Facial Paralysis Reconstruction With Gore-Tex Soft-Tissue Patch

Abstract

No procedure perfectly restores a face paralyzed by surgical ablation of the facial nerve. Although dynamic reconstructive procedures are preferred for treating patients with complete facial paralysis, various conditions contraindicate their use, making static suspension of the paralyzed face a reasonable surgical alternative. Expanded polytef soft-tissue patch (polytetrafluoroethylene; Gore-Tex Soft-Tissue Patch, Gore-Tex, W. L. Gore & Assoc Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz) was used to help correct midfacial and perioral asymmetries in 11 patients with complete unilateral facial paralysis. All patients had previous surgical ablation of the facial nerve and were not considered good candidates for dynamic facial reconstruction. Midfacial and perioral asymmetries were improved in all patients using this technique of static soft-tissue suspension. One postoperative infection and two cases of postoperative suture extrusion were observed in the patient population. Other complications associated with the use of Gore-Tex Soft-Tissue Patch for facial suspension were limited to technical factors.