Tumors of the parotid glands are believed to represent approximately 2% of tumors of the head and neck. Parotid gland tumors also accounts for 70% to 80% of all tumors of the salivary glands. 1 Approximately, 80% of parotid tumors are benign and 80% of benign tumours are pleomorphic adenomas and 80% arise from the superficial lobe of the parotid gland. 2 Less commonly, tumours may arise from the accessory lobe of the gland and present as a persistent swelling in the cheek. Rarely, tumours may arise from the deep lobe of the parotid gland and present as parapharyngeal masses. 3 The facial nerve is a very important nerve which exits through the skull base, below the ear lobule and travels through the parotid gland, separating the gland into superficial and deep lobes. 4 The hazardous course of the facial nerve through the parotid has evoked considerable risk of nerve injury. 2 The incidence of facial nerve paralysis is higher in total than in superficial parotidectomy, which may be related to stretch injury or as a result of surgical interference with the vasa nervosum. Among the branches of facial nerve which is the most at risk for injury during parotidectomy, is the marginal mandibular branch. 5 Parotid duct ligation increases the risk of nerve palsy in the distribution of zygomatic and buccal branches. Operations for Warthins tumour were associated with the increased risk of dysfunction of the cervical branch of the facial nerve. 6 Advanced age, longer operation time and larger specimen will have the significant risk for transient facial palsy after conservative parotidectomy. 7 There are two basic techniques for the identification and dissection of the facial nerve. One is the forward or antegrade dissection, where the approach to the main trunk is taken as an early step of tracing it to the bifurcation and peripheral branches. Retrograde dissection of the facial nerve is more popular in china with encouraging results. 1 Function preserving parotid surgery has relatively low complication rate like the use of a modified facelift incision, preservation of the great auricular nerve and normal parotid parenchyma. Ear sensation returned more rapidly and more completely in patients in whom the posterior branch of the great auricular nerve is preserved than in those in whom the nerve is sacrificed. 8 The auriculotemporal nerve provides both parasympathetic innervations to the parotid gland and sympathetic innervations to sweat glands and subcutaneous blood vessels. Freys syndrome is due to regrowth of the secretomotor parasympathetic fibers into the distal cut ends of the sympathetic fibers into the skin. 9 The objective of this study is to find out the frequency of nerve injuries after parotid surgery. O b j e c t i v e :To find out the frequency of nerve injuries after parotid surgery M a t e r i a l a n d m e t h o d s :A Cross sectional study was done from January 2008 to December 2009, in the Department of Otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) & Dhaka Medical ...

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v41i3.18959Bangladesh Medical Journal 2012 Vol.41(3): 45-48