Facial Nerve How-to Guide: Navigating Difficult Everyday Scenarios

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This multi-disciplinary group will cover the “what, when, why, and how” of what to do in everyday scenarios involving the facial nerve: decision making to maximize patient outcomes and reduce your stress level. This is a “how-to” guide for anyone who was found themselves wondering if they made the right call when it comes to facial nerve pathology. This panel will demystify management for all practitioners: from initial steps and clinical/operative decision making to outcomes following state of the art techniques.

Topics include but are not limited to: Bell’s palsy: initial steps, when and what testing to order, and when to consider referral for decompression; Temporal bone trauma: how to evaluate the facial nerve, early interventions, and when to consider referral; Salivary gland neoplasms: what to do when a functioning facial nerve is involved by a parotid tumor and steps to maximize oncologic and functional outcomes.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Describe initial steps and testing for Bell’s Palsy, when to refer for intervention, and how to counsel patients on options and outcomes.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Perform a comprehensive facial nerve exam in a patient suffering from skull base trauma and identify the timing and options for surgical intervention. Counsel patients on rehabilitation options and outcomes.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Develop an algorithm for facial nerve management during routine parotid surgery, including tumor involvement of an intact nerve. Counsel patients on short- and long-term outcomes from facial nerve injury or sacrifice.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: Need for an up-to-date and complete approach in a promoted gap of scenarios involving facial nerve pathology for comprehensive practitioners and subspecialists alike - spanning from routine clinic encounters to on-call situations.