Surgery of the parotid gland and the viscerovertebral angle.
The use of consistent anatomic landmarks and the mobilization of the viscerovertebral angle facilitate localization of the facial nerve. This straightforward approach to surgery of the parotid gland provides a reproducible methodology for the preservation of the seventh cranial nerve.
D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods