"Facial nerve injury following temporomandibular joint reconstruction, parotidectomy and mastoidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis"

Abstract

Maxillofacial surgeries carry a risk of facial nerve injury (FNI) in the form of nerve paralysis. These injuries can be classified according to the onset of facial paralysis and the nature of the injury. The current literature shows several oral and maxillofacial surgeries associated with facial nerve injuries, such as parotid gland related procedures, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement and mastoidectomy. Reporting of the incidence of facial injury following these procedures varied across studies. Therefore, our aim is to provide a review of the current literature reporting FNI following TMJ reconstruction and parotidectomy and report its distribution across different demographic characteristics. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were done following preferred reporting items for systematic review and metaanalysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Our findings indicate that females were more likely to develop FNI following the selected surgeries when compared to males. Out of 2013 patients who underwent parotidectomy procedures, 286 developed FNI with an incidence of 21.97% (95%CI: 10.39-36.41) and the most affected branch was the marginal mandibular branch. Among 154 patients who had TMJ-related procedures, 55 developed FNI with an incidence proportion of 29.99% (95%CI: 12.97-50.53) the temporal branch was the most affected.