Quality of life after great auricular nerve sacrifice during parotidectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of great auricular nerve (GAN) sacrifice during parotidectomy on patients' quality of life.


METHODS
Historical cohort survey of patients who had undergone GAN sacrifice during parotidectomy.


METHODS
Tertiary academic otolaryngologic practice.


METHODS
Fifty-three patients who had undergone GAN sacrifice during parotidectomy completed an 8-item quality-of-life survey with a 7-point response scale designed to measure outcome after GAN sacrifice during parotidectomy.


RESULTS
Thirty patients (57%) reported experiencing at least 1 abnormal symptom, but the mean number of symptoms decreased significantly with time, from a mean of 2.3 during the first year to 0.2 after 5 years (P<.001). Even among patients experiencing symptoms, 23 (77%) reported only a little or no bother caused by the symptoms, and 27 (90%) reported no interference or almost none with their daily activities. The degree of bother or interference reported had a moderate positive correlation with the number of abnormal sensations reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that, while many patients experienced sensory deficits, the overall quality of life was not significantly affected after GAN sacrifice during parotidectomy. Patients who report multiple abnormal sensations, however, would benefit from additional counseling and from reassurance that the number of sensations will diminish with time. Further study evaluating the effect of preservation of the posterior branch of the GAN during parotidectomy on patients' quality of life is needed.
Patel
N
N
Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, 340 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA. nileshpatelmd@hotmail.com
Har-El
G
G
Rosenfeld
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000601:surgery*; D004423:Ear / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000523:psychology*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life