Standard Dressing Forceps — 145mm Superficial Parotidectomy

The 145mm standard dressing forceps is the superficial-parotidectomy working length — the operation that removes a benign parotid tumour (most commonly pleomorphic adenoma) while preserving the facial nerve. The 14.5cm length reaches the deep parotid lobe through the preauricular incision while keeping the operator’s hand from obscuring the facial-nerve dissection that defines the procedure.

The facial-nerve preservation imperative

Permanent facial-nerve weakness after parotidectomy produces lifelong facial asymmetry — the most-feared complication of parotid surgery. Modern technique uses intraoperative nerve-monitoring to confirm the facial-nerve trajectory during the dissection through the gland substance. The 145mm dressing forceps handles the parotid tissue around the nerve without disturbing the nerve itself — the dissection plane must stay on the nerve surface to preserve all of its branches.

Pleomorphic adenoma surgical management

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common parotid tumour (60-70% of all parotid neoplasms) and surgical resection with adequate margins is the standard treatment. Inadequate resection produces tumour recurrence in 5-7% of cases — and recurrent pleomorphic adenoma has a higher rate of malignant transformation than primary disease. The 145mm dressing forceps supports the precise dissection technique that delivers adequate margins.