Extracapsular Parotidectomy: A Safe Alternative to Partial Superficial Parotidectomy in Properly Selected Patients

Partial superficial parotidectomy (PSP) is the surgical option of choice for treating benign tumors in the superficial lobe of the parotid gland. The less invasive extracapsular parotidectomy (ECP) technique was previously described. Our goal was to review our PSP and ECP cases and compare the outcomes and complications between the surgeries.

Retrospective cohort review.

Tertiary care hospital.

We reviewed the medical records of 98 consecutive with benign parotid tumors restricted to the superficial lobe who underwent parotid surgery. The cohort was divided into 2 groups-ECP (41 patients) and PSP (57 patients). The demographics, tumor size and pathology, operative time, postoperative complications and recurrence rates were compared.

No significant differences were found between the groups regarding age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and final tumor pathology. Moreover, no significant association was found between the tumor-specific pathology and the surgery type performed. The mean tumor diameter was significantly smaller in the ECP group compared to the PSP group. The operative time was significantly shorter in the ECP group than in the PSP group.

ECP is a safe alternative to PSP in properly selective benign parotid tumors. ECP has a significantly shorter operative time. ECP does not increase the risk of complications related to parotid surgery, including facial nerve paralysis.