Nerve-Sparing Parotidectomy Guided by Nerve Auto-Fluorescence Technology.

Parotidectomy is a commonly performed surgery for various indications, including inflammatory conditions, infection, congenital symptomatic malformations, and neoplasm resection. Irrespective of its indication, the performance requires meticulous surgical navigation by highly experienced surgeons because of its proximity to the facial nerve. While the surgical technique continues to evolve, nerve paralysis and nerve-related complications remain a significant concern following an intervention. Due to the high learning curve required to reduce the incidence of surgical iatrogenic events, a novel device has been developed to emit real-time nerve auto-fluorescence in parallel to artificial intelligence (AI) surgical navigation software (SNS) feedback to isolate and accurately identify nerve structures during surgery. The authors herein present one of the first cases of a benign parotid tumor excision implementing dual AI and nerve auto-fluorescence technology for a minimally invasive, nerve-sparing parotidectomy. This report underscores the potential of nerve auto-fluorescence-guided surgery to improve surgical precision and patient outcomes.