Gland-preserving surgery of benign parotid tumours via postauricular sulcus incision: Is it safe and effective with the scarless incision?

Gland-preserving surgery has been introduced to reduce the complications of conventional parotidectomy that requires removal of total superficial or entire parotid gland along with the tumour. Several cosmetic incisions have also been developed along with conservative parotid surgery involving partial dissection of the facial nerve and gland. The incision length in the cosmetic approaches is gradually shortened from facelift to periauricular incision, and endoscopic parotidectomy techniques emerged. A more functional approach via postauricular sulcus incision was also introduced to remove benign parotid tumours with high cosmetic satisfaction and oncological safety. Therefore, this article presents the surgical procedures, potential indications, pros and cons of the postauricular sulcus approach.