Pictures Showing Steps to Parotid Mass Removal Added

We have added actual surgical photos of a parotid mass removal to our parotidectomy webpage. 6 photos (including the one shown here) were taken during each stage of the surgery. A small description has been added as well explaining what is going on. Check it out here!

Cavaliers Forward LeBron James Underwent Parotidectomy

Reuters on June 3, 2009 reported that LeBron James underwent a 5 hour surgery to remove a benign cyst from his parotid gland. People may ask why it would take so long to remove a cyst. It's because the nerve that makes the face move goes through the parotid gland and if the nerve is not identified first prior to cyst removal, the patient may end up with a permanent facial paralysis.

Read the story here.

I would bet that it took 4 1/2 hours to identify and trace out all the facial nerve branches (can be as thin as a hair) and 30 minutes to remove the cyst and close the wound.

Read more about this type of surgery here.

New Webpage on Parotidectomy (Surgical Removal of Parotid Mass/Tumor)

A new webpage has been posted to our website describing the surgical procedure known as parotidectomy. This surgery is to remove a mass from the parotid gland which is located immediately in front of the ears. The webpage goes over the surgical procedure itself as well as risks.

Click here to check it out!

Of note, the image shown here is taken from Wikipedia.