Management of the Facial Nerve in Skull Base Surgery: Retrosigmoid Approach

Semih Can ÇETİNTAŞa, Rahşan KEMERDEREa
aİstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Türkiye

Çetintaş SC, Kemerdere R. Management of the facial nerve in skull base surgery: Retrosigmoid approach. In: Sanus GZ, Batıoğlu Karaaltın A, eds. Surgical Management of Facial Nerve Paralysis. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2022. p.176-80.

Article Language: EN

ABSTRACT
The facial nerve or CN VII is the seventh of twelve pairs of cranial nerves. It has 3 different nuclei located in the pons. The infranuclear segment of the facial nerve consists of 6 parts. The facial nerve can be affected by malignancies during its course. Many surgical approaches have been developed over time for these lesions concerning facial nerve. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. The retrosigmoid approach is the most convenient and most frequently used approach. In this approach, bone opening is simple and intraoperative orientation is easy. The entire posterior surface of the cerebellopontine segment of facial nerve and part of the inferior and superior borders of the nerve can be exposed. Partial drilling of the posterior wall of internal acoustic canal can expose a limited part of the intracanalicular segment of facial nerve. One of its main advantages is preservation of hearing function.

Keywords: Facial nerve; skull base neoplasms; neurosurgical procedures

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