OUTCOMES OF LATE FACIAL NERVE DECOMPRESSION SURGERY AFTER TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURE

Methods: The files of ten patients with facial nerve paralysis occurring after temporal bone trauma and underwent late-stage facial nerve decompression between January 2010 and March 2016 were retrospectively screened in our clinic. Patient files were reviewed in terms of age, gender, etiology of trauma, otoscopic findings, hearing loss, radiological imaging and follow-up results.

Results: All of the patients participating in the study were male and the average age was 28,3. All patients underwent facial nerve decompression via transmastoid approach. During surgery, edema arround facial nerve was observed in five patients, pressure of bone spicules in four patients and granulation tissue in one patient. Three cases who underwent facial nerve decompression less than four weeks after the onset of facial nerve paralysis had normal or near normal (HB stage 1-2) improvement, but partial improvement was seen in two cases over eight weeks.

Conclusion: As a result, in cases of facial nerve paralysis occurring after temporal bone fracture, decompression should be applied as early as possible in cases of surgical indications. However, in our study, in cases with late-stage facial nerve decompression surgery it was seen that successful results and full or near-total healing could be obtained. Keywords : Temporal bone fractures, facial nerve paralysis, late decompression