Delayed Facial Palsy After Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm.

The purpose of this article is to study the etiology, treatment, and prognosis of delayed facial palsy (DFP) after microvascular decompression (MVD) for the hemifacial spasm. Between January 2012 and January 2014, 562 patients who underwent MVD for hemifacial spasm at our institution were retrospectively studied. Among 562 patients, 34 patients developed DFP after MVD with an incidence of 6%. The duration of palsy was 15 to 136 days (average 51.2 days). There was statistical relevance between preoperative duration of the course, the facial nerve for indentation, and the incidence of delayed facial paralysis. All the symptoms of facial paralysis were obviously improved. DFP is not an unusual complication after MVD, and prognosis is fairly good.