Centripetal Versus Centrifugal Facial Nerve Dissection in Superficial Parotidectomy: Comparison of the Two Methods at a Tertiary Care Center.

Abstract

To compare the intraoperative and postoperative parameters of two techniques of facial nerve dissection: Centripetal vs Centrifugal. Prospective study. Academic tertiary referral centre. In our study, cases of superficial parotidectomy were randomly selected from the outpatient departments of ORL & HNS. Of these patients, 30 underwent standard anterograde dissection group (Group A) and 30 underwent retrograde facial nerve dissection (Group B). All the patients were assessed pre-operatively, intra-operatively and post-operatively to compare the various parameters. The most common complaint in both groups was parotid swelling. The operative time for A was shorter at 2.1h as compared to 1.9hmin in group B. The resolution of symptoms was nearly comparable in both groups. Facial nerve palsy was slightly more in group B but the difference was not statistically significant. The operative time and post-operative complications were both comparable between AFND and RFND, implying both techniques can be used by surgeons depending on the individual cases.