Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T13:36:25.287Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sensory dysfunction and quality of life after great auricular nerve sacrifice during parotidectomy: our experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2015

J Galli ,
M Pandolfini ,
M Rigante ,
L Schinaia ,
M L Guidi ,
G Almadori  and
G Paludetti
J Galli*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
M Pandolfini
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
M Rigante
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
L Schinaia
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
M L Guidi
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesiology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
G Almadori
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
G Paludetti
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
*
Address for correspondence: Prof. J Galli, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy Fax: +39-063-051194 E-mail: jacopo.galli@rm.unicatt.it
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the impact on patients' quality of life of great auricular nerve sacrifice during parotidectomy.

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted of 191 consecutive patients who underwent parotidectomy with great auricular nerve sacrifice between 2006 and 2011. Residual sensory dysfunction and its impact on quality of life was analysed using an eight-item quality of life survey.

Results:

In all, 139 out of 191 patients (72.8 per cent) experienced one or more abnormal sensations in the ear or neck region after surgery. There was a moderate inverse correlation between the number of abnormal sensations and time elapsed since surgery. Moreover, the degree of discomfort correlated significantly with the frequency of symptom occurrence (p < 0.001), duration of the abnormal sensation (p < 0.001) and size of the affected area (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Sacrifice of the great auricular nerve has only a small impact on patient quality of life; their daily activities are not significantly affected.

Keywords

Quality of LifeParotid NeoplasmsSensory Deprivation
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 129 , Issue 11 , November 2015 , pp. 1121 - 1127
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Powell, ME, Clairmont, AA. Complications of parotidectomy. South Med J 1983;76:1109–11CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Leverstein, H, van der Wal, JE, Tiwari, RM, van der Waal, I, Snow, GB. Surgical management of 246 previously untreated pleomorphic adenomas of the parotid gland. Br J Surg 1997;84:399–403Google ScholarPubMed
3Owen, ER, Banerjee, AK, Kissin, M, Kark, AE. Complications of parotid surgery: the need for selectivity. Br J Surg 1990;77:1034–5Google Scholar
4Beahrs, OH. The surgical anatomy and technique of parotidectomy. Surg Clin North Am 1977;57:477–93CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Laccourreye, H, Laccourreye, O, Cauchois, R, Jouffre, V, Ménard, M, Brasnu, D. Total conservative parotidectomy for primary benign pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland: a 25-year experience with 229 patients. Laryngoscope 1994;104:1487–94CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Faber, CE, Pedersen, AT. Pain and sensory impairment following parotidectomy: a descriptive study. Ugeskr Laeger 1996;158:270–3Google ScholarPubMed
7Fardy, MJ. Neurotic excoriations complicating superficial parotidectomy: a case report. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1993;31:41–2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Shvero, J, Koren, I, Feinmessner, R. Preservation of the great posterior auricular nerve during superficial parotidectomy. Harefuah 1998;135:9–11Google ScholarPubMed
9Christensen, NR, Jacobsen, SD. Parotidectomy: preserving the posterior branch of the great auricular nerve. J Laryngol Otol 1997;111:556–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Brown, JS, Ord, RA. Preserving the great auricular nerve in parotidectomy. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1989;27:459–66CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Vieira, MB, Maia, AF, Ribeiro, JC. Randomized prospective study of the validity of the great auricular nerve preservation in parotidectomy. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;128:1191–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Biglioli, F, D'Orto, O, Bozzetti, A, Brusati, R. Function of the great auricular nerve following surgery for benign parotid disorders. J Craniomaxillofac Surg 2002;30:308–17CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Brown, JS, Ord, RA. Preserving the great auricular nerve in parotid surgery. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1989;27:459–66CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Brown, AM, Wake, MJ. Accidental full thickness burn of the ear lobe following division of the great auricular nerve at parotidectomy. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1990;28:178–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Christensen, NR, Jacobsen, SD. Parotidectomy: preserving the posterior branch of the great auricular nerve. J Laryngol Otol 1997;111:556–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Streiner, DL, Norman, GR. Health Measurement Scales: A Practical Guide to Their Development and Use, 2nd edn.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995;35–6Google Scholar
17Juniper, EF, Guyatt, GH, Willan, A, Griffith, LE. Determining a minimal important change in a disease-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire. J Clin Epidemiol 1994;47:81–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18Schultz, JD, Dodson, TB, Meyer, RA. Donor site morbidity of greater auricular nerve graft harvesting. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1992;50:803–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Patel, N, Har-El, G, Rosenfeld, R. Quality of life after great auricular nerve sacrifice during parotidectomy. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2001;127:884Google ScholarPubMed
20Christensen, NR, Jacobsen, SD. Parotidectomy: preserving the posterior branch of the great auricular nerve. J Laryngol Otol 1997;111:556–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Brown, JS, Ord, RA. Preserving the great auricular nerve in parotidectomy. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1989;27:459–66CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Vieira, MB, Maia, AF, Ribeiro, JC. Randomized prospective study of the validity of the great auricular nerve preservation in parotidectomy. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;128:1191–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Ryan, WR, Fee, WE. Long-term great auricular nerve morbidity after sacrifice during parotidectomy. Laryngoscope 2009;119:1140–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed