Facial nerve subtotal decompression surgery in patients with facial nerve paralysis after temporal bone trauma

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical effects of facial nerve decompression surgery in patients with facial nerve paralysis after temporal bone trauma and the patients' postoperative recovery. METHODS The clinical data of the patients with facial nerve paralysis after temporal bone trauma were studied retrospectively and 91 of them were followed-up. They were divided into different subgroups according to the age, onset character, the period of time between trauma and surgery and fracture location. RESULTS The number of patients who achieved good recovery of HBⅠor II was 56 of 91(61.5%). There was no difference in therapeutic outcomes among the subgroups classified by age, onset character and fracture location. The rate of good recovery to HBⅠor II in patients undergoing decompression surgery within 3 months after trauma reached 70.6%, compared with the rate 34.8% in patients undergoing the surgery after 3 months, resulting in a significantly better outcome(χ2=9.309, P 0.05). CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that facial nerve subtotal decompression surgery was effective on the patients after temporal bone trauma. The ideal time for surgery was within the first 3 months after injury in patients with severe, immediate-onset paralysis.