Mitigating complications rate in parotid gland tumor surgery by reconstruction technique with SurgiMend®: a retrospective, single-center, observational study on 300 consecutive patients

Background: Salivary gland tumors have an incidence of 1 out of 100,000 people every year, representing 2–4 % of the head and neck tumors. Consensually, radical surgery is the choice in parotid tumors. Despite improvements in surgical and anatomy-preserving strategies, several complications exist in this surgery. Frey Syndrome is caused by an aberrant regeneration of parasympathetic nerve fibers of the auriculotemporal nerve after parotidectomy. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare the surgical complication rate differences between patients undergone parotid gland tumor surgery with reconstruction performed by traditional methods (Group A), and by SurgiMend (Group B). Study design, setting, and sample: The clinical, surgical, and monitoring data of 300 consecutive patients operated at our Institution between 2017 and 2020 were assessed for statistical deductive purposes, shaping a cohort retrospective monocentric observational study. Predictor/exposure/independent variable/main outcome variable: The primary outcome variable was the rate of Frey Syndrome. Secondary outcomes were the other complication rates, including surgical site infections, dehiscence, hypertrophic scars, seromas, hematomas, and temporary and permanent facial nerve palsy. Analyses: To conduct the statistical study, we used descriptive and deductive analyses. We employed the Fisher's Exact test for both analyses. All statistical tests were “two-tailed”, and significance was set to an α-error <0.05. Statistical differences between groups A and B on the categorical postoperative complications were investigated for deductive purposes. Results: This study demonstrated the SurgiMend reconstruction to be significantly associated with a lower rate of Frey Syndrome and hypertrophic scar for parotid gland tumor surgery. Conclusion: and relevance: Our study, through sustained and homogeneous follow-up on patients with benign tumors of the parotid gland, associated with a large, representative, and homogeneous sample, allows us to assert the genuineness and reliability of the minor Frey Syndrome and hypertrophic scars rates for benign parotid tumor surgery.