Complications of Parotid Surgery—10 Years’ Experience

Abstract

Background: Parotid surgery with dissection of the facial nerve branches is a technically challenging surgery. Even in experienced hands, parotidectomy has well-documented post-operative complications. We aim to evaluate complications following parotid surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 187 patients who underwent parotidectomy from Jan uary 2010 to Jan uary 2020 performed in surgical oncology department South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, from patients (57.3% males and 42.7% females, average age 42.96 years ) . Results: 78.4% Patients had benign tumors, the most frequent being pleomorphic adenoma 55.1% followed by Warthin’s tumour 16.9%, and 21.6% malignant tumors, mucoepidermoid carcinoma being the most frequent. Superficial parotidectomy was the most common surgery 40.4% performed followed by 25.3%, total conservative parotidectomy, while 1.1%, underwent radical parotidectomy, ( extended radical parotidectom y was performed 2.2%), and revision total parotidectomy (Recurrence 6.7%, and parotidectomy with modified radical neck dissection (MRND) 7.9%. The most common complication following parotidectomy was transient facial nerve palsy 21.3%. Permanent facial nerve paresis was observed in 3.9%, sensory deficit in 20.2%, sialocele in 6.7%, hematoma formation 3.4% and wound infection in 7.3%, and recurrence 7.3% . Frey’s syndrome occurred in 7.3% and salivary fistula 5.1%. Conclusion: Parotidectomy is safe procedure caus ing minimal complications. Transient facial palsy is the most common postoperative complication.