I had a parotidectomy. I see that face lifts should be considered with caution. What about a neck lift?

A history of parotidectomy will make the technical aspects of a necklift or combined facelift / necklift a bit more challenging.It is important that your necklift surgeon be very familiar with parotidectomy.  You will find that most facial plastic surgeons have a background in head & neck surgery from their residency training which involves a tremendous amount of surgery on the parotid gland and other deeper structures in the area.  Sticking with just a necklift should not pose too much of an increased risk for you.  It really depends on what was done during your parotid surgery and what is found at the time of your upcoming necklift.  Your surgeon should be comfortable in recognizing those variations in anatomy at the time of the procedure and being able to adapt as needed to give you a great result while keeping the risk to a minimum.

Your question is very appropriate, in that parotid gland removal can expose certain branches of the facial nerves in the cheek and upper neck, potentially increasing risk of nerve damage during a facelift.  However, a necklift has more limited dissection than a complete facelift and the area of danger to the facial nerve is much smaller.  Therefore, the risk is also less.  The surgeon needs to consider the possibly altered nerve anatomy when  doing such a necklift.  You should seek out a plastic surgeon with expertise in face/neck lifting, and I do feel that a necklift can be performed very safely with minimal risk of nerve injury.

Juju58,

Thank you for a excellent question.  The risk to the facial nerve would be less with just a neck lift than a facelift, but both can be potentially performed safely with an experienced surgeon.  The extent of parotid dissection and removal with your original surgery also impacts the risk.  It is important to consult with an experienced facial plastic specialist who specifically has experience performed this surgery after parotidectomy.  I hope that helps!



All my best!  Dr. Elizabeth



"This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion.  Seek in-person treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

Best results for a neck lift is a face lift with SMAS. It has been proven to give the longest lasting results and best overall results. There is a slight risk of nerve injury, statistics reveal less then 1% incidence of even temporary nerve dysfunction postoperatively by board certified ASAPS plastic surgeons. Consider seeing a qualified plastic surgeon in consultation. Good luck...

The short answer to your question is that there is some risk to the facial nerve both temporary and permanent. However, if your surgeon is skilled in facial nerve anatomy, the risk should be very small. Some temporary nerve weakness is possible just from stretching the nerve or pressure from the surgery itself. That being said it usually returns within six weeks. A neck lift has slightly less risk; however, the lower branch of the facial nerve such as the cervical branch is more superficial in the neck and in general is the nerve that is most at risk especially after a parotidectomy which is superficial for benign tumors. I would make sure your surgeon is skilled in facial plastic anatomy. Good luck in your area.