RECOVERY OF CONGENITAL FACIAL PALSY IN PATIENTS WITH HEMIFACIAL MICROSOMIA SUBJECTED TO SURAL TO FACIAL-NERVE GRAFTS IS ENHANCED BY ELECTRIC-FIELD STIMULATION

The effect of electric field stimulation for promoting axonal growth b etween sural to facial nerve grafts in cases of congenital permanent f acial palsy associated with hemifacial microsomia was studied, For thi s purpose, a total of 17 patients with unilateral congenital permanent facial palsy associated with hemifacial microsomia were studied pre- and postoperatively, A sural to facial nerve graft was performed in al l cases and long term postoperative electric field stimulation was ran domly applied to half of the patients, Although improvement occurred i n both groups, the results indicated that clinical and electrophysiolo gical recovery was significantly better in patients receiving post-ope rative electric field stimulation, The results, therefore, suggest tha t electric stimulation of the grafted area induces improvements of fac ial palsy over and above those observed in the non-stimulated patients .