anyone with experience with cross-face nerve grafting?

[Mart]

Hello all,
    I was diagnosed with a facial nerve shwanomma about three months ago (9mmx10mmx13mm), and thanks to the kind advice from your forum I found my way to Dr. Hadlock in Boston. She was wowed by my "almost perfect facial functioning" and is considering me for a surgery to preserve the functioning I have by removing nerves from the "non-diseased" side of my face, harvesting a sural nerve from behind the ankle, and placing it above my lip, which would act as a sheath that the non-diseased nerve could grow through. This would effectively "rewire" my face so that the non-diseased side of my face is controlling the eye and the mouth of the diseased side. Regardless of the damage of my nerve, I could maintain my smile and ability to blink. This surgery would be done while I am hanging out in watch-and-wait land. Although this surgery is not experimental, it is still new and uncommon. Is there anyone out there who has experienced it?

[Brewers7]

I have not had the cross facial graft, though I have heard of it.  I recently had a nerve transfer procedure at Johns Hopkins.  It was a minimally invasive procedure wherein they connected a branch of the 5th nerve to a branch of the 7th, end to end (no swevering involved).  It is designed to boost the 7th nerve and help the smile.  It does not affect the upper face.  They said it would be at least 6 months before I can see results, so it will be at least May before I can report on that.  I can say that it was a VERY EASY SURGERY.  Keep us posted on your situation.

[Kathleen_Mc]

I had the nerve giving sensation to my ankle removed and run from the functioning 7th nerve on the right side of my face to the left side of my face, prior to the I had muscle from my leg placed in the left side and this nerve innovates the muscle so when the right side of my face moving my left does by "chain reaction". I would say it was successful and although my smile isn't exactly perfect it's a LOT better than it was.
Kathleen

[tamim.horizon]

Hello

I had a right side AN and had removed it in October,2012 in Sydney. I had cross facial nerve grafting on 16th April 2013. The surgeon grafted sural nerve and also connected me chewing nerve with my effected side(right side). Since last week if I chew at my right side my right side slightly moves up which partly helps to regain my smile though it is not spontaneous and symmetric. My next appointment with my plastic surgeon in September 6 and if he is happy with the development he will do another surgery to connect the grafted sural nerve with my effected side's nerves so I will have some spontaneous movement on my right side. Things are very slow, frustrating and we all know it. But its getting better thats the brighter side.

Thanks
Tamim
Right AN  48cm
Removed 8th Oct, 2012
Putting weight on eye lid:  Dec, 2012
Sural nerve grafting: 16th April, 2013

[tamim.horizon]

I was just wondering, Does anybody have the idea which one is better/ cross facial nerve grafting or 7/12 nerve grafting or can anyone give an comparison between them.

Practically I have been given option for cross facial nerve grafting. But 7/12 i think more common.

[Kathleen_Mc]

I have had both.
First I had the 7-12, this one gave my face more tone, less drooping, but didn't have any effect on movement and my neurosergeon did this within 3 months of the initial OR.
I had the cross facial nerve grafting done a few years later after having facia and muscle put in, the grafted nerve stimulating the grafted muscle and this helped with movement.
Kathleen