Facial nerve functionality after parotid tumors surgery

The purpose of this study is to show the connection among tumor histology, surgical treatments and facial nerve postoperative functionality. A retrosp ective review was conducted on 69 patients with benign and malignant paroti d tumors: they underwent surgical treatment for benign and malignant paroti d tumors at the Maxillofacial Division of Rome University "La Sapienza" fro m 1988 to 1997. In our series of patients, we performed conservative superficial parotidect omy, conservative total parotidectomy and radical parotidectomy. Tumor enuc leation was reserved for those neoplasms with a limited and restricted mass . The surgical approach was based on mass extension and on histopatologic f eatures. Our findings showed that a careful and a timely diagnosis is very important in order to select a conservative surgical treatment for benign a nd intermediate grade of malignancy tumors with limited dimensions. Most ag gressive histological types, and large mass dimensions require a radical tr eatment with consequent facial nerve postoperative dysfunctions. Our experi ence demonstrates that this surgical approach provides a very high rate of success in the cure of tumors and a low rate of facial nerve postoperative dysfunctions.