IMPROVED PRESERVATION OF FACIAL NERVE IN TRANSTEMPORAL APPROACHES TO THE SKULL BASE.

Surgery of the skull base has evolved over the past 100 years. The importance of combined otorhinological and neurosurgical approach in the management of lesions of the skull base has been realised in recent years. Through this strategy, lesions which were once thought unresectable are being removed completely with reduction in mortality. However, the morbidity due to facial palsy in lateral skull base surgery is common. To avoid this, intraoperative facial nerve monitoring was introduced in the late 70's and has been refined to such a point that it is now possible to safely predict the recovery of the temporary facial paralysis after lateral skull base surgery. The present study which was carried out in the Armed Forces for the first time has evaluated this by comparing 5 patients who underwent this surgery without intraoperative facial nerve monitoring with 5 patients who were operated with intraoperative facial nerve monitoring. The results have proved the efficacy of this tool in reducing the severity and duration of facial palsy after this surgery.