The Retroauricular Approach to the Facial Nerve Trunk

Abstract

A retroauricular approach to the FNT based on liberating anterior tissues from the auditory canal provides expedient and aesthetic exposure of the FNT.

First human facial retransplantation: 30-month follow-up

“…Briefly, the facial nerve was approached via the transection of the external auditory meatus to reach the nerve trunk, followed by a coronal incision behind the ear and ending at the posterior neck, as reported previously. 14,15 The facial allograft was then raised along the masseter plane up to the oral mucosa. The graft included the skin, the facial, mental, and infraorbital nerves, the parotid glands, the nose and eyelids.…”

A Second Chance at Life

“…The aim was to simplify and improve surgical outcomes in FT by avoiding dyskinesia. 23 Unfortunately, one of our FT patients rejected his face leading to a total graft loss within a few months. We published a letter to the editor in the journal Lancet addressing the risk of face retransplantation.…”