Superficial Parotidectomy – Our Experience

Abstract

Pleomorphic adenoma is the commonest tumor of the parotid gland and mostly arises from its superficial lobe. The best operation for this tumor is superficial parotidectomy. In clinical practice this procedure can be performed by general surgeons, oto-rhinolaryngologists as well as maxillofacial surgeons. Whatever the specialty, the surgeon must be well acquainted with the course of the facial nerve for good surgical results. Also of equal importance is the ability to remove the tumor with a wide healthy margin in order to reduce the chance of local recurrence. We performed a study at K.P.C. Medical College & Hospital where 19 cases were operated in a period of 30 months with the aim to study the complications of surgery and chance of recurrence of the tumor on follow up. Cases were selected from patients attending the OPD with complaint of swelling of the parotid region. The diagnosis was confirmed pre-operatively by FNAC and USG. After routine work-up, patients were operated by a standard procedure and the surgical specimen was sent for histopathological examination in each case. The results have been analyzed in detail and also compared with the available literature. In conclusion we find that our results compare well with other series.