Author Topic: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!  (Read 5063 times)

KarenE

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6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« on: September 05, 2010, 01:43:57 pm »
Well, my surgery is over with and I am so thankful!! 
It took 11 hours, much longer than my 5 hour tumor removal, and I was in the hospital for 5 days.  My legs are pretty sore from where they cut out nerves to use in my face.  My face has some swelling, but it's not as bad as it could be from other pictures I've seen.  I can blink my eye again since the gold weight is in, which is so great!  I had a drainage tube in my neck while in the hospital - I'm not sure where that fluid was coming from??? But now, I'm up and walking, with a walker - AGAIN!  I go back to my surgeon on Tuesday to get my stitches removed!!!  He said that I should start to see some facial movement in about 7 months.  ;D
3.1 cm facial schwannoma removed 7/23/10 at Skull Base Institute - CA
No hearing left ear
Little balance
Left side of face paralyzed
Have nerve reconstruction surgery 8/30/10

odirish

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Re: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2010, 01:58:20 pm »
I bet you're glad it's over. I asked about a nerve graft, but I didn't qualify. It's been 16 years since my AN surgery.
I do wish I would have been informed about these procedures when it all happened. >:( Good luck, and keep us posted.

Mary Ann

iluuvpups

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Re: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2010, 02:21:23 pm »
Hey Karen!  Welcome back and thanks for the update!  Glad to hear that it's over and you're on the road to recovery.  --Carol Ann
Original 1.75cm left-side AN diagnosed Feb 2010
Translab surgery May 27, 2010 with Drs. Kartush and Pieper of MEI
SSD on left side, some facial weakness, tear duct doesn't work
Found I actually had a facial neuroma during translab
Remaining 6mm facial neuroma - watch and wait

nancyann

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Re: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2010, 04:48:16 pm »
Wonderful news Karen, continued healing...    Always good thoughts, Nancy
2.2cm length x 1.7cm width x 1.3cm  depth
retrosigmoid 6/19/06
Gold weight 7/19/06, removed 3/07
lateral tarsel strip X3
T3 procedure 11/20/07
1.6 Gm platinum weight 7/10/08
lateral canthal sling 11/14/08
Jones tube insert right inner eye 2/27/09
2.4 Gm. Platinum chain 2017
right facial paralysis

saralynn143

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Re: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2010, 05:12:41 pm »
Those eyelid implants are the greatest, aren't they? I am looking forward to hearing more good news from you in the spring.

Sara
MVD for hemifacial spasm 6/2/08
left side facial paresis
 12/100 facial function - 7/29/08
 46 - 11/25/08
 53 - 05/12/09
left side SSD approx. 4 weeks
 low-frequency hearing loss; 85% speech recognition 7/28/08
1.8 gram thin profile platinum eyelid weight 8/12/08
Fitted for scleral lens 5/9/13

moe

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Re: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2010, 11:04:14 am »
Karen,
So glad to hear that surgery is over and done with, and that you have that eye weight! We're like a work in progress, aren't we?!  11 hour surgery is impressive :o

Now the fun part of waiting....I waited 3 months before I saw movement with my surgery. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of surgery you had! We definitely didn't have the same one.

I'm thinking it was like the 12/7 surgery but he did not use the 12th cranial nerve (hypoglossal), but some nerve in your leg and attached to the facial nerve.

Will be interested to see how things progress for you.

Stay positive! :)
Maureen
06/06-Translab 3x2.5 vascular L AN- MAMC,Tacoma WA
Facial nerve cut,reanastomosed.Tarsorrhaphy
11/06. Gold weight,tarsorrhaphy reversed
01/08- nerve transposition-(12/7) UW Hospital, Seattle
5/13/10 Gracilis flap surgery UW for smile restoration :)
11/10/10 BAHA 2/23/11 brow lift/canthoplasty

Kathleen_Mc

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Re: 6 days post op from a cross facial nerve graft!
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2010, 03:52:13 am »
Karen: I also had the cross facial nerve grafting done but mine was done in two shorter surgeries spaced apart, one to put it in there and hook up to the good 7th nerve and the second was to innervate an already transferred muscle in there.
What did they hook the transferred nerve to on the bad side?
I would say it was about 7-8 months before I saw a difference.

Mary-Ann: I know what you mean about not being told about "what can be done to fix the face", I wasn't told either I just took a chance and went to see a doctor that works in the hospital I work in who I knew.....he himself only did **** jobs and stuff but he knew someone to referr me to. If I hadn't taken the bull by the horns I wouldn't have had anything done either!
Kathleen
1st AN surgery @ age 23, 16 hours
Loss of 7-10th nerves
mulitple "plastic" repairs to compensate for effects of 7th nerve loss
tumor regrowth, monitored for a few years then surgically removed @ age 38 (of my choice, not medically necessary yet)