title: Long term quality of life in pediatric patients surviving parotid tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long term quality of life in pediatric patients who have survived parotid tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quality of life instrument, based on the principles of the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire, was specifically created for this study and sent to pediatric patients who had undergone a parotidectomy between 2000 and 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean general health score was 3.45, which was deemed good to very good. The highest overall score in the group was 99.24. These results indicated that almost no patients complained of pain. Initially, 10 patients had reported that sensation was affected, but six of these cases recovered. Three (9.1%) patients reported a change in their appearance. Two patients (6.1%) reported surgical site depression and a further two (6.1%) reported scarring depression. Six (18.2%) patients reported facial nerve impairment during the early postoperative period, and four of these cases recovered. Two patients reported fistula during the early postoperative period, and but the symptoms were resolved after intervention. Frey's syndrome was reported by three (9.1%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parotidectomy has a limited negative impact on pediatric patients' quality of life.
authors: Department of Oromaxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, No.117, Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, PR China.
authors: Qi-Gen
authors: QG
authors: Fang
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, PR China.
authors: Shuang
authors: S
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Oromaxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, No.117, Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, PR China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of endodontic, School of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, PR China.
authors: Mengjie
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Department of Oromaxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, No.117, Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, PR China.
authors: Fa-Yu
authors: FY
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Oromaxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, No.117, Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110002, PR China. Electronic address: changfusun@hotmail.com.
authors: Chang-Fu
authors: CF
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Parotid tumor; Parotidectomy; Pediatric; Quality of life