[Reoperation of tumors of the parotid gland, surgical approach and consequences for the 7th cranial nerve. Apropos of 42 cases].

Second or more surgical procedures on parotid are usually difficult and may induce injury on the facial nerve. The authors report their experience about 42 patients. The choice between a total parotidectomy or a surgical excision of a tumor depends on the number of surgical procedure, the type of initial procedure and the histological type of the tumor. Second surgical procedures for a wrong initial diagnosis (11 cases) were always a total parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation. The risk of a partial or total facial palsy is higher after several recurrences (3 of 8 cases). The facial nerve had to be resected in 3 of 9 cases of malignant tumors recurrences. The initial treatment of a tumor of the parotid must be radical so it can prevent for further surgical procedures and then avoid a facial nerve injury.