Total Transcanal Endoscopic Facial Nerve Decompression for Traumatic Facial Nerve Palsy

Abstract

A few approaches can be used to decompress traumatic facial nerve paralysis including the middle cranial fossa approach or transmastoid approach depending on the site of injury. In some specific situation of treating traumatic facial nerve palsy whose injured site was confined from the geniculate ganglion to the second genu, transcanal endoscopic approach for facial nerve decompression can be used. We performed two cases of total endoscopic transcanal facial nerve decompression in patients with traumatic facial nerve palsy. After a six month follow-up, both patients showed improvement in facial function by 2 grades according to House-Brackmann grade system. In terms of treatment outcomes, total transcanal endoscopic facial nerve decompression for traumatic facial nerve palsy is an alternative for lesions limited to the tympanic segment I, and has an advantages of being minimally invasive and is cosmetically acceptable without an external scar or bony depression due to drilling.

Endoscope-assisted facial nerve decompression for traumatic tympanic segment of facial nerve paresis

“…5 Similarly, Kahinga et al shared their experience in total transcanal endoscopic facial nerve decompression involving the tympanic segment of the facial nerve, which showed promising results postoperatively. 6 The improvement in facial nerve function following transcanal endoscopic facial nerve decompression was reported to be 83.2%, with significant improvement in the postoperative air bone gap. 7 Another study mentioned the role of endoscope-assisted transmastoid approach facial nerve decompression involving the second genu and the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve.…”

Minimally invasive endoscopic treatment of chronic otitis media with facial nerve palsy- A case report and literature review

“…The use of an endoscope is rapidly increasing in otological and neuro-otological surgery in the past two decades as an adjunct to or as a replacement for the operative microscope [4]. Most of the endoscopic facial nerve decompression was reported for traumatic palsy [15]. Marchioni et al divided the tympanic segment into two segments as pre-and post-cochleariform, which had surgical consequences [16].…”

Intratemporal damage of facial nerve

“…Когда пораженный участок находится только в мастоидальном сегменте, как правило, выполняется трансмастоидальный доступ. При поражении только тимпанального сегмента для декомпрессии ЛН можно использовать трансмеатальный доступ, и этот доступ является наиболее малоинвазивным по сравнению с другими доступами [37][38][39].…”