Preventing Facial Paralysis during a parotid surgery

Tumors in the parotid gland tend form very close to and sometimes on top of the facial nerve,

making parotid surgery a highly risky and sensitive type of surgery. Surgery to remove a parotid tumor that has grown around even a small portion of the facial nerve has a high risk of damaging the nerve itself, which can result in full or partial facial paralysis.

It is imperative to choose an expert parotid surgeon with expanded experience and knowledge, like Dr. Larian from the CENTER for Advanced Parotid & Facial Nerve Surgery, located in Beverly Hills. Below are three ways in which Dr. Larian helps to prevent facial paralysis during a parotid surgery.

Dr. Larian, an expert parotid surgeon, works with world renowned facial reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Azizzadeh, to prevent facial paralysis during parotid surgery. Dr. Azizzadeh is a leading facial nerve expert, and bringing him in during a parotid surgery largely reduces the chance of parotid surgery caused facial paralysis.

Dr. Larian and Dr. Azizzadeh have a comprehensive understanding of the facial anatomy, which includes the parotid gland and facial nerve. This is especially crucial when performing surgery on the parotid tumor. Knowing and understanding the facial nerve’s location in relation to the parotid tumor is necessary in preventing damage to the nerve. Dr. Larian and Dr. Azizzadeh work together as a team to locate the facial nerve in relation to the parotid tumor, so they can work to preserve the nerve with absolute attention to detail.

Dr. Larian is a pioneer of the minimally invasive parotid surgery technique, also called a micro-parotidectomy. This surgery technique is performed using a miniature, well-hidden incision which minimizes the degree of the surgery and the scarring. Together, both Dr. Larian and Dr. Azizzadeh dedicate the first half of the parotid surgery to looking for the facial nerve and finding all of the nerve’s branches. They are also able to reconstruct the area surrounding the facial nerve by adding a supplementary layer of protective tissue during surgery, which aids in preventing facial paralysis caused by parotid surgery.

Dr. Larian is a world-renowned surgeon using this cutting-edge surgical technique. His expertise and knowledge in the field come from many years of experience in advancing the small facelift incision, requiring great attention to detail and meticulous care.

Dr. Larian and his team of parotid experts will precisely mark the incision prior to the surgery, and use a cutting edge facial nerve monitoring system to aid in determining the main nerve trunk and its location. Once the nerve trunk has been identified, Dr. Azizzadeh will then use a Nerve Integrity Monitor (NIM) in order to protect and monitor the facial nerve and its branches during the length of the surgery.

Once surgery is complete, Dr. Larian and his team will confirm the integrity of the nerve was kept. They do this by stimulating the main trunk and branches of the facial nerve to ensure the muscles move appropriately. If, in any case, the integrity of the facial nerve has been compromised by the parotid tumor, Dr. Azizzadeh can very often repair the nerve using a nerve graft right then. This team approach used by Dr. Larian and Dr. Azizzadeh is key in providing an extremely high success rate and patient satisfaction!

If you believe you need parotid surgery and facial paralysis is one of your concerns, please contact the CENTER for Advanced Parotid & Facial Nerve Surgery to have your questions answered and ease your mind. Schedule a consultation today with top parotid surgeon Dr. Larian by calling (310) 461-0300.