Dorsally Displaced Facial Nerve in Retrosigmoid Transmeatal Approach for Vestibular Schwannoma: 3-Dimensional Operative Video.

Abstract

Dorsal displacement of the facial nerve is relatively rare in patients with vestibular schwannoma. Its prediction remains difficult in patients with large tumors, even with the recent advances in preoperative radiologic assessments