The efficacy of early facial nerve decompression in treating severe Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Abstract

Background

The incidence of Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) has significantly increased in recent years, highlighting the need to explore effective surgical treatment strategies.

Methods

A total of 12 patients with severe RHS who visited our hospital from January 2021 to March 2023 were retrospectively included. The results of neuroelectrophysiological examination of the affected and healthy sides of all patients at baseline, 1 month postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, 6 months postoperatively, and 12 months postoperatively were counted. House-Brackmann (H-B) scores and facial disability index (FDI) scores were collected.

Results

After surgery, the neuroelectrophysiological function of the facial nerve on the affected side improved, with decreasing differences compared to the healthy side in terms of latency of the facial muscles, transient reflexes, F-waves lead-out rate, frontalis muscle wave amplitude, orbicularis oculi wave amplitude, and chin wave amplitude. Postoperative chin latency, frontalis muscle wave amplitude, and F-waves lead-out rate on the affected side were significantly better than those at baseline (P < 0.05). The H-B grading and FDI of the affected side were significantly better than the baseline at 12 months postoperatively (P < 0.05), and the surgical efficiency of the patients was 100 % at 12 months postoperatively.

Conclusion

Within 12 months post-operation, there was a notable overall recovery of the facial musculoskeletal neural functions, with particularly good improvement observed in orbicularis oculi muscle movement.