Stensen's Duct: Key to Parotidectomy

Surgery of the parotid gland demands an exacting knowledge of the anatomy of the facial nerve. Its relation to the parotid has only recently been presented by Bailey (1941),¹ McCormack (1947),² and Davis (1956).³ Most surgeons encounter the problem of parotidectomy infrequently. Resort to standard references presents a sterotyped technique for the operation. Review of the literature, on the other hand, may be confusing because of the many surgical approaches to the facial nerve which have been described. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to relate our antomical and clinical experience with the use of Stensen's duct to gain access to the facial nerve branches and gland and (2) to present a compendium of surgical techniques for parotidectomy which would be useful to the surgeon in selecting an indicated approach. Method

Thirty cervicofacial halves of premature and stillborn infants, anatomical specimens selected from material available