Objectives: Recent literature suggests that outpatient head and neck surgery is safe and may decrease costs. This study assesses whether outpatient parotidectomy differs in complication type and rate from inpatient surgery.
Methods: Patients who underwent parotidectomy at our institution from 2011 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed and divided by inpatient or outpatient status. Complications including infection, seroma, salivary fistula, hematoma, and flap necrosis, as well as readmission rates were tabulated. Drain placement, related to tumor size, was also analyzed using a receiver operating curve.
Results: 144 patients had available data for analysis. Nine of the 144 patients had complications. Seven of 98 outpatients and two of 46 inpatients had complications. There was no statistically significant difference in complication rate between the two groups (P = .518). Tumor size ≥4.62 cm3 was associated with drain placement (P = .044).
Conclusion: Outpatient parotidectomy is a safe and viable alternative for carefully selected patients.
Keywords: head and neck cancer; outpatient; parotid gland; parotid neoplasm; retrospective study.