Symmetry restoration at rest after masseter-to-facial nerve transfer: Is it as efficient as smile reanimation?.

Background: Masseter-to-facial nerve transfer is a highly efficient technique for reanimating paralyzed muscle and has been reported to restore facial symmetry at rest. However, no systematic studies have been performed, and the effects of preoperative droop oral commissure on postoperative symmetry at rest have rarely been reported. Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed 35 patients with masseteric-facial nerve anastomosis and assessed the quality and quantity of the dynamic recovery and the oral commissure symmetry at rest. The dynamic and static effects were then compared. Results: All of the patients' Terzis scores were increased post-operatively, and over half of the patients presented restored symmetrical smiles (Terzis scores of 4 or 5). The postoperative symmetry scale of oral commissure at rest improved in 18 of 35 patients. Both the mean postoperative AD-OCE (altitude difference of oral commissure excursion) and the postoperative AD-OCP (altitude difference of bilateral oral commissure position) were decreased compared to preoperative values. The preoperative symmetry had a significant effect on the postoperative AD-OCP. The effects of the dynamic and static symmetry improvements were transformed to a comparable factor '[alpha]'. The dynamic [alpha] was significantly greater than static [alpha]. Conclusions: Masseter-to-facial nerve transfer is a reliable technique for smile reanimation. However, it has only a limited effect on the improvement of symmetry at rest. Assessing the preoperative symmetry of oral commissure at rest can be used to predict postoperative outcomes, and patients with severely droop oral commissure (symmetry scale III or IV) should receive static suspension. (C)2017American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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