Individualised Use of Facelift, Retroauricular Hairline, and V-shaped Incisions for Parotidectomy

PURPOSE Despite the increased need for better cosmetic outcomes following parotidectomy, there is no study on the individualized use of esthetic approaches for parotidectomy. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of individualzsed esthetic approaches for parotidectomy using facelift (FL), retroauricular hairline (RAH), and V-shaped incisions, and compare their surgical and cosmetic outcomes. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study. Between 2015 and 2019, we included patients who underwent parotidectomy using FL, RAH, and V-shaped incisions for the treatment of benign parotid tumors. The surgical approach for parotidectomy was determined based on tumor location and each patient's cosmetic demand, following a comprehensive discussion of available esthetic approaches. Surgical and cosmetic outcomes were assessed as primary outcome variables, which were compared among the three incision groups. One-way analysis of variance/Kruskal-Wallis test and the chi-squared test were used to inspect differences in continuous and categorical variables, respectively, among the groups. RESULTS A total of 213 patients, consisting of 122, 50, and 41 patients in the FL, RAH, and V-shaped groups, respectively, were included in the present study. In the FL, RAH, and V-shaped groups, the patient age was 53.5, 51.8, and 42.1 years, respectively (P < .001), and the tumor size was 2.8, 2.7, and 1.9 cm, respectively (P < .001). All parotidectomies were successfully completed with no incision extension or major complications. The subjective scar satisfaction scores assessed at 3 months postoperatively were 8.5, 9.1, 9.2 in the FL, RAH, and V-shaped groups, respectively (P < .001). However, the Vancouver scar scale was consistent across all groups. CONCLUSIONS Individualized use of esthetic approaches for parotidectomy is feasible and yields improved cosmetic results, leading to high patient satisfaction. Although FL incision is still the standard approach for esthetic parotidectomy, both RAH and the V-shaped incisions could further enhance the cosmetic outcomes of parotidectomy.