YIJOM-4511; No of Pages 6 Please cite this article in press as: Comparison of postoperative complications and facial nerve recovery rates after conventional and partial superficial parotidectomy of benign . . . , Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2020.07.035 Clinical Paper Clinical Pathology Comparison of postoperative complications and facial nerve recovery rates after conventional and partial superficial parotidectomy of benign parotid tumours: a prospective study M. A. Al-Aroomi, M. A. Mashrah, B. M. Abotaleb, J. Sun, N. A. Al-Worafi, Y. Huang, F. Xie: Comparison of postoperative complications and facial nerve recovery rates after conventional and partial superficial parotidectomy of benign parotid tumours: a prospective study. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 2019; xxx: xxx–xxx. ã 2020 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. M. A. Al-Aroomi 1 , M. A. Mashrah 2 , B. M. Abotaleb 3,4 , J. Sun 1 , N. A. Al-Worafi 5 , Y. Huang 1 , F. Xie 1 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Mother and Childhood Hospital, Ministry of Health, Ibb, Yemen; 3 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; 4 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen; 5 Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China Abstract. The aim of this study was to compare postoperative complications and facial nerve (FN) recovery rates between conventional superficial parotidectomy (CSP) and partial superficial parotidectomy (PSP) as surgical treatment for benign parotid tumours. A prospective study was conducted on 55 consecutive patients who underwent either CSP (n = 35) or PSP (n = 20) for benign parotid tumours. The primary outcomes were FN injury, FN recovery rates, and Frey syndrome. Secondary outcomes were operative time, hospital stay, sialocele, haematoma, and auricular numbness. The degree of FN injury was evaluated at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative using the House–Brackmann grading system. Frey syndrome was assessed using a subjective clinical questionnaire and objective Minor starch–iodine test. No patient in either group experienced permanent FN paralysis. There was a significantly higher incidence of temporary FN weakness in the CSP group (P = 0.007). The respective FN recovery rates at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were 60%, 88.6%, 94.3%, and 100% in the CSP group and 90%, 95%, 100%, and 100% in the PSP group. No significant difference was observed between the groups regarding the incidence of Frey syndrome, sialocele, and haematoma. The operative time and hospital stay were both shorter in the PSP group. Although the PSP is a more conservative procedure with significantly reduced FN injury, operative time, and hospital stay compared to CSP, the CSP procedure shows a comparable FN recovery rate to the PSP. Key words: benign parotid gland tumour; com- plete superficial parotidectomy; partial super- ficial parotidectomy; facial nerve recovery rates; postoperative complications. Accepted for publication Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 2019; xxx: xxx–xxx https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2020.07.035, available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com 0901-5027/000001+06 ã 2020 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.