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J Unexplored Med Data 0;:[Accepted].
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to review the management options for facial nerve injuries following ballistic trauma and to provide a practical approach by describing a case example. There is a high degree of morbidity and mortality associated with ballistic trauma of the face, however, reestablishing facial animation and function may significantly improve quality of life. Facial nerve injuries in these types of traumas often lead to sensory and motor deficits, or facial palsy. The treatment of facial nerve palsy after ballistic trauma to the face is often delayed due to a patient’s critical condition in the immediate post-traumatic period. Therefore, restoring dynamic facial animation in these scenarios usually requires new neuromuscular units which can be achieved by both static and dynamic procedures. Our case example describes a 45-year-old male with a history of a gunshot wound to the right side of his face. He underwent multiple reconstructive surgeries prior to initial presentation. In preparation for eyelid reanimation, he underwent cross-facial nerve graft from the left temporal branch to the right eyelid. He was able to close his right eye with minimal lagophthalmos at his initial post-operative evaluation. At his 3-month post-operative evaluation, he demonstrated a stronger blinking reflex. This case report demonstrates our approach for restoration of spontaneous eye animation via free platysma grafting with direct neurotization using cross-facial nerve graft fascicles. There is a paucity of information in the literature regarding management of facial nerve injuries following ballistic trauma. We offer a practical approach utilizing guiding principles from head and neck reconstruction and peripheral nerve surgery.
Keywords
facial nerve injuries, ballistic trauma, facial animation, facial nerve, facial palsy, eyelid reconstruction, lagophthalmos
Cite This Article
Ma A. test new website4. J Unexplored Med Data 2023;0:[Accept]. http://dx.doi.org/
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© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

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