Influence of parotidectomy extent on complications after benign parotid surgery

This study aimed to assess how the extent of parenchymal removal impacts on postoperative complications after benign parotid surgery. A multicentric retrospective study on parotidectomies for benign lesions performed between 2014 and 2020 was carried out. Demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. In total, 591 patients were included. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that partial superficial parotidectomy (PSP) was associated with a lower risk of postoperative facial nerve (FN) palsy, great auricular nerve (GAN) hypoanesthesia, and Frey syndrome (FS) than superficial parotidectomy (SP), irrespective of tumor size. Extracapsular dissection (ECD) was found to be protective for FS compared with SP, irrespective of tumor size. ECD was associated with a higher risk of FN palsy and GAN hypoanesthesia than PSP. Minimally invasive parotidectomy procedures, such as ECD and PSP, are associated with similar or even decreased rates of postoperative complications when compared with more traditional procedures, such as SP.