Parotid Surgery, Part 2

There are many elements of the surgical plan that patients must discuss with their surgeons. The goals for surgery are to completely remove the tumor, take steps to ensure that it does not spread or return, and to minimize the surgical impact on the patient. 

Due to the location of the parotid gland, the surgery is performed on a highly visible area. This concerns many patients who wonder what their face will look like after surgery. Dr. Eric J. Moore; Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic; Rochester, Minnesota, joins us again to continue our discussion about parotid surgery.

Dr. Moore will address the different reconstruction techniques with their pros and cons, side effects of reconstruction, side effects of parotid surgery, length of parotid surgery, travel considerations, and much more.

Are you ready to learn? This episode is for you.

Key Talking Points of the Episode:

The different techniques of parotid reconstructionCommon side effects of parotid reconstructionFrey’s Syndrome and reconstructionSide effects of parotid surgeryUnderstanding clear marginsFacial nerve repairTraveling for surgery

Key Quotes from the Episode:

“For the patient and the surgeon to share a like view of what’s going to happen after the surgery, and what things are going to look like, and what the desires are is very important.”

“The advice for patients, who have parotid tumors, overwhelmingly is to get them treated because ignoring them, letting them sit, not taking care of them, I think is far more dangerous than taking care of them.”

"The fear is real, and it does really influence people's decisions and makes it very difficult for them to sometimes follow through with care. But the alternative has a lot of problems associated with it that are actually more risky."

“The take home message is that done well parotid surgery is extremely safe and goes well almost all of the time.”

 Connect with Us:

·        Parotid Patient Project

·        Instagram

·        Facebook

·        Twitter

·        Email: [email protected]

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast to stay fully up to date. As always, know that you are not alone in this journey.