| Title | Facial nerve repair by interposition nerve graft: results in 22 patients. | | Author(s) | Stephanian E, Sekhar LN, Janecka IP, Hirsch B | | Institution | Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pennsylvania. | | Source | Neurosurgery 1992 Jul; 31(1):73-6; discussion 77. | | MeSH | Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Brain Neoplasms
Child
Child, Preschool
Cranial Nerve Neoplasms
Facial Nerve
Facial Paralysis
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Male
Microsurgery
Middle Aged
Nerve Regeneration
Neurologic Examination
Peripheral Nerves
Postoperative Complications
Skull Neoplasms
Suture Techniques
| | Abstract | Resection of tumors of the posterior cranial base may incorporate a segment of the facial nerve because of tumor infiltration, or may result in unplanned nerve injury. Immediate repair of the facial nerve by resuture or with an autogenous nerve graft is highly desirable to ensure optimal recovery of facial function. Twenty-four patients who underwent extensive surgery of the posterior skull base and facial nerve reconstruction were studied. Of these, 12 patients had preoperative facial weakness and 3 had facial palsy. All patients underwent graft reconstruction from the subarachnoid or labyrinthine portion of the facial nerve to the fallopian or extracranial segment. The greater auricular nerve was used as a graft in 14 patients, and the sural nerve in 10. Two patients died of their disease soon after surgery, and, therefore, were excluded from our follow-up. In the remaining 22 patients, the median follow-up time was 20 months. As evaluated by the House-Brackmann grading system, 45% (10/22) of the surviving patients achieved a good recovery of facial function, 36% (8/22) attained a fair recovery, and 18% (4/22) had minimal or no recovery. There was no statistical correlation between the length of the graft used and the degree or timing of clinical recovery. The surgical result obtained in all patients with complete preoperative facial palsy and in one patient with dense facial paresis was poor. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 1641112 |
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