Long-Term Facial Nerve Outcome in Primary Parotid Cancer Surgery: A Population-Based Analysis

Surgery for facial palsy in the hands of otorhinolaryngologists: a population-based study

PURPOSE

Modern facial surgery can improve eye closure and address facial functional and emotional expression disabilities in case of severe acute facial paralysis with low probability of recovery and in cases of chronic flaccid facial paralysis. Reports on outcome typically originate from specialized tertiary care centers, whereas population-based data from routine care beyond specialized centers is sparse.

METHODS

Therefore, patients' characteristics, surgical techniques, postoperative complications, and patients' satisfaction with the final outcome were analyzed for all inpatients with facial paralysis undergoing facial surgery in Thuringia, a federal state in Germany, between 2006 and 2022. 260 patients (female 41.5%; median age 65 years) were included.

RESULTS

On average, the surgery rate was higher for men than for women (0.83 ± 0.39 versus 0.58 ± 0.24 per 100,000 population per year). For first surgery, static procedures were dominating (67.3%), followed by dynamic reconstruction (13.8%), and combined static and dynamic reconstructions (13.5%). The most frequent type of surgery was upper lid weight loading (38.5%), hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture (17.3%), and facial-facial interpositional graft suture (16.9%). Bleeding/hematoma formation needing revision surgery was the most frequent complication (6.2%). Overall, 70.4% of the patients were satisfied with the final result. The satisfaction was higher if the target was to improve eye closure (65.2%) or to improve upper face function (65.3%) than to improve the lower face function (53.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

If facial nerve reconstruction surgery and/or upper lid weight placement was performed, the satisfaction was significantly higher. If revision surgery was needed to improve the result, the satisfaction was significantly lower.

Dynamic Repair Surgery for Late-Stage Facial Paralysis: Advances in Restoring Movement and Function

Purpose: Facial paralysis results from congenital or acquired facial nerve damage, leading to significant cosmetic and functional deficits. Surgical resection of parotid and midface tumors can cause facial paralysis, necessitating effective treatment strategies. This review addresses the challenge of restoring movement and function in late-stage facial paralysis, focusing on dynamic repair techniques involving nerve and muscle transplantation. Methods: The review encompasses studies on dynamic repair surgery for late facial paralysis, including techniques such as local muscle flap with pedicle transfer, vascularized nerve flap with pedicle transfer, and multiple muscle flap procedures. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, covering studies from 2000 to 2024. Keywords included "dynamic repair", "late-stage facial paralysis", "nerve and muscle transplantation", "muscle flap", and "tendon transposition". Included were clinical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses reporting surgical outcomes. Exclusion criteria included studies with insufficient data and non-peer-reviewed articles. Results: Dynamic repair techniques involving nerve and muscle transplantation are essential for treating late-stage facial paralysis. Each surgical method has strengths and limitations. The masseter muscle flap demonstrates high success rates, although it can cause horizontal tension and jaw contour issues. The temporalis muscle flap is effective for smile restoration but may lead to temporal concavity. The gracilis muscle flap is widely used, especially with dual nerve innervation, showing high success in spontaneous smiles but requiring a longer recovery period. The latissimus dorsi flap is effective but can cause edema and shoulder issues. The serratus anterior free flap offers flexibility with precise vector positioning but may not achieve adequate lip elevation and can cause cheek swelling. Combined multi-flap surgeries provide more natural facial expressions but increase surgical complexity and require advanced microsurgical skills. Conclusions: Dual nerve innervation shows promise for restoring spontaneous smiles. One-stage surgery offers faster recovery and reduced financial burden. Comprehensive patient evaluation is crucial to select the most suitable surgical method. Dynamic repair techniques involving nerve and muscle transplantation provide effective solutions for restoring function and aesthetics in late-stage facial paralysis. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes, patient satisfaction, and standardizing surgical protocols to optimize treatment strategies.

Facial nerve reconstruction for flaccid facial paralysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

To determine the functional outcome after facial nerve reconstruction surgery in patients with flaccid facial paralysis.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on studies reporting outcomes after direct facial nerve suture (DFS), facial nerve interpositional graft suture (FIGS), hypoglossal-facial nerve suture (HFS), masseteric-facial nerve suture (MFS), and cross-face nerve suture (CFS). These studies were identified from PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Two independent reviewers performed two-stage screening and data extraction. A favorable result was defined as a final House-Brackmann grade I-III and is presented as a ratio of all patients in percentage. Pooled proportions were calculated using random-effects models.

Results

From 4,932 screened records, 54 studies with 1,358 patients were included. A favorable result was achieved after DFS in 42.67% of the patients [confidence interval (CI): 26.05%-61.12%], after FIGS in 66.43% (CI: 55.99%-75.47%), after HFS in 63.89% (95% CI: 54.83%-72.05%), after MFS in 63.11% (CI: 38.53%-82.37%), and after CFS in 46.67% (CI: 24.09%-70.70%). There was no statistically significant difference between the techniques (Q = 6.56, degrees of freedom = 4, p = 0.1611).

Conclusions

The established facial nerve reconstruction techniques including the single nerve cross-transfer techniques produce satisfactory results in most of the patients with permanent flaccid facial paralysis. An international consensus on standardized outcome measures would improve the comparability of facial reanimation techniques.

Development of a Machine Learning Algorithm to Forecast the Likelihood of Postoperative Neurological Complications in Patients With Parotid Tumors

Objective: The objective of this study was to create and verify a machine learning-driven predictive model to forecast the likelihood of facial nerve impairment in patients with parotid tumors following surgery. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients with parotid tumors between 2013 and 2023 to develop a prediction model for postoperative facial nerve dysfunction using 5 ML techniques: Logistic Regression (Logit), Random Forest (RF), XGBoost (XGB), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Predictor variables were screened using binomial-LASSO regression. Results: The study had a total of 403 participants, out of which 56 individuals encountered facial nerve damage after the surgery. By employing binomial-LASSO regression, we have successfully identified 8 crucial predictive variables: tumor kind, tumor pain, surgeon's experience, tumor volume, basophil percentage, red blood cell count, partial thromboplastin time, and prothrombin time. The models utilizing ANN and Logit achieved higher area under the curve (AUC) values, namely 0.829, which was significantly better than the SVM model that had an AUC of 0.724. There were no noticeable disparities in the AUC values between the ANN and Logit models, as well as between these models and other techniques like RF and XGB. Conclusion: Using machine learning, our prediction model accurately predicts the likelihood that patients with parotid tumors may experience facial nerve damage following surgery. By using this model, doctors can assess patients' risks more accurately before to surgery, and it may also help optimize postoperative treatment techniques. It is anticipated that this tool would enhance patients' quality of life and therapeutic outcomes.

Porous Organic Materials in Tissue Engineering: Recent Advances and Applications for Severed Facial Nerve Injury Repair

The prevalence of facial nerve injury is substantial, and the restoration of its structure and function remains a significant challenge. Autologous nerve transplantation is a common treatment for severed facial nerve injury; however, it has great limitations. Therefore, there is an urgent need for clinical repair methods that can rival it. Tissue engineering nerve conduits are usually composed of scaffolds, cells and neurofactors. Tissue engineering is regarded as a promising method for facial nerve regeneration. Among different factors, the porous nerve conduit made of organic materials, which has high porosity and biocompatibility, plays an indispensable role. This review introduces facial nerve injury and the existing treatment methods and discusses the necessity of the application of porous nerve conduit. We focus on the application of porous organic polymer materials from production technology and material classification and summarize the necessity and research progress of these in repairing severed facial nerve injury, which is relatively rare in the existing articles. This review provides a theoretical basis for further research into and clinical interventions on facial nerve injury and has certain guiding significance for the development of new materials.

Lateral Skull Base and Auricular Reconstruction

Reconstruction of the lateral temporal bone with adequate functional and cosmetic outcomes depends on a multidisciplinary approach including the head and neck surgeon, reconstructive surgeon, neurotologist, and anaplastologist. Approaching the defect includes consideration of the location, tissue type, function, and patient/tumor characteristics. Anatomic limitations due to prior therapy also play an important role in reconstructive choices. Here, we review contemporary literature regarding the reconstruction of this complex region.

[Preservation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the facial nerve]

Der Umgang mit dem N. facialis ist bei der Operation eines Parotiskarzinoms wichtig für die Langzeitlebensqualität des Patienten. In etwa 2 Drittel der Fälle ist der N. facialis nicht vom Tumor befallen. In diesen Fällen sind neben vollständiger Tumorentfernung die Identifizierung und der Erhalt des Nervs für eine erfolgreiche Operation wesentlich. Ist der Nerv vom Tumor infiltriert, muss der betroffene Teil des Nervs im Rahmen einer radikalen Parotidektomie reseziert werden. Die primäre Nervenrekonstruktion, sofern möglich, führt zu den besten funktionellen und kosmetischen Langzeitergebnissen. Das individuell optimale Therapiekonzept basiert zum einen auf der klinischen Prüfung der Gesichtsbeweglichkeit, zum anderen auf der präoperativen Bildgebung, um die Lagebeziehung zwischen Tumor und Nerv zu verstehen, und schließlich auf einer elektrophysiologischen Untersuchung zur Funktion des Nervs. Intraoperativ hilft ein standardisiertes Vorgehen, um den Nerv zu identifizieren und zu erhalten. Wenn eine radikale Parotidektomie indiziert ist, kann bereits die präoperative Diagnostik helfen, neben der einzeitigen Rekonstruktion auch die adjuvante postoperative Therapie zu planen. Das Ziel der Rehabilitation ist die Wiederherstellung von Tonus, Symmetrie und Bewegung des gelähmten Gesichts. Die Wiederherstellung des Augenschlusses hat hohe Priorität. Bei der chirurgischen Therapie von Gesichtslähmungen gab es in den letzten Jahren viele Verbesserungen. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen Überblick über die jüngsten Fortschritte in der Diagnostik, den Operationstechniken und weiteren Möglichkeiten zur Protektion des gesunden N. facialis. Anderseits wird die Rehabilitation des tumorinfiltrierten N. facialis im Kontext der Behandlung von Speicheldrüsenmalignomen beschrieben.