Assessing Recovery of Facial Function following Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

Abstract

Assessing preservation of facial nerve function in acoustic neuroma surgery has been difficult because there has been no standard means of reporting. A patient questionnaire and grading system are presented which assess the degree of facial nerve recovery quite accurately. It is proposed that this questionnaire be used as a standard method for reporting facial nerve function postoperatively. This questionnaire was used with a series of patients to assess their recovery following acoustic neuroma surgery. At 1 year, 64% of patients reported normal facial function and another 15% reported good return of facial function. Only 2% reported complete facial paralysis.