Parotid gland
the largest gland that lies in the front of the ear, moistens the food
in the mouth with the help of saliva secreted by the gland. The saliva
is secreted from this gland through a tube that opens near the teeth.
The main nerves to the face muscles runs through the parotid gland and
the nerve to the skin of ear runs behind the ear. Therefore, when there
is some inflammation in the parotid gland that particular part of the
gland needs to be removed.
When the person has parotid gland tumor, it needs surgical intervention
as treatment for it. The removal of parotid gland surgically is called
parotidectomy. The parotid gland is removed when the tumors turn malignant
or cancerous, or when stones or the narrowing of the salivary duct blocks
the tubes.
Biopsy gives
a clear picture of the problem and the surgeon decides whether the gland
has cancer and whether removal is necessary or not.
Smoking increases the chest infection; so smoking should be stopped before
the surgery. The procedure is done with general anesthesia and the patient
should stop eating or drinking six hours prior to the surgery.
Overweight persons have to shed weight before the procedure. The blood
and urine along with the heart rate are checked before the surgery to
see if they are normal. Any history of earlier ailments should be reported
to the doctor.
An ‘S’ shaped cut is made below the ear and down the side of
the neck. The tissues to be removed are detached and taken out. A small
plastic tube called the drain is kept in the cut area for the fluids to
drain in a bottle. This is done to avoid infection and pain after the
surgery.
The entire process takes around two hours and is done very carefully.
The surgery is a complicated one because the facial nerves go through
the parotid gland ad should not be harmed. The wound heals in such a way
that there is only a faint scar as the cut is made just the way it is
made for the face-lift cosmetic surgeries.
The patient is discharges after a day or two depending on the situation.
The removal of this parotid gland does not have any impact on the saliva
as the other salivary glands secrete enough saliva to keep the mouth moist.
The patient takes two weeks time to recover and should avoid activities
that need strain. Although the scar is visible initially, it blends with
the natural colors of the face in a few months time.
The risks that go with this surgery are:
Infections and bleeding –This is rare but is treated with
antibiotics and is controlled with an overnight stay in the hospital.
Facial weakness or Facial nerve palsy – Damage during the
surgery can result in facial nerve palsy.
Hematoma – Formation of blood clot that needs to be drained.
Numbness of the earlobe – When the greater Auricular nerve
is removed during the surgery it results in the numbness of the earlobe.
Salivary Fistula – Saliva collected in the skin of the cut
area settles on its own or has to be removed.
Frey’s syndrome or the Gustatory sweating – The nerve
supply of the gland grow back to supply sweat to the skin which causes
the redness and sweating in the skin while eating.
Scar – In some cases the scar become thick and visible.
Depression – The dent formed in the face causes depression in some
patients.
Reoccurrence – There is chance of the problems to reoccur
so the patient needs regular checkups.
