Endoscopic Versus Conventional Parotidectomy for Benign Parotid Tumors (miniparo)

Endoscopic Versus Conventional Parotidectomy in the Management of Benign Parotid Tumors : A Prospective Comparative Study

To compare endoscopic and conventional parotidectomy in the management of benign parotid tumors regarding surgical outcomes, facial nerve preservation, operative time, postoperative complications, and cosmetic results, in order to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and potential advantages of the endoscopic minimally invasive technique.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Parotidectomy
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Endoscopic Parotidectomy Group; Procedure: Active Comparator Intervention Conventional Parotidectomy

Detailed Description

Parotid gland tumors account for approximately 3-6% of all head and neck tumors, and nearly 70-80% arise from the superficial lobe of the gland, with the majority being benign lesions such as pleomorphic adenoma and Warthin tumor . A considerable proportion of these tumors occur in the inferior pole of the parotid gland, where surgical management aims to achieve complete tumor excision while preserving facial nerve function and maintaining satisfactory cosmetic outcomes .

Conventional parotidectomy performed through a modified Blair incision remains the standard surgical approach for benign parotid tumors . This technique offers adequate surgical exposure and good tumor control; however, it is associated with several limitations including visible facial scarring, potential facial nerve injury, Frey's syndrome, and postoperative sensory disturbances .

In recent years, minimally invasive surgical approaches have been introduced to overcome these limitations. Endoscopic parotidectomy has emerged as a promising technique for selected benign parotid tumors. The magnified endoscopic view may facilitate more precise dissection and improved identification of facial nerve branches while allowing smaller incisions and potentially better cosmetic outcomes .

Despite encouraging results reported in several studies, the available evidence comparing endoscopic parotidectomy with the conventional approach remains limited. Therefore, further prospective comparative studies are required to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cosmetic advantages of this minimally invasive technique.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 46
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Asyut, Egypt, 2063045
    • Department of General Surgery, Maxillofacial and Head and Neck Unit

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults aged 18 years or older
2. Patients with benign parotid tumors involving the superficial lobe of the parotid gland
3. Tumors located in the inferior pole with or without limited deep lobe extension
4. Tumor size suitable for minimally invasive approach ≤4 cm
5. Patients fit for surgery under general anesthesia
6. Patients willing to provide informed consent and comply with follow-up

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Recurrent parotid tumors
2. Previous parotid surgery on the affected side
3. Pre-existing facial nerve dysfunction
4. Previous neck surgery or extensive cervical/anterior chest wall scarring
5. Significant comorbidities contraindicating surgery or general anesthesia
6. Suspected or confirmed malignant parotid tumors

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Endoscopic Parotidectomy Group; Experimental Arm Endoscopic Parotidectomy	Procedure: Endoscopic Parotidectomy Group; Minimally invasive endoscopic-assisted parotidectomy performed through anterior chest wall approach for benign parotid tumors.
Active Comparator: Conventional Open Parotidectomy Group; Conventional Parotidectomy	Procedure: Active Comparator Intervention Conventional Parotidectomy; Conventional open parotidectomy performed through modified Blair incision for management of benign parotid tumors.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Surgical safety and feasibility	Assessment of intraoperative and postoperative complications and conversion rate to open surgery.	During surgery and up to 3 months postoperatively.
Facial nerve function	Assessment using House-Brackmann grading system.	24 hours, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Intraoperative blood loss	Intraoperative

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assiut University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• O'Brien CJ. Current management of benign parotid tumors--the role of limited superficial parotidectomy. Head Neck. 2003 Nov;25(11):946-52. doi: 10.1002/hed.10312.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 29, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 15, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 15, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: parotidectomy
• Other Study ID Numbers: endo-parotidectomy

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be publicly available. De-identified data may be available from the principal investigator upon reasonable academic request and after approval by the Institutional Review Board.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No