Assessment of a limited-access parotidectomy technique's complications and scar characteristics – A cohort study

Parotidectomy is the treatment of choice for benign tumors of the parotid gland, with the modified Blair incision most commonly utilized. This retrospective analysis aimed to determine the incidence of complications and assess the relationship between the mass and scar characteristics, in patients who had undergone parotidectomy. The scar characteristics of patients who had undergone parotidectomy for benign neoplasms at our medical center between 2013 and 2019 were evaluated. Overall, 49 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 33 agreed to participate in the study. The mean patient age was 52.8 years; 57.5% were males. No correlation was identified between the parotid mass size or location and scar type or length. The most common complications in this study were similar to those reported in the literature. The results of this study suggest that the smaller, tailored modified Blair incision for parotidectomy does not increase complication rates. Future studies with larger cohorts should be conducted to further assess the potential benefits of tailored incision size during modified Blair parotidectomies.