What Is Parotid Tumor Surgery?

Parotid tumor surgery involves removing all or part of the parotid gland, where salivary gland tumors most often start. There are 2 types of parotid tumor surgery.

Total parotidectomy removes the entire parotid gland. It is used to treat tumors located in the deep lobe of the parotid gland. Since the facial nerve runs through this part of the parotid gland, the surgeon will attempt to remove the tumor without damaging the nerve. If the tumor has reached the nerve or has spread along the nerve, the surgeon will need to remove part of the nerve to make sure all the cancer has been removed.

A superficial parotid tumor surgery is done to remove only the superficial lobe of the parotid gland where the tumor is. The superficial lobe is the part of the parotid gland that is located closest to the front of the neck. Since the facial nerve does not cross this part of the parotid gland, there is less risk of nerve damage after a superficial parotidectomy than after a total parotidectomy.

How is the parotidectomy performed?

The operation takes place under general anesthesia.

The surgeon begins by making an incision just in front of the ear and then under the lobe, a few centimeters at the level of the neck. He identifies and dissects the facial nerve and then removes the tumor and the surrounding glandular tissue. The surgical specimen is sent directly for histological analysis during the intervention Depending on the nature of the tumor, the parotidectomy will be:

1. partial in case of benign tumor;

2. almost total in case of mixed tumor to avoid a recurrence;

3. total and supplemented by a treatment of the ganglionic chains of the neck in the event of a malignant tumor.

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