What is the parotid gland?

The parotid gland is the largest of the salivary glands whose function is to secrete saliva to facilitate chewing and swallowing. The gland lies under the angle of the jaw just beneath the ear. The parotid gland has two lobes, superficial and deep, separated by the facial nerve that is important in facial movements like closing the eyes, wrinkling the nose, and moving the lips.

What is Parotidectomy?

Parotidectomy is the surgical removal of the parotid gland.

The most common reasons for removing all or part of this gland are:

•  tumor

•  chronic infection

•  obstruction of the saliva outflow causing chronic enlargement of the gland

Details of the procedure

Parotidectomy is performed under general anesthesia and you will be asleep during the whole operation. After making an incision in front of your ear down the ear lobe and to the side of the neck, the swelling together with the parotid gland is removed. A drain is then placed to stop blood from collecting under the skin. At the end, the skin is sutured.

The drain is removed in a day. The wound heals leaving only a faint scar.

The excised piece of the parotid gland is sent to a lab for examination to determine what kind of tumor it is and if it is malignant or benign. Your surgeon should follow-up with you regarding this.

Possible complications

•  Facial nerve weakness that will recover in three months if the nerve itself is not disrupted

•  Numbness of the ear which heals over 2 to 3 months but may always be present slightly

•  Weakness of the side of the mouth or some difficulty in closing the eye properly

•  Infection

•  Discharge of saliva through the wound in rare cases for 1-2 weeks

Suggested reading

•  Cancer information

•  Medical tourism for parotidectomy

•  US/UK trained surgeons specializing in parotidectomy overseas

•  Internationally accredited foreign hospitals offering affordable medical care

•  Cost of parotidectomy abroad