Skip to main content

Parotidectomy - the lump out, the smile untouched.

The parotid is the salivary gland in front of your ear - and the facial nerve, which moves your smile, runs straight through it. Removing a parotid lump is routine for a specialist and hazardous for anyone else.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private parotidectomy costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner head and neck units.

In short

£6,500–£9,500, home after 1–2 nights.

Procedure Indicative range
Head and neck surgery consultation £250–£400
Ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration £400–£800
MRI parotid / neck £500–£900
Extracapsular dissection (small benign tumour) £5,500–£8,000
Superficial parotidectomy £6,500–£9,500
Total parotidectomy (deep lobe or malignancy) £9,000–£14,000
Revision parotid surgery (recurrent tumour) £10,000–£16,000

Prices vary by hospital and surgeon, by tumour size and depth, and above all by whether this is first-time or revision surgery - recurrent pleomorphic adenoma in scarred tissue is always the top of the range. Facial nerve monitoring is included as standard in every quote we obtain.

The problem

A biopsy before the operation, and a nerve specialist behind the knife.

Parotid care goes wrong in three familiar ways - lumps removed without a diagnosis, surgery by occasional operators, and benign tumours enucleated only to recur. We fix all three.

  • Know before you cut

    A needle biopsy changes the operation - or cancels it. No patient of ours reaches theatre without cytology and imaging on the table.

  • The nerve deserves a specialist

    Facial weakness rates track surgeon volume above everything else. Weekly parotid operators with continuous monitoring - that is the whole panel.

  • Done properly, once

    A ruptured or enucleated pleomorphic adenoma seeds recurrence that is far harder to fix. The first operation is the one that matters most.

When it helps

When parotidectomy is the right step.

The presentations we see most, plus the one red flag that means urgent head and neck oncology rather than a routine booking.

  • A slow-growing lump by the ear

    The classic pleomorphic adenoma - painless, mobile, growing over years. Benign, but removed because a small proportion transform if left for decades.

  • Warthin tumour

    The second most common parotid tumour, sometimes on both sides, commonest in older men and smokers. Surgery or surveillance - an honest discussion either way.

  • A lump confirmed on needle biopsy

    Cytology showing a tumour that needs excision - the biopsy result is what turns “a lump” into a planned operation with the right extent.

  • Deep-lobe tumours

    Tumours under the nerve, sometimes bulging into the throat - technically demanding surgery that belongs exclusively in high-volume hands.

  • Recurrent parotitis or stones

    A gland repeatedly infected or blocked beyond salvage - removal ends the cycle when duct procedures cannot.

  • A recurred pleomorphic adenoma

    Regrowth after previous surgery - often multifocal, always specialist territory, and the strongest argument for doing the first operation properly.

  • Confirmed salivary malignancy

    Mucoepidermoid, adenoid cystic and other cancers need total or radical parotidectomy, sometimes with neck dissection and radiotherapy - MDT-planned from the start.

  • Red flag: facial weakness with a lump

    A parotid lump with facial droop, pain or rapid growth suggests malignancy invading the nerve - a two-week-wait referral, not a routine appointment.

Procedure options

How much gland comes out depends on what the lump is.

  • Extracapsular dissection

    For small, mobile, superficial benign tumours - the lump removed with a narrow margin, less gland sacrificed, lower rates of Frey’s syndrome. Specialist-dependent.

  • Superficial parotidectomy

    The standard operation for most benign tumours - the gland superficial to the facial nerve removed with the tumour inside it.

  • Total parotidectomy

    Both lobes removed with the nerve dissected free and preserved - for deep-lobe tumours and most cancers.

  • Radical and nerve-sacrificing surgery

    Only when cancer has invaded the nerve. Grafting and facial reanimation options are planned before surgery, never improvised after it.

  • Continuous facial nerve monitoring

  • Neck dissection

    Removal of lymph node groups alongside parotidectomy when malignancy is confirmed or suspected - decided by the MDT, not in theatre.

  • Surveillance instead of surgery

    Small Warthin tumours in older patients can reasonably be watched with ultrasound - an option that deserves to be offered, and often is not.

  • Sialendoscopy first

    For stones and duct problems, telescope-based duct clearance can save the gland entirely - removal is the last resort, not the first.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Parotidectomy is safe, routine surgery in specialist hands. The honest conversation is about the facial nerve, the earlobe, and a curious sweating phenomenon with a French name.

  • GA, and usually 1–2 nights in

    Surgery takes 1.5–3 hours under general anaesthetic with a small drain overnight. Most people are eating, talking and mobile the same evening.

  • Temporary facial weakness

    Some weakness - often just the lower lip - affects roughly 10–20% and recovers over weeks to months as the handled nerve settles.

  • Permanent facial weakness

    The number that matters: under 1–2% for benign disease with a high-volume, nerve-monitored surgeon. This is precisely why we select the way we do.

  • Numbness of the ear

    The greater auricular nerve crosses the field; a numb earlobe is near-universal at first and improves over months, though a patch often remains.

  • Frey’s syndrome

    Sweating or flushing of the cheek when eating, from regrowing nerve fibres rewiring to sweat glands. Noticeable in perhaps 10–15%; treatable with botulinum toxin when troublesome.

  • Haematoma, infection and salivary leak

    Each affects a small percentage. Salivary collections (sialocele) settle with drainage and time; the overnight drain exists to prevent haematoma.

  • The scar and the contour

    The facelift-style incision fades well in the crease. Removing gland leaves a subtle hollow in front of the ear - usually unnoticed by anyone but you.

  • Recurrence

    Properly excised pleomorphic adenomas recur in only 1–3% over a lifetime - but enucleated or ruptured ones recur far more, which is the case for specialist surgery first time.

  • Red flags after surgery

    A rapidly swelling neck, difficulty breathing, fever, or new complete facial weakness need same-day contact with the team or A&E - not a routine call.

Reading your operation note

Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whether the operation was an extracapsular dissection or a total parotidectomy, the note keeps to the same shape.

A UK head and neck surgeon reviewing a patient’s operation notes

A quiet reminder

Parotid reports mix cytology grades with nerve branches - we translate them for you.

If you would like us to talk you through your biopsy result or operation note before your review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Diagnosis, side and extent of surgery

    What the lump was believed to be, and whether an extracapsular dissection, superficial or total parotidectomy was performed.

  2. 02 Technique

    The facial nerve, documented

    Confirmation the nerve was identified, which branches were dissected, monitoring readings, and nerve function at the end of surgery.

  3. 03 Findings

    Histology and margins

    The definitive tissue diagnosis - pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin, or a named malignancy - with margin status and anything needing MDT review.

  4. 04 Impression

    Follow-up and what to watch for

    Read this first: wound care, the expected course of any weakness or numbness, whether further treatment is needed, and your review dates.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Parotidectomy for a confirmed or suspected tumour is routinely covered by UK private medical insurance, including imaging, needle biopsy and nerve monitoring.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about parotid surgery.

Quick answers on the facial nerve, biopsies, benign vs malignant lumps, Frey’s syndrome, recovery and cost.

  • What is the parotid gland - and why is surgery on it delicate?

    The parotid is the largest salivary gland, sitting in front of and below each ear. The facial nerve - which moves everything from your eyebrow to your smile - enters the gland and fans out through it in five branches. Every parotid operation is therefore facial nerve surgery first and tumour surgery second, which is why volume and monitoring matter so much.

  • Is my parotid lump likely to be cancer?

    Statistically no - around 80% of parotid tumours are benign, most commonly pleomorphic adenomas and Warthin tumours. But roughly one in five is malignant, and examination alone cannot reliably tell them apart, which is why ultrasound with a needle biopsy comes before any decision about surgery.

  • Why remove a benign tumour at all?

    Pleomorphic adenomas grow slowly but steadily, become harder to remove safely as they enlarge, and carry a small risk of malignant transformation over decades - quoted at up to 1% per year of observation in long-standing tumours. For most fit patients, planned removal while the tumour is small is the safer path. Warthin tumours, by contrast, can often be watched.

  • Will my face be weak after surgery?

    Temporary weakness - most often a slightly uneven smile - affects perhaps 10–20% and recovers over weeks to months. Permanent weakness occurs in under 1–2% for benign disease with a specialist using continuous nerve monitoring, which is the only arrangement we refer to. Cancer invading the nerve is the rare exception where sacrifice and reconstruction are planned openly beforehand.

  • What is Frey’s syndrome?

    Cheek sweating or flushing while eating, caused by cut nerve fibres regrowing into the skin’s sweat glands. It appears months after surgery in a minority of patients - bothersome in perhaps one in ten - and responds well to botulinum toxin injections repeated every few months when it is troublesome.

  • How much does a private parotidectomy cost?

    Roughly £5,500–£8,000 for extracapsular dissection, £6,500–£9,500 for superficial parotidectomy, and £9,000–£14,000 for total parotidectomy, with revision surgery above that. Work-up - ultrasound, biopsy, MRI - adds £900–£1,700.

Related treatments

Looking for something else?