Comparative outcomes of extracapsular dissection and superficial parotidectomy

Background: Retrospective analysis of extracapsular dissection (ECD) and superficial parotidectomy (SP).Aims/objectives: Comparing the outcomes of ECD and SP in surgery of benign parotid masses.Material and methods: Total of 136 patients included in the study. The inclusion criteria were pathologically proven benign FNA biopsy, lack of deep lobe invasion and single tumour diameter lower than 4 cm, absence of radiologically and clinically malignant lesion and facial paralysis at the time of diagnosis.Objectives: Drain volumes and seroma presence, clinical evaluation of face nerve function; signs of infective complications were collected from patients' clinic chart. Complications and recurrence rates were obtained from follow-up forms.Results: The mean follow-up period was 42.53 ± 14.88 months. In SP group, three patients with disease recurrence were found, 8 (10.2%) had early facial nerve paralysis (grade 2 and 3) and 11 (14.1%) had Frey's syndrome. No postoperative complication, early facial paralysis and recurrence were observed in ECD group.Conclusion and significance: ECD procedure was found to be as successful as SP in the selected patient group in approach to the pathologically proven and single benign parotid masses with similar recurrence and lower complication rates compared to the SP.