• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

The facial nerve stimulates the muscles of facial expression and the parasympathetic nerves of the face. Consequently, facial nerve paralysis can lead to facial asymmetry, deformation, and functional impairment. Facial nerve palsy is most commonly idiopathic, as with Bell palsy, but it can also result from a tumor or trauma. In this article, we discuss traumatic facial nerve injury. To identify the cause of the injury, it is important to first determine its location. The location and extent of the damage inform the treatment method, with options including primary repair, nerve graft, cross-face nerve graft, nerve crossover, and muscle transfer. Intracranial proximal facial nerve injuries present a challenge to surgical approaches due to the complexity of the temporal bone. Surgical intervention in these cases requires a collaborative approach between neurosurgery and otolaryngology, and nerve repair or grafting is difficult. This article describes the treatment of peripheral facial nerve injury. Primary repair generally offers the best prognosis. If primary repair is not feasible within 6 months of injury, nerve grafting should be attempted, and if more than 12 months have elapsed, functional muscle transfer should be performed. If the affected nerve cannot be utilized at that time, the contralateral facial nerve, ipsilateral masseter nerve, or hypoglossal nerve can serve as the donor nerve. Other accompanying symptoms, such as lagophthalmos or midface ptosis, must also be considered for the successful treatment of facial nerve injury.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.40
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• pp.22.1-22.4
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• 2018

Background: Cross-facial nerve graft is considered the treatment of choice for facial reanimation in patients with unilateral facial palsy caused by central facial nerve damage. In most cases, a traditional parotidectomy skin incision is used to locate the buccal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve. Methods: In this study, cross-facial nerve graft with the sural nerve was planned for three patients with facial palsy through an intraoral approach. Results: An incision was made on the buccal cheek mucosa, and the dissection was performed to locate the buccal branch of the facial nerve. The parotid papillae and parotid duct were used as anatomic landmarks to locate the buccal branch. Conclusions: The intraoral approach is more advantageous than the conventional extraoral approach because of clear anatomic marker (parotid papilla), invisible postoperative scar, reduced tissue damage from dissection, and reduced operating time.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.276-280
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• 2011

BSSRO (bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy) is an effective surgical method for maxillofacial deformities. Rigid fixation using a plate and screws can stabilize bony segments and induce early mouth opening. Though this procedure has a low complication rate, normal function and esthetic recovery is achieved through proper and early management of the complications. Complications consisting of temporomandibular disorders, sensory disturbances due to inferior alveolar nerve damage, open bite, malunion or nonunion, and facial nerve palsy occur, but these rarely develop. Facial nerve palsy causes the muscles involved in facial expression to depress, which results in ocular dryness or retinal damage. When facial nerve palsy develops, early management involving steroid medication and physical therapy is effective. In the case of severe damage, surgical intervention should be considered. A 20-year-male patient came to the oral and maxillofacial surgery department for orthognathic surgery. The mandible was set back by BSSRO under general anesthesia. Facial nerve palsy was observed on the left side of the face: steroid and vitamins were administered early and physical therapy was performed daily. These forms of management can aid in function and allow for gradual esthetic recovery. Presumed causes were excessive soft tissue retraction or soft tissue injury by the osteotome at the horizontal osteotomy of the ramus. Careful dissection, retraction and a precise osteotomy are needed for protection of the facial nerve. If nerve damage is observed, early management can help in the recovery of facial nerve function and esthetics.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.204-209
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• 2019

For a minimally invasive approach to access the facial nerve, we designed an extended epitympanotomy via a transmastoid approach that has proven useful in cases of traumatic facial nerve palsy and pre-cholesteatoma. To evaluate the surgical exposure through an extended epitympanotomy, six patients with traumatic facial nerve palsy were enrolled in this study. The same surgical technique was used in all patients. Patients were assessed and the degree of facial nerve paralysis was determined prior to surgery, 1-week post-operatively, and 6-months post-operatively using the House-Brackmann grading system. In all cases, surgical exposure was adequate. All patients with traumatic facial nerve palsy were male and the age range was 13 to 83 years. In all cases, the location of the facial nerve damage was limited to the area between the first and second genu. Symptoms of all the patients improved by 6 months post-operation (p=0.024). There were no complications in any of the patients. Extended epitympanotomy is useful for safe, rapid surgical exposure of the attic area, sparing the patient post-operative dimpling, skin incision complications, and lengthy exposure to anesthesia. We suggest that surgery for patients with facial nerve palsy secondary to trauma be performed using this described technique.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.204-209
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• 2019

