[The study of preserving the great auricular nerve in the parotidectomy].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect for local sensory to preserve great auricular nerve in the parotidectomy.

METHOD: It was a prospective study. Eighy-one patients who underwent parotidectomy were randomly divided into 2 groups, preserving the great auricular nerve group and no preserving the great auricular nerve group. They were tested with the subjective and objective sensory function testing in 3, 6, 9, 12 months after operation. We assessed the result.

RESULT: In the subjective sensory function testing, the result of the preserving the great auricular nerve group was better than no preserving the great auricular nerve group. In the objective sensory function testing, the result of the preserving the great auricular nerve group was obviously better than no preserving the great auricular nerve group. There was significant difference between the 2 groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

It was effective for recovering the sensory function that we preserved the great auricular nerve in the parotidectomy.