Facial Nerve Repair and Grafting

Patients who experience facial paralysis after trauma or surgery may be candidates for primary nerve repair or grafting. When the facial nerve is transected, we perform timely repair using microsurgical techniques. If there is a gap in the nerve, then we use a small cable graft to connect the cut ends so there is no tension on the repair. If a cable graft is needed, we generally employ a “spare” nerve from the neck, leg, or arm (meaning that sacrificing the donor nerve does not tend to cause negative symptoms).