Etiology and clinical recommendations to manage the complications following lingual frenectomy: A critical review

Abstract

Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, is an embryological anatomical malformation of the tongue, characterized by an abnormally short and a thick lingual frenum. Tongue-tie restricts the physiologic movements of the tongue and results in various functional, behavioral and speech abnormalities along with the development of frontal and lateral lisps. Ankyloglossia in infants is also linked with the difficulty in breastfeeding difficulty, gagging, choking or vomiting food, delayed development or deterioration of speech and behavioral issues. A lingual frenectomy is a common oral surgical procedure done to correct an ankylosed lingual frenum by severing the abnormal frenal attachment on the ventral surface of the tongue. However, lingual frenectomy is associated with few complications that should be addressed to achieve a good overall prognosis. Though a lot of research is available on the various techniques and rationale to correct ankyloglossia, no paper has yet highlighted the surgical complications associated with lingual frenectomy. Therefore, the present paper for the first time review and highlight the common intraoperative and postoperative complications following lingual frenectomy.