Salivary Gland Tumors & Parotid Surgery.

A parotidectomy is the surgical removal of a part or the entire parotid gland. The primary risk is temporary weakness of the facial muscles (facial nerve neuropraxia) due to surgical handling of the nerve, which usually recovers fully within a few weeks. Other risks include salivary leakage (sialocele) or localized numbness of the earlobe (due to stretching of the great auricular nerve).

Dr. Saha utilizes high-power magnification loupes and specialized surgical landmarks to locate the main trunk of the facial nerve as it exits the stylomastoid foramen. Once the trunk is isolated, the parotid tumor is separated from the nerve fibers using a retrograde or anterograde dissecting technique, ensuring that every branch remains structurally and functionally intact.

Frey's syndrome (gustatory sweating) occurs when severed microscopic nerve fibers that normally control salivary flow cross-regenerate and connect to the sweat glands in the overlying skin, causing sweating and flushing of the cheek during meals. To prevent this, Dr. Saha reconstructs the parotid bed using a vascularized SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System) flap to create a barrier between the nerve endings and the skin.