Author Topic: Pre-op facial nerve loss  (Read 6107 times)

alicia

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
  • it is well
Pre-op facial nerve loss
« on: April 13, 2009, 11:49:40 pm »
What do the percentages mean after facial nerve testing?  I have already lost 42% of my facial nerve and I can't tell.  The doctors say it is not noticable until 75%.  So where do I stand now...if someone had not lost any, pre surgery - can the doctors damage 70% in surgery before you notice and now do I have only 30% to loose in surgery?  How do you all interpret the 42% loss?  I think I also understood the doctor to say that what is lost now can never come back.  It is only what is damaged in surgery that has a chance to regenerate.  Sorry if this is as confusing to read as it was to write.
02/16/18 III to IV post GK Facial Paralysis
12/13/17 Gamma Knife
05/19/09 Translab Larger than expected - Drs used the word "tangerine"   House - Friedman and Schwartz
04/02/09 Diagnosed Left AN 3.2cm x 2.6cm x 2.7cm

Kaybo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4232
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2009, 07:04:16 am »
Hi Alicia!
I have no idea about all that - I think I DID understand what you were asking - I just don't know how to answer it!!  I hope someone else can chime in and give you some answers!

K
Translab 12/95@Houston Methodist(Baylor College of Medicine)for "HUGE" tumor-no size specified
25 yrs then-14 hour surgery-stroke
12/7 Graft 1/97
Gold Weight x 5
SSD
Facial Paralysis-R(no movement or feelings in face,mouth,eye)
T3-3/08
Great life!

Cheryl R

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1824
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2009, 08:25:37 am »
I have never heard of a percentage when it came to the facial nerve.     I don't think anyone has posted such before.        Very interesting.             My surgeon never has mentioned it to me.                   I hope someone posts who has heard of it.
                                                             Cheryl R
Right mid fossa 11-01-01
  left tumor found 5-03,so have NF2
  trans lab for right facial nerve tumor
  with nerve graft 3-23-06
   CSF leak revision surgery 4-07-06
   left mid fossa 4-17-08
   near deaf on left before surgery
   with hearing much improved .
    Univ of Iowa for all care

joebloggs

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 304
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2009, 10:58:06 am »
I have never heard of this either?!  My AN was a little smaller than yours and the whole right side of my face was numb for about 10 months before surgery - so does that mean I had a % of damage or stretching or whatever prior to surgery?  I dunno!  Following surgery the numbness went away... so who knows?
Right sided AN 2.7cm at last MRI.  Hearing loss/facial numbness.  Translab scheduled March 11th 2009.  Translab at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia successful!  Total tumour removed, SSD, no facial issues, numbness has left the building, balance issues but they'll get better and I'm loving life!

Cheryl R

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1824
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2009, 11:52:28 am »
    I have had pre op facial issues twice.      Just a bit of mouth droopiness prior to my first AN and facial droopiness for maybe a month before my facial neuroma.                 I have never had any facial numbness pre op.      Surprising,unusual??   
                                                                     Cheryl R
Right mid fossa 11-01-01
  left tumor found 5-03,so have NF2
  trans lab for right facial nerve tumor
  with nerve graft 3-23-06
   CSF leak revision surgery 4-07-06
   left mid fossa 4-17-08
   near deaf on left before surgery
   with hearing much improved .
    Univ of Iowa for all care

alicia

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
  • it is well
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2009, 01:54:34 pm »
I have a small amount of facial/ear numbness now, but doctor said that is a different nerve - not the facial nerve that causes numbness.
02/16/18 III to IV post GK Facial Paralysis
12/13/17 Gamma Knife
05/19/09 Translab Larger than expected - Drs used the word "tangerine"   House - Friedman and Schwartz
04/02/09 Diagnosed Left AN 3.2cm x 2.6cm x 2.7cm

Jim Scott

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7241
  • 1943-2020 Please keep Jim's family in your hearts
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2009, 03:40:37 pm »
Hi, Alicia ~

Your question is relevant and I can only speculate that if your facial nerve is now 42% operative, then surgery could damage it to the point (75%) where you might notice the subsequent loss.  Generally, nerve damage due to the AN is permanent while many AN surgery patients have regained facial mobility/sensitivity following initial post-op facial nerve problems, assuming the nerve is not irreparably damaged during surgery, which is rare.   

Jim
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

Lilan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 372
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2009, 07:18:11 am »
I'm not sure about what is lost never comes back. I know that has been applied to hearing, but that's a different type of nerve that cannot regenerate.

I suppose if the facial nerve is "stretched" by a large tumor, it can't be magically "unstretched," so deficits caused by that may not improve, but at least it won't be stretched further; that makes sense to me.

If a smaller tumor in the IAC is causing compression or diverting blood flow, that seems to me like maybe it could be expected to improve some over time after the offender is removed, assuming there is no major additional damage to the nerve during surgery.

Anyway, these are total layman's speculations and I wouldn't worry too much about the %ages. You still have a lot of useful function and no visible deficit, so consider it a matter of academic interest only! If you come out with what you went in with, or even close, you'll still be just fine, and any amount the nerve is "irked" during surgery, it can come back from.




Facial nerve hemangioma. Probable dx 7/2008 confirmed 4/2009. Combo middle fossa and translab to remove the blood vessel malformation and snip ruined hearing and balance nerves by Drs. House and Brackmann @ House 6/2009. Doing great!

leapyrtwins

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10826
  • I am a success story!
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2009, 07:25:42 am »
I'm not sure about what is lost never comes back. I know that has been applied to hearing, but that's a different type of nerve that cannot regenerate.


This is true.  Hearing nerves are very delicate and can't regenerate - once they are damaged, that's pretty much it.

Facial nerves are heartier and more resilent and most eventually do come back.  Generally it's just a matter of weeks or months, but there have been cases on the forum where facial nerves came back after years.

For facial nerves that have permanent damage, there are options like T3 and 7/12 jump surgeries.  And we've seen some great results of those surgeries on the forum - NancyAnn, Kay, and Lori among others.

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

jazzfunkanne

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 457
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2009, 05:30:13 am »
my only symptom was facial numbness, my AN was over 4.5cm , i had grade 6 palsy after the op, it has improved to about 85-90% it has taken a long time to come back i am still hoping for more recovery.
over 4.5cm AN removed dec 06

Rick Everingham

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 38
Re: Pre-op facial nerve loss
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2009, 09:08:33 am »
Prior to my surgery I was having facial spasms, it would start in my cheek and tense up like a fist, pulling my eyelid down and the side of my mouth up.  I also had a lot of twitching in my eye lids (upper/lower), nose, and mouth.  After the surgery (trans lab), the doctor said my tumor was wrapping around the facial nerve.   I still have a very mild numbness and occasional twitching after 5 1/2 years.
1.5x1x1.2cm AN surgically removed by Tans Lab Jul 30, 2003, McGuire VA Hospital in Richmond, VA.