FACIAL NERVE REPAIR

Course overview

THE IMPACT OF FACIAL PARALYSIS ON A PATIENT CAN BE PERVASIVE, AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE DUE TO PSYCHOSOCIAL AND FUNCTIONAL EFFECTS. WHILE THE INABILITY TO CLOSE THE EYE, BREATHE EASILY THROUGH THE NOSE, OR MAINTAIN ORAL COMPETENCE CAN BE VERY PROBLEMATIC, LOSING THE ABILITY TO SMILE MEANINGFULLY OR APPEAR SYMMETRIC AT REST CAN BE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT FOR MANY. WHEN THE FACIAL NERVE IS TRANSECTED, IMMEDIATE SURGICAL REPAIR WITH PRIMARY NEURORRHAPHY IS GENERALLY THE PREFERRED TREATMENT OPTION. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT ALWAYS FEASIBLE AND DELAYED REPAIR VIA INTERPOSITION GRAFTING OR NERVE TRANSFER MAY BE REQUIRED. REGARDLESS OF THE TECHNIQUE EMPLOYED, THE RETURN OF FUNCTION AFTER A FACIAL NERVE TRANSECTION INJURY IS A SLOW PROCESS AFFECTING MANY ASPECTS OF FACIAL FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS. FOR THIS REASON, AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM CONSISTING OF NOT ONLY A PERIPHERAL NERVE SURGEON SUCH AS A PLASTIC OR FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON OR OTOLARYNGOLOGIST BUT ALSO AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST AND PHYSICAL AND SPEECH THERAPISTS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PROVIDING HOLISTIC CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH FACIAL PARALYSIS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FACIAL NERVE INJURIES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH FACIAL PARALYSIS WHO UNDERGO FACIAL NERVE REPAIR.