Facelift approach for parotidectomy: an evolving aesthetic technique

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Oncology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Parotidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove tumors from the parotid gland.
• Traditional surgical approaches, such as Blair's incision, can result in noticeable scarring.
• The modified facelift incision has emerged as an alternative approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature on the modified facelift incision for parotidectomy.
• To assess the scope, safety, and cosmetic outcomes of this technique.
• To compare the facelift approach with Blair's incision where data is available.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, and CINHAL databases.
• English-language studies published between 1960 and 2011 were included.
• Studies were excluded based on specific criteria including concurrent facelifts or synthetic reconstruction materials.

Main Results:

• Eleven studies involving 628 patients were included, with most surgeries for benign lesions.
• The facelift incision was used for superficial/partial and total parotidectomy, excising tumors up to 8 cm.
• Operative times and complication rates were comparable to Blair's incision, with favorable patient-reported aesthetic outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The modified facelift incision is a cosmetically superior approach for parotid tumor removal.
• Objective data supports its effectiveness and safety.
• The increasing number of publications in the last decade indicates its growing popularity.