Early Rehabilitation of Facial Nerve Deficit after Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

Abstract

Objective—To determine whether an early physical rehabilitative program could improve and/or accelerate recovery from a postoperative deficit of facial nerve (FN) function.Material and Methods—A retrospective study of the charts of patients who presented a postoperative FN deficit after surgery for acoustic neuroma (AN) was carried out. Twenty-nine patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: 18 who underwent early physical rehabilitation and 11 who did not undergo rehabilitation. All the AN patients underwent translabyrinthine removal and were classified preoperatively according to the House–Brackmann staging system. Physical rehabilitation was performed according to Kabat (i.e. neuromuscular facilitation). FN function was assessed postoperatively and classified according to the House–Brackmann grading system.Results—In Grade IV and V patients, early rehabilitation allowed a faster and better recovery with respect to AN patients for whom rehabilitation was not carried out.Conclusion—Early physical rehabilitation has proved to be effective as a helpful tool for recovery from FN deficit and it is therefore advisable to use it soon after surgery, especially for FN deficits worse than Grade IV.

• acoustic neuroma
• facial nerve palsy
• physical rehabilitation
• translabyrinthine approach

Barbara M, Monini S, Buffoni A, Cordier A, Ronchetti F, Harguindey A, Di Stadio A, Cerruto R, Filipo R. Early rehabilitation of facial nerve deficit after acoustic neuroma surgery. Acta Otolaryngol 2003; 123: 000–000.

Barbara M, Monini S, Buffoni A, Cordier A, Ronchetti F, Harguindey A, Di Stadio A, Cerruto R, Filipo R. Early rehabilitation of facial nerve deficit after acoustic neuroma surgery. Acta Otolaryngol 2003; 123: 000–000.