The incidence and management of siaolocele after parotidectomy.
OBJECTIVE
(1) To determine if a postparotidectomy sialocele occurs at a higher incidence with a partial superficial parotidectomy compared with a near-complete parotidectomy and (2) to determine if needle aspiration versus observation yield more persistent sialoceles beyond 1 month.


METHODS
A single-surgeon, single-institution case series with a chart review.


METHODS
Comparing 100 consecutive partial superficial parotidectomy procedures and 20 consecutive near-total parotidectomy procedures for formation of a postoperative sialocele. Patients were evaluated at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively. The first 18 sialoceles were treated with one or more needle aspirations. The last 21 sialoceles were treated with observation.


RESULTS
There were 39 sialoceles in the partial superficial parotidectomy group (39/100, 39%) and none in the near-total parotidectomy group (0/20, 0%) (P < 0.05). All sialoceles resolved by the end of the first postoperative month whether aspirated or not aspirated.


CONCLUSIONS
Sialoceles are common postpartial superficial parotidectomy, and they did not occur after near-total parotidectomy. Sialoceles can generally be treated by observation with an expectation of resolution within 1 month.
Witt
Robert L
RL
Christiana Care Health Systems, Newark, DE 19713, USA. RobertLWitt@gmail.com
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010305:Parotid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000293:injuries; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors