Will I get facial paralysis after salivary gland surgery?

Tumors in the salivary gland tend to form very close to — and sometimes on top of — the facial nerve, which makes salivary gland operations a rather risky and delicate type of surgery. For this reason, surgery to remove salivary gland tumors carries a high risk of damaging the facial nerve, which can result in complete or partial facial paralysis.

The signs of facial paralysis are being unable to blink, unable to raise the eyebrows, unable to close the eyes, or unable to smile.

Facial nerve paralysis is a common complication that can be encountered after salivary gland surgery, even in benign lesions. This complication significantly and negatively affects the patient's quality of life; therefore, knowing the risk factors before the operation and choosing an experienced surgeon are very important.

A good surgeon must have a thorough knowledge of facial anatomy, including the salivary gland and the facial nerve. Knowing and understanding the location of the facial nerve in relation to the salivary gland tumor is the first requirement for not damaging the nerve.

In addition, during the operation an experienced surgeon should always use a state-of-the-art facial nerve monitoring device that helps identify the main nerve trunk and trace the branches of the nerve, thereby making sure that the facial nerve and its branches are not damaged.