[Evolution of facial nerve prognosis in vestibular schwannoma surgery by translabyrinthine approach].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate our results on the postoperative facial function, its pre and preoperative predictive factors, and the application of the surgical technique to lesions of decreasing size.


METHODS
A series of 248 patients operated of an unilateral vestibular schwannoma has been reviewed. We have compared the results gathered over two periods corresponding to the evolution of our surgical technique since 1998.


RESULTS
Immediate and 1 year postoperative facial function is significantly better among patients operated after 1998 (satisfactory in 75 and 88% respectively). This trend marked by the improvement of the results since 1998 has to be discussed according to other predictive factors. One of predictive factor is the decrease of the size of the lesion during the same period. The other factors are the hearing level, deafness duration, trigeminal nerve involved, vestibular status and ABR desynchronization.


CONCLUSIONS
The positive predictive factors are usually correlated with the size of the tumour This implies the necessity of an early diagnosis of the schwannomas. The second predictive factor of the facial function is the use of a soft surgical technique.
Bouetel
V
V
CHRU Bretonneau, Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie et Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, 37044 Tours cedex, France. bouetel@med.univ-tours.fr
Lescanne
E
E
François
P
P
Jan
M
M
Morinière
S
S
Robier
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000601:surgery*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005155:Facial Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000601:surgery*; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index