Surgical treatment of early traumatic injuries to the facial nerve / 中华医学美学美容杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the choices of the timing and methods of the surgical operation after traumatic injuries to the facial nerve, and to emphasize the importance of the excision of perineauial scar,technique of microsurgery with no injuries and the methods selected for nerve coaptation according to the morphologic feature of the injuried nerve.Methods From December 1993 to November 1997, by microsurgical technique, seven cases with traumatic injuries to the facial nerve were treated in two stages from three months to four months after the trauma. Different methods were used including facial nerve anastomosis and implantation of the sural nerve transplant into the muscle. Results All cases have been followed up for six months to two years. The results of functional rehabilitation were excellent. Conclusions Whenever possible, the authors emphasize that the early repair with microsurgical technique should be performed to all of facial nerve with injury. Facial nerve anastomosis is the best choice for repair of early facial nerve severance. Implantation of nerve transplant into muscle has a certain clinical value of and the indication for the treatment of nerve injury.