The use of Gore-Tex Soft Tissue Patch to assist temporal muscle transfer in the treatment of facial nerve palsy.

Abstract

Temporal muscle transfer remains one of the most widely practiced procedures in dynamic correction of paralysis of facial nerves. In case of shortage of temporal muscle volume, length, and strength, some type of autogenous tissue or implant is required to achieve great stretching and excursion. Several artificial materials have been used in the past, each with its own limitations or problems. We used Gore-Tex Soft Tissue Patch to lengthen and strengthen the muscle-fascia strip. This material is very successful as an implant; it shows excellent tissue tolerance, the porous microstructure encourages tissue attachment and infiltration, and it also resists infection. As a result, reasonable suspension and restoration of orbital and oral sphincters were achieved.