Facial nerve functionality after parotid tumors surgery

The purpose of this study is to show the connection among tumor histology, surgical treatments and facial nerve postoperative functionality. A retrospective review was conducted on 69 patients with benign and malignant parotid tumors: they underwent surgical treatment for benign and malignant parotid tumors at the Maxillofacial Division of Rome University "La Sapienza" from 1988 to 1997. In our series of patients, we performed conservative superficial parotidectomy, conservative total parotidectomy and radical parotidectomy. Tumor enucleation was reserved for those neoplasms with a limited and restricted mass. The surgical approach was based on mass extension and on histopathologic features. Our findings showed that a careful and a timely diagnosis is very important in order to select a conservative surgical treatment for benign and intermediate grade of malignancy tumors with limited dimensions. Most aggressive histological types, and large mass dimensions require a radical treatment with consequent facial nerve postoperative dysfunctions. Our experience demonstrates that this surgical approach provides a very high rate of success in the cure of tumors and a low rate of facial nerve postoperative dysfunctions.