Today, undergoing a surgical operation is so common that people become comfortable dealing with it than ever before. With the help of modern tools for diagnosis, benign tumors can now be easily removed, thus preventing them from becoming fatal. And the parotid gland is no exemption to it.
But “what is parotid?” Among the various types of salivary glands, parotid is the largest and it is found in front of the ear. Most patients who undergo a parotid surgery need to remove a tumor, get treated from a severe infection, or remove foreign substances that obstruct the saliva flow. Majority of patients who undergo parotidectomy have been diagnosed with benign growths which may have resulted from other illnesses, sinus infections or cough. But there are also rare cases that malignant tumors can harm the parotid.
And while most of the lumps are benign, physicians still advice patients to undergo parotid surgery to prevent the lump from growing bigger and becoming harmful after several years. Besides the bigger the lump grows, the harder it is to remove.
Parotidectomy is conducted under general anesthesia. This signifies that the patient is asleep during the operation. And for the patient to avoid incurring any blood clot after the operation, the surgeon insert a drain through the patient’s skin. Typically it takes two days before the surgeon recommends that it is already safe to remove the tube.
While parotidectomy is generally considered a safe procedure, there are still possible complications involved as with all other surgeries. Such complications may include the following: facial indention, blood clot, post-operative bleeding, numbness of the face and ear, facial bleeding, and Frey’s Syndrome, whose symptoms include redness and sweating on the cheek area next to the ear.
But still, physicians recommend the removal of the lump since the risks involved with parotidectomy are minimal compared to not having the tumor removed. In addition, the enumerated post-surgical inconveniences will last only for weeks so patients have nothing to worry about. Remember though to talk to your doctor every time you experience a new onset of pain.
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