Cite as Chin J Exp Ophthalmol, 2023, 41(2): 196-200.
Abstract [Download PDF] [Read Full Text]
As a chronic eye disease caused by multiple factors, the treatment of dry eye disease (DED) should be individualized according to the cause and severity of the disease.In patients with severe DED who have lost lacrimal secretion but have not suffered severe damage to the salivary glands, autologous salivary gland transplantation may help bring hope to these patients if conventional treatments are not effective enough.According to the literature, the three major salivary glands and the minor salivary glands have been used as lacrimal gland replacements.Studies have shown that submandibular glands not only have a high gland survival rate after transplantation, but also maintain secretory activity after transplantation and therefore successfully serve as lacrimal gland replacement.During the up to 180-month follow-up period, the subjective symptoms and signs of DED such as dryness, foreign body sensation, and other objective indicators related to DED such as visual acuity and tear film break-up time are effectively improved.Among the minor salivary glands, the labial glands have been proven to maintain secretory function during the up to ten-year follow-up period after transplantation according to the literature, and have therefore become an alternative lacrimal gland replacement.This review summarized the indications, surgical techniques, efficacy evaluation, modulation of salivary flow and complications of the surgery, involving three major salivary glands, parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands, and minor salivary glands among which labial glands are most commonly used.
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Contributor Information
Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
Peking University School of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China
Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China