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Alloderm Implant Reduces Frey Syndrome Cases After Parotidectomy

AlloDerm, an acellular human dermal matrix graft, is effective as an interpositional barrier, reducing the incidence of Frey syndrome after parotidectomy, researchers have found.

This study was carried out by Dr Uttam K Sinha and colleagues. Dr Sinha is based at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, United States.

Thirty patients were divided into three groups: 10 patients underwent superficial parotidectomy with placement of an AlloDerm graft; 10 made up the control group which underwent superficial parotidectomy without placement of an interpositional barrier; and the remaining 10 formed the other control group which underwent deep-plane rhytidectomy without disruption of the parotid fascia.

The patients were evaluated after one year. It was found that the incidence of subjective Frey syndrome occurred in one 1 of 10 patients in the study group who received the AlloDerm graft, and in 5 out of 10 patients in the control group who just had superficial parotidectomy. None of the patients in the second control group, who were treated by rhytidectomy, developed Frey syndrome, either objectively or subjectively.

The researchers report that the subjective and objective differences in incidence of Frey syndrome were statistically significant.

Two patients in the AlloDerm group and three in the group that just had superficial parotidectomy without an interpositional barrier developed transient seroma or sialocele. However, these resolved with conservative management.
Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery 2003;5:1:109-112. "Use of AlloDerm Implant to Prevent Frey Syndrome After Parotidectomy"

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