By Jonas Wilson, Ing. Med.
Surgical Options for Facial Palsy
Facial nerve palsy arises due to damage to the seventh cranial nerve, which is known as the facial nerve. This damage may be due to injury, inflammation, infection, trauma or tumors. The resulting clinical presentation is drooping of the face or weakness of the facial muscles that may be uni- or bilateral. Managing facial nerve palsy may necessitate the use of pharmacotherapy, surgery and physiotherapy. There are numerous surgical options available and these include decompression of the facial nerve, facial nerve repair and muscle transfer among others.
Facial nerve decompression
Compression of the facial nerve against the skull is the main indication for surgical decompression. Decompression is usually …show more content…
The vertical crest that separates the facial and superior vestibular nerves serves as a landmark for the middle fossa approach. Other critical landmarks include the greater superficial petrosal nerve and the superior semicircular canal. The middle fossa approach can be combined in some instances with the transmastoid approach. In the transmastoid approach the injury to the facial nerve is localized mainly to the mastoid or tympanic segments of the …show more content…
Direct repairs offer the best prognosis in terms of returning facial nerve function, especially if they are done tension free, which may require mobilization of adjacent segments of the facial nerve. When primary or direct repair of the facial nerve is not possible then cable grafting is utilized with the use of grafts from the sural, great auricular or other cutaneous nerves. Nerve substitution can be done with hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis.
Muscle
Surgical Options for Facial Palsy
Facial nerve palsy arises due to damage to the seventh cranial nerve, which is known as the facial nerve. This damage may be due to injury, inflammation, infection, trauma or tumors. The resulting clinical presentation is drooping of the face or weakness of the facial muscles that may be uni- or bilateral. Managing facial nerve palsy may necessitate the use of pharmacotherapy, surgery and physiotherapy. There are numerous surgical options available and these include decompression of the facial nerve, facial nerve repair and muscle transfer among others.
Facial nerve decompression
Compression of the facial nerve against the skull is the main indication for surgical decompression. Decompression is usually …show more content…
The vertical crest that separates the facial and superior vestibular nerves serves as a landmark for the middle fossa approach. Other critical landmarks include the greater superficial petrosal nerve and the superior semicircular canal. The middle fossa approach can be combined in some instances with the transmastoid approach. In the transmastoid approach the injury to the facial nerve is localized mainly to the mastoid or tympanic segments of the …show more content…
Direct repairs offer the best prognosis in terms of returning facial nerve function, especially if they are done tension free, which may require mobilization of adjacent segments of the facial nerve. When primary or direct repair of the facial nerve is not possible then cable grafting is utilized with the use of grafts from the sural, great auricular or other cutaneous nerves. Nerve substitution can be done with hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis.
Muscle