Author Topic: Facial nerve grafts  (Read 3431 times)

bluestar

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Facial nerve grafts
« on: April 26, 2005, 05:46:41 pm »
Has anyone experience or knowledge of nerve grafts to recover movement of the paralysed side of the face?
bluestar

Becky

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Re: Facial nerve grafts
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2005, 05:39:12 am »
Hi Bluestar,
Here is info from a website I had saved:
 
Facial Reanimation:  Replacement of the Facial Nerve With Other Sources of Innervation
 
HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE GRAFT:  "....part or all of the 12th cranial nerve (the hypoglossal nerve), which moves the side of the tongue, may be transferred to the facial nerve or its branches. After several months of healing, the patient may regain facial movement.  However, the patient must relearn facial movements using this new nerve source.  Because the transferred nerve once moved only the tongue, some patients cannot make this nerve work for facial expression unless they try to move their tongue. With retraining, most patients can regain good facial movement.  The tongue may shrink on the side where the nerve had been."

CROSS-FACIAL NERVE GRAFT:  "....a nerve graft is shown coming from one side of the face to the other. This is known as a cross-facial nerve graft.. The graft is connected to the cut end of one of the branches of the normal facial nerve on the non-paralyzed side of the face. After a year, the graft can be attached to the facial nerve on the paralyzed side of the face.  The new graft can then provide nerve signals to cause movement on the paralyzed area of the face.

"The advantage of grafting nerves is that the facial movements on the non-paralyzed side of the face will be transmitted directly to the paralyzed side.  Antother advantage is that this graft can provide movement to a muscle that is brought into the face from another part of the body...."

Also, someone emailed me the following about facial reanimation regarding her experience:
"I don't know if it's considered "plastic surgery" but I am having a sural nerve graft on Dec.6. If it works it should restore tone and movement. Of course, that's the best case and we all know how many variations there could be .... The surgery is called free muscle transfer (microvascular transfer of the gracilis muscle) after first stage sural nerve graft to facial nerve."

I hope this helps,
Becky

bluestar

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Re: Facial nerve grafts
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2005, 02:36:49 pm »
Thanks Becky.

If anyone has experienced facial nerve grafting I would appreciate information of their experiences.

Bluestar
bluestar

PSK

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Re: Facial nerve grafts
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2005, 06:35:28 am »
  Has anyone had experience with facial nerve grafting ?  The Dr. I saw did not mention  sural nerve
  grafting.  What does it involve ?  Does anyone know the success rate of these procedures ?

  Thank you,
   PSK