SURGICAL TREATMENT OF ANKYLOGLOSSIA USING AN OPHTHALMIC TOPICAL ANESTHETIC AND A TENTACANNULA FOR TONGUE ELEVATION: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Introduction: Ankyloglossia is characterized by the presence of a short lingual frenum that can be inserted from the alveolar ridge to the lingual apex and, until promoting a true fusion of the tongue to the floor. A short lingual frenum can generate several problems such as phonetic disorders. Objective: To describe a surgical technique for the treatment of ankyloglossia using a topical ophthalmic anesthetic and a tentacannula for tongue elevation. Case report: A 15-year-old female was referred for lingual frenulum surgery due to speech impairment. Clinical examination revealed the presence of ankyloglossia which was both hindering the pronunciation of T, D, L phonemes and reducing tongue mobility. The surgical technique chosen was a lingual frenectomy. An ophthalmic topical anesthetic was initially applied to the lateral borders of the frenum with the patient in an upright position and in the presence of adequate aspiration. With the aid of a tentacannula the tongue was raised and the frenulum gradually released with a Goldman-Fox serrated scissor. The topical anesthetic was continuously trickled onto the surgical site during surgery. Results: No postoperative pain was reported by the patient, healing occurred normally and there was no recurrence of abnormal frenulum insertion. Conclusion: The advantages of this technique in comparison to conventional methods which use infiltrative anesthesia include less trauma and a more precise evaluation of tongue movements during surgery, because there will be better control of mobility for the patient when compared to infiltrative techniques.