Parotidectomy--a prospective study.

Preservation of facial nerve is a real challenge in parotidectomy. Total conservative parotidectomy and superficial parotidectomy are the commonly practised operations for parotid diseases. Twelve patients have undergone total conservative parotidectomy and 52 patients have undergone superficial perotidectomy with preservation of integrity and function of the facial nerve and its branches. Fifty-eight patients were suffering from neoplastic conditions of which 46 had pleomorphic adenoma, 7 had muco-epidermoid carcinoma, 3 had carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma, and 2 had adenoid cystic carcinoma. Non-neoplastic conditions were seen in 6 cases of which 3 had chronic parotitis and 3 had congenital parotid fistula. The aim of the study was to observe the efficacy of preservation of facial nerve in parotidectomy done in 64 patients.