Results of Facial Nerve Microsurgery for Peripheral Facial Palsy in 15 Patients

Objcetive To report results of facianervdecompression for peripheral facial palscaused by different facianever diseases.Methods Etiologies in this group included trauma(n=9), Bell's palsy(n=3) and cholesteatoma in middle ear(n=3).All patients were treated with facial nerve decompression via transmastoid, subtemporal or supralabyrinthine approach.es.The House-Brackmann facial nerve grade was assessed during the 0.5 to 2 years follow up.Results Among the 9 traumat.ic facial palsy patients caused by temporal bone fracture, 5 received surgery within 2 to 4 weeks and achieved grade I(n=4) or II(n=1) facial function; 3 received surgery within 5 to 8 weeks and achieved grade Ⅱ(n=2) or Ⅲ(n=1) facial function; and 1received the operation within 9 to 12 weeks after the injury and achieved only grade Ⅳ facial function.Two patients with Bell's palsy were operated on within 9 to12 weeks and achieved grade I or II facial function. One Bell's palsy patient achieved gradeⅢ facial function after receiving surgery 12 weeks after disease onset. The 3 cases of middle ear cholesteatoma were oper.ated upon in 1 to 2 weeks and all achieved grade I facial function. Conclusions Appropriate timing and facial nerve decom.pression operations based on the etiologies can lead to good facial function results.