Surgical management of acoustic neuromas during the last five years. Part II: Results for facial and cochlear nerve function

Abstract Postoperative facial and cochlear nerve function in 83 consecutive patients with acoustic neuromas, who were undergoing their initial surgical procedure during 1980–1984, have been examined. The facial nerve was preserved in anatomic continuity in 71% of cases. Various nerve grafting procedures were used when the facial nerve was divided; the most common of these was a faciohypoglossal anastomosis, which was performed in 20 cases. The facial and cochlear nerves were anatomically preserved in 30.1% of all patients having their initial surgical procedure. Good speech discrimination was preserved in four patients, whereas more crude hearing was preserved in six other patients.