Facial nerve reconstruction using a split hypoglossal nerve in treating unilateral facial palsy after acoustic neuroma removal

Two patients underwent split hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis(anastomosis of a split hypoglossal nerve to the facial nerve) for treatment of unilateral facial palsy. All patients previously had undergone removals of a large acoustic neuroma. Facial nerve had been resected and immediately reconstructed in one patient. In the other patient, facial nerve had been anatomically preserved at the first operation and the interval between tumor resection and reconstruction was 10 months. Postoperative recovery of facial movement was good and the degree of hypoglossal nerve atrophy on the operated side was graded mild or moderate in all cases during an average follow-up period of 1.2 years. It was concluded that split hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis results in good facial reanimation and may reduce the degree of hemiglossal atrophy in comparison with the classic hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis.