Parotid Gland Surgery (Parotidectomy)

Parotidectomy removes part or all of the parotid gland, the largest salivary gland, which sits in front of and below each ear. The most common reason is a lump in the gland. Most parotid lumps are benign, but they tend to keep growing and some can turn cancerous over the years.

The operation removes the lump with a margin of normal gland and gives a firm diagnosis. Its main difficulty is the facial nerve, which runs through the middle of the gland and controls the muscles of facial expression.

What Parotid Gland Surgery (Parotidectomy) involves

Under general anaesthetic the surgeon makes a curved incision that runs in the crease in front of the ear, around the earlobe and into a neck crease, much like a facelift incision. The skin is lifted and the trunk of the facial nerve is found where it leaves the skull. Each branch is then followed forward through the gland, usually with a nerve monitor giving an audible warning if a branch is stimulated. The part of the gland containing the lump is freed from the nerve and removed in one piece. A small drain is placed and the skin is closed with fine stitches. The specimen goes to pathology for a final report.

Who is a good candidate for Parotid Gland Surgery (Parotidectomy)?

Almost every persistent parotid lump is assessed with ultrasound and a needle sample before surgery is planned.

• A benign tumour such as a pleomorphic adenoma or Warthin tumour confirmed or suspected on needle biopsy
• A parotid lump where cancer cannot be excluded
• Repeated parotid infections or stones that have not settled with simpler treatment
• People fit for 2 to 4 hours of general anaesthetic

It is usually not the right choice if:

• Small Warthin tumours in older or frail people, which can often be watched with scans
• Generalised swelling of both glands from a medical cause such as Sjogren syndrome
• Advanced parotid cancer that needs combined planning with oncology near home
• Anyone unable to stop blood thinners safely

الخيارات التقنية

• Superficial parotidectomy: Removes the part of the gland lying outside the facial nerve. The standard operation for most benign lumps.
• Partial or extracapsular dissection: Removes the lump with a cuff of gland without exposing the whole nerve. Used for small, mobile, superficial benign tumours.
• Total parotidectomy: Removes gland on both sides of the nerve. Used for deep lobe tumours and for cancer, sometimes with neck dissection.
• Facial nerve monitoring: Electrodes in the facial muscles alert the surgeon when the nerve is touched. Widely used as an aid, although it does not replace careful dissection.

ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك

Surgery takes 2 to 4 hours under general anaesthetic. You wake with a drain in the neck and a dressing. The cheek and earlobe feel numb. The team will ask you to smile, close your eyes and raise your eyebrows to check the facial nerve. Most people stay 1 or 2 nights, until the drain produces little fluid and can be removed.

الإعداد لرحلتك

Plan for 8 to 10 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

التعافي والنتائج

Pain is usually mild. Stitches come out at 5 to 7 days. Swelling in front of the ear settles over 2 to 4 weeks. Numbness of the earlobe is expected and improves slowly over months, though a patch often stays numb. If the face is weak after surgery it normally recovers over weeks to a few months because the nerve has been stretched rather than cut. Most people return to desk work in 1 to 2 weeks. The pathology report takes about a week and decides whether any further treatment is needed.

• Back to everyday activity: 1 to 2 weeks
• When results show: Final pathology in about 1 week
• How long they last: Permanent removal; long-term checks for some tumour types

سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح

The risks are dominated by the facial nerve and by changes in the skin over the gland.

• Temporary weakness of part of the face, which affects a substantial minority and usually recovers within months
• Permanent facial weakness, which is uncommon in benign surgery but more likely in cancer or revision surgery
• Frey syndrome: sweating and flushing of the cheek when eating, appearing months later
• Lasting numbness of the earlobe
• Salivary collection or leak under the skin, which usually settles with pressure dressings
• Bleeding or haematoma needing a return to theatre
• A hollow behind the jaw where the gland was removed
• Recurrence of the tumour, mainly if a pleomorphic adenoma capsule is breached

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Parotid Gland Surgery (Parotidectomy) in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Parotid Gland Surgery (Parotidectomy), because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• Superficial versus total parotidectomy and operating time
• Use of nerve monitoring
• MRI, ultrasound and needle biopsy before surgery
• Length of hospital stay
• Any reconstruction used to fill the contour defect

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

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