Abstract: Objective To evaluate the clinical value of retrograde excision of sublingual gland from posterior to anterior for the treatment of oral ranulas. Methods A retrospective analysis of 86 oral ranulas patients, who had excised ipslateral sublingual gland in our hospital, was conducted to compare traditional sublingual gland excision with retrograde sublingual gland excision in loss of blood, duration and incidence of complications in surgery. Results Compared to traditional sublingual gland excision, the loss of blood in retrograde sublingual gland excison was significantly reduced and the difference was statistically significant (t=8.89, P＜0.01). The duration in surgery was significantly shortened and the difference was statistically significant (t=14.85, P＜0.01). The incidence of complications decreased greatly (from 10.7% to 0%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion Retrograde excision of sublingual gland from posterior to anterior can reduce the incidence of surgical complications and loss of blood, shorten the duration and improve the safety of surgery. It is suitable to be applied in sublingual gland excision.

Key words: sublingual gland, oral ranula, lingual nerve, submandibular duct, sublingual artery and vein