructed. Rarely is indicated to remove them to rejuvenate the neck.

Submandibular glands are salivary glands that lie on either side of the neck, just under the mandible. As we age, these glands can become more prominent, and sometimes are made more obvious by facelift (necklift) surgery. While some physicians decide to resect part of these glands, the risk of injuring a branch of the facial nerve that innervates the corner of the mouth is increased. For this reason, many surgeons feel it is better to have a little bump than to risk permanent nerve damage. Another option for large glands may be to inject Botox into the gland to shrink it.

Thank you for your question.In some patients, the submandibular gland is quite large and can contribute to abnormal contours in the neck near the jawline.  In these patients, some surgeons will recommend removing a portion of the gland to create a more refined contour.  In experienced hands, this can be done safely.  Patients may have a dry mouth for a couple of weeks, but this almost always goes away.Best,Dr. Michael EpsteinMAE Plastic SurgeryNorthbrook, IL

Hi BlufftongalThank you for your question. It will certainly help others who are concerned about this procedure. This is a recognised procedure but has a high risk of complications and if successfully performed by surgeons who have experience in this kind of surgery. it creates a more defined neck and jaw line, but for most this is an overkill as you can achieve a very good result without having to resect any glands.Be sure to ask and see whether it is actually you want or whether it's the surgeon who wants to perform this to increase his numbers of these cases.Ask your surgeon to put you in touch with other patients of his who have had this procedure and find out how satisfied they were and if they had any complications.

In cases of a very large and/or low lying gland, a portion or the entire submandibular gland can be removed in order to improve neck contour as part of a facelift or neck lift. However, this is not a routinely perfomed procedure anymore due to the associated risks (such as nerve injury and salivary leak). It is important to speak with your surgeon regarding the risks and benefits associated with this component of the surgery. 

Submandibular glands are playing a major role in producingsaliva for oral hygiene and food digestion. Removing these glands can be arisky and compromise salivary function. Older plastic surgeons commonlyremove parts of these large glands to achieve a more angular jawlines. I haveperformed well over 2500 facelifts and occasionally there are patients withlarger submandibular glands that protrude post operatively. To reduce the sizeof these glands I have injected Botox into the glands and there have beensignificant reduction in their size.