For a minimally invasive approach to access the facial nerve, we designed an extended epitympanotomy via a transmastoid approach that has proven useful in cases of traumatic facial nerve palsy and pre-cholesteatoma. To evaluate the surgical exposure through an extended epitympanotomy, six patients with traumatic facial nerve palsy were enrolled in this study. The same surgical technique was used in all patients. Patients were assessed and the degree of facial nerve paralysis was determined prior to surgery, 1-week post-operatively, and 6-months post-operatively using the House-Brackmann grading system. In all cases, surgical exposure was adequate. All patients with traumatic facial nerve palsy were male and the age range was 13 to 83 years. In all cases, the location of the facial nerve damage was limited to the area between the first and second genu. Symptoms of all the patients improved by 6 months post-operation (p=0.024). There were no complications in any of the patients. Extended epitympanotomy is useful for safe, rapid surgical exposure of the attic area, sparing the patient post-operative dimpling, skin incision complications, and lengthy exposure to anesthesia. We suggest that surgery for patients with facial nerve palsy secondary to trauma be performed using this described technique.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2015

Surgical approaches to the condylar fracture include intraoral, preauricular, submandibular, and retromandibular approaches. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. When a patient needs esthetic results and an intraoral approach is not feasible, the transmasseteric antero-parotid facelift approach is considered. This approach permits direct exposure and allow the surgeon to fixate the fractured unit tangentially. Tangential fixation is critical to osteosynthesis. Disadvantages of the transmasseteric antero-parotid facelift approach include damage to the facial nerve and a longer operation time. However, after the initial learning curve, facial nerve damage can be avoided and operation time may decrease. We report three cases of subcondylar fractures that were treated with a transmasseteric antero-parotid facelift approach. Among these, two cases had trivial complications that were easily overcome. Instead of dissecting through the parotid gland parenchyma, the transmasseteric antero-parotid facelift approach uses transmasseteric dissection and reduces facial nerve damage more than the retromandibular transparotid approach. The esthetic result is superior to that of other approaches.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2014

Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (INM) inspection has a very important role. While preserving the patient's neurological function be sure to safe surgery, neurological examination should thank. Cerebello pontine angle tumor surgery, especially in the nervous system is more important to the meaning of INM. In cochlear nerve, facial nerve, trigeminal nerve, which are intricate brain surgery, doctors are only human eye and brain to the brain that it is virtually impossible to distinguish the nervous system. They receives a lot of help from INM. In this paper, we examined six kinds broadly. First, the methods of spontaneous EMG and Free-running EMG, which can instantly detect a damage inflicted on a nerve during surgery. Second, methods of triggered EMG and direct nerve electrical stimulation, which directly stimulate a nerve using electricity to distinguish between nerves and brain tumors. Third, the method of knowing a more accurate neurologic status by informing neurological surgeons about Free-running EMG wave forms that are segmetalized into four. Fourth, three ways of knowing when a patient will be awaken from intraoperative anesthesia, which happens due to a weak anesthetic. Fifth, a method of understanding the structures of a brain tumor and a facial nerve as five dividend segments. Sixth, comparisons between cases normal facial nerve recovery and occurrence of a facial nerve paralysis during the postoperative course.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2020

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been investigated to enhance and accelerate the recovery of injured peripheral nerves. Based on the wide range of benefits of PBM therapy and its clinical relevance, this study reviewed the efficacy of PBM in injured facial nerves. The search was performed in the PubMed database to find relevant articles published over the last 10 years. Four animal studies, two randomized controlled studies, one case series, and five case reports were reviewed. Despite the various parameters, functional analysis showed that PBM therapy using near-infrared irradiation has beneficial effects on the recovery of the acute phase of the damaged facial nerve, especially when related to faster functional improvement. There were no reported adverse effects of PBM therapy.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.769-777
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• 2017

Objective: Facial nerve palsy is caused by damage to the 7th cranial nerve. It is the main symptom of facial muscle paralysis on the affected side. Usually, recovery from this disease begins 2-3 weeks after onset and most patients recover in 4-8 weeks. If the patients cannot receive proper treatment, severe permanent impairments, both physical and mental, may remain, so this disease should be treated appropriately. In this study, a patient with facial nerve palsy was admitted to the Korean medicine hospital for treatment. We report on the patient's progress and the effects of treatment. Methods: We cured the patient with herbal medicines, acupuncture, herbal acupuncture therapy, and physical therapy. We used a numerical rating scale, the House Brackmann grading system, and a weighted regional grading system to assess symptom changes. Result: The patient with facial nerve palsy was hospitalized for 23 days and recovered from symptoms without significant problems on the face or in motor function.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.384-387
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• 2009

Tumors of the deep lobe of parotid gland are rare. These benign tumors have usually been treated by total parotidectomy, which has functional and esthetic side effects. Recently, there has been a trend for operations of parotid gland benign tumors to be less radical and selective deep lobe parotidectomy has been introduced. This technique preserves the superficial lobe and facial nerve when tumor is located in the deep lobe. Selective deep lobe parotidectomy preserves parotid salivary function, minimizes the incidence of facial nerve damage and gustatory sweating (Frey's syndrome) and improves cosmetic outcome. We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma of the deep lobe that was successfully treated by selective deep lobe parotidectomy with satisfactory result.