title: Intraoperative facial nerve monitoring: prognostic aspects during acoustic tumor removal.
abstract: Intraoperative facial nerve monitoring with electrical stimulation (IFNMES) has become an integral part of acoustic tumor surgery. We reviewed the records of fifty-six patients who underwent translabyrinthine acoustic tumor removal with IFNMES. There was excellent correlation between intraoperative facial nerve activity and immediate postoperative facial nerve function (24 hours after surgery and at hospital discharge). Our data would suggest that patients who exhibit less than 500 microvolts of ongoing EMG activity during surgery, and who yield at least a 500-microvolt contraction when stimulated with 0.05 milliamps at the brainstem after tumor removal, can expect an excellent immediate facial nerve result (grade I or II).
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, St. Louis University Medical Center, MO.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Benecke
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brackmann
mesh_terms: D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis