The superficial temporal and retromandibular veins as guides to expose the facial nerve branches.

Abstract

The superficial temporal vein and retromandibular vein were used as a guide to expose facial nerve branches in the parotid gland, and this procedure was applied to open reduction of mandibular condyle fractures (14 patients) and to superficial parotidectomy (6 patients). The advantages of this method are as follows: It is very easy to identify the superficial temporal vein as a guide, and it produces very little surgical stress because the procedure for exposing the facial nerve branches through the course of the vein is the same as the procedure for exposing the condyle and elevating the superficial lobe of the parotid gland.