THE USE OF NERVE MONITORIZATION IN PAROTID, SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND AND FACIAL SURGERY AND ITS EFFECT ON PROGNOSIS

Objective: The facial nerve and its branches are at risk during facial surgery. The surgery with the highest risk is parotid and submandibular gland surgery. An attempt was made to determine threshold values in terms of paralysis in nerve monitoring parameters. These determined values could not be used to predict facial nerve function after surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the parameters detected by nerve stimulation during surgery and postoperative facial nerve dysfunction in patients who underwent parotid and submandibular gland surgery. Material and Methods: A total of 29 facial nerve branches of 13 patients who underwent superficial parotidectomy or submandibular gland resection were examined. Patients were examined in two groups: those who did not develop paralysis after surgery and those who developed paralysis or sequelae. The relationship between the patient's pre- and postoperative House-Brackmann staging and potential changes detected during surgery was investigated. Results: Paralysis was detected in 8 of 29 nerves that were stimulated, and the affected branches were the cervicofacial branch and the marginal mandibular branch. No difference was observed in the mean threshold stimulation values and responses determined before, during and at the end of dissection between patients who developed paralysis and those who did not. Conclusion: Unlike the literature, it is determined that no electrophysiological measurement result can predict the postoperative phase as a result of ROC-curve analysis and logistic regression analysis. It is thought that these results are caused by the fact that the developing paralysis is at low stages and heal within one month.