Various Branching Patterns of Facial Nerve During Parotidectomy-Deciphering the Enigmatic Course of Facial Nerve Over the Parotid.

This study aims at finding different branching patterns of facial nerve during parotid surgeries and the relationship of the nerve to tragal pointer (TP) and stylomastoidforamen (SMF). The facial nerve enters the body of the parotid gland with varying branching patterns, establishing unique relationship requiring close care while doing parotidectomies. A Hospital Based Prospective Observational, descriptive study, conducted among the participants in a tertiary care centre for a period of 18 months who underwent superficial parotidectomy. In the present study 50% patients had type 2 branching pattern, 24% patients had type 3 branching pattern, 15% had type 4 branching pattern and 10% had type 1 branching pattern. Mean Distance between main trunk and tragal pointer is 7.5 mm and standard deviation is 1.5. Mean Distance between main facial nerve trunk (FNT) and stylomastoid foramen is 1.54 mm and standard deviation is 0.2. Type 2 is the commonest branching pattern of facial nerve inside the parotid gland. This study will provide a road map for the surgeons to anticipate the variations in branching patterns and the knowledge of result of our study might help in decreasing the iatrogenic injury of facial nerve during parotid surgeries.