The parotid gland is a primarily serous salivary gland that is located high in the neck in the preauricular area extending towards the cheek. The extratemporal facial nerve and its branches pass through the parotid gland and supply motor innervation to the muscles of facial expression, as well as to the postauricular muscles, the posterior belly of the digastric muscle, and the stylohyoid muscles.

The motor branches to the face are divided into cervicofacial and temporofacial branches, with the former supplying the muscles of the mouth and neck and the latter supplying the muscles of the forehead and eye (there is some overlap in the nasal region). There is no anatomic feature that formally separates the parotid gland into superficial and deep lobes, but the plane of the facial nerve (see the image below) generally serves for demarcation of the superficial and deep portions of the gland

Parotidectomy is major surgery, but it's also a standard, reliable treatment for eliminating tumors that can damage essential nerves and tissue in your head and neck.