Is there anything that can be done about salivary glands that show after a neck lift?

Prominent submandibular salivary glands are something that should usually be assessed before surgery is performed. With the knowledge that these glands may be a problem before surgery, your surgeon can address them during the operative process by suspending them with sutures or occasionally resecting or cutting them. Unfortunately, cutting into these glands isn't always the best idea because you can occasionally have issues with salivation afterwards, and the anatomy surrounding them is complex with respect to the nerves.There have recently been reports showing that botulinum toxin can decrease the size of salivary glands, specifically the parotid gland, this can also be used in the submandibular gland. This may be a good option for you considering that you have already undergone surgery, so talk to your surgeon and see if they have any experience with this.if you need more help, seek out a dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these core four 

Drooping salivary glands under the neck (known as submandibular glands) are one of the most frustrating situations facing facelift surgeons. Since a small branch of the facial nerve travels on top of this gland, I don't usually recommend removal of the gland due to the risks associated with it. There are situations where sutures can be used with caution to lessen its prominence, but overall with minimal change.

The diagnosis of protruding salivary glands should, ideally, be diagnosed prior to performing a neck lift and discussed with the patient.  I routinely discuss this with my patients and if desired the gland is partially removed to provide a better neck contour.  The procedure is safe and does not prolong the recovery period when performed by experienced facial plastic or plastic surgeons.  I noticed after surgery, the prominence must first be accurately diagnosed as the (submandibular) gland and not something else (digastric muscle, seroma, etc).  It is not uncommon for the gland to be swollen after a neck lift surgery and the swelling can take 1-3 months to fully resolve.Botox may have some utility in "shrinking" the gland but should only be performed by experienced Botox injectors familiar with the anatomy.  I hope this helps. 

I think I would start off by asking you to make sure that it is in fact your submandibular glands (salivary glands) that are the problem. Sometimes extra fat that wasn't removed can look and even feel this way. If it is, options are limited from a cosmetic perspective. The problem with these glands is that there are crucial nerves around them. The Hypoglossal nerve, which controls the movement of your tongue, the Lingual nerve which carries taste and touch from your tongue and a nerve called the marginal mandibular nerve which allows you to move the corner of your mouth. If these are damaged there can be unfortunate complications. Here in Ottawa at my practice I remove submandibular glands for non-cosmetic reasons and it is a surgery that requires skill and knowledge. I would not recommend a cosmetic removal to my patients. Other options include using fillers to try to mask the angles and perhaps blunt the shadowing effect. Using Botox is possible, however the risk is potential temporary paralysis of facial muscles. Also, i can affect swallowing if not done perfectly in this area. Sorry for your trouble with this, but I'd recommend seeing a physician in person to really see what the best options are. James P Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSCOttawa, CanadaOtolaryngology - Head and Neck SurgeryFacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Thank you for your question. This is indeed a very difficult problem to treat. It's difficult to give you advice without examining you or at least seeing some photographs.Nevertheless, I can share with you my thoughts on prominent submandibular glands and neck lift. First of all, depending how saggy the glands are, a platysmaplasty may be all is needed if the gland is only mildly prominent. However, sometimes that is not enough and you will still have some fullness. Other options include suspend the gland (with sutures) or excise (partially or completely). Suture suspension can work if combined with an extended platysmaplasty to improve moderate sagginess. For severe sagginess, only excision will improve fullness. Excision (partial or complete) comes with it's own set of risks and should not be taken lightly, but it is an option.I would encourage you to discuss this further with your surgeon. Good luck!