Does neck dissection affect post-operative outcomes in parotidectomy? A national study

Area of Science:

• Head and Neck Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Parotidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove tumors from the parotid gland.
• Neck dissection is often performed concurrently with parotidectomy for malignant parotid tumors.
• Understanding the safety and complication profile of combined parotidectomy and neck dissection is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and analyze the rates of post-operative complications associated with parotidectomy.
• To compare complication rates between parotidectomy alone and parotidectomy with neck dissection.
• To evaluate the impact of neck dissection on patient outcomes such as readmission and reoperation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of a large nationwide dataset of patients undergoing parotidectomy between 2005 and 2017.
• Inclusion criteria: patients aged 18 years or older.
• Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariable logistic regression to compare outcomes between groups.

Main Results:

• A total of 13,609 patients were analyzed; 17.4% underwent neck dissection.
• Parotidectomy with neck dissection was associated with longer surgery and hospital stays.
• The overall complication rate was significantly higher (13.9% vs. 3.5%) in the neck dissection group, driven by increased transfusion rates (7.4% vs. 0.5%).
• No significant differences were found in reoperation or readmission rates between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Parotidectomy with neck dissection is associated with a higher incidence of post-operative complications compared to parotidectomy alone.
• Neck dissection as an adjunct to parotidectomy does not significantly increase the risk of readmission or reoperation.
• These findings support the relative safety of combining neck dissection with parotidectomy for managing parotid malignancies.