Isala Patient Leaflets 8615-Removal of the parotid gland
Your parotid gland will be removed in consultation with your oral and maxillofacial surgeon (AMD surgeon). In medical terms, this is called a parotidectomy. In this folder you can read how this operation is performed. What are the risks of the operation. And how to prepare for surgery.
Usually it is necessary because there is a tumor in your parotid gland. Tumors in the salivary gland are quite rare. Of these tumors, 80% are benign and 20% malignant. Sometimes a salivary gland is also removed because it is chronically inflamed.
To remove the salivary gland, the MKA surgeon aspirates some cells from the tumour. This is called a puncture. These cells are examined under the microscope. This provides initial information about the tumor, but not yet a definitive diagnosis.
The definitive diagnosis of the tumor is only possible after tissue examination. For this, a piece of tissue must be removed or the entire tumor removed. This tissue is sent to the laboratory. You will receive the result later.
The picture shows where the salivary gland is located. The facial nerve runs right through the salivary gland. This nerve divides the salivary gland into a deep and a superficial part.
Image 1: Parotid salivary gland
There are 2 ways to perform the operation:
The superficial parotidectomy. The MKA surgeon removes (part of) the superficial part of the parotid gland on the outside of the facial nerve. The total parotidectomy. The MKA surgeon removes all the parotid gland tissue.
The size of the tumor determines which method the ENT surgeon chooses.
During the operation, you lie on your back on the operating table. Your head is turned to the side. The surgeon makes a cut just in front of the ear. This cut extends to a fold of skin in the neck. Sometimes the cut is pulled behind the ear to hide the scar. This gives the surgeon a good view. This allows him or her to find the facial nerve properly. Sometimes a drain is left behind when the wound is closed. This is to drain the wound fluid.
Usually the operation and the period afterwards go without problems. Nevertheless, it is good to know which complaints can occur:
The sensory nerve can be damaged during the operation. This causes numbness in the auricle and the area where you have been operated on. The numbness usually subsides within a few months. The symptoms may even disappear completely. If some complaints do remain, they are usually hardly considered annoying. The facial nerve can be damaged. If this nerve is touched during surgery, the nerve may swell. This can cause the muscles in one half of your face to work less well. Your face is then partially crooked when you smile, for example. The complaints usually recover in a few months. The risk of this remaining the case is small. The wound may become infected. In case of pain, redness and swelling of the surgical wound, you should contact your doctor. The wound is then inflamed and needs to be treated. You will often be given a course of antibiotics. Frey’s syndrome can develop. When (part of) the parotid gland is removed, very small nerves are also cut. These small nerves are involved in saliva production.
When recovering, these small nerves can sometimes fuse with the nerve endings of the sweat glands. If that happens, you may experience sweating and redness in the operated area if you see or smell food. These complaints do not occur until several months after the operation.
Most people experience little pain after surgery. Are you in pain? Then you can use a painkiller such as paracetamol. The skin around the wound is often somewhat swollen. This will disappear on its own after a few weeks.
Do you have any questions? Then you can call:
Oral, jaw and facial surgery
088 624 28 81 (available from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5 pm)
088 624 50 00 (in case of emergency after 5 p.m. and on weekends)
Last modified June 27, 2023 / 8615
2023-06-27 15:22:43
#Removal #parotid #gland #Isala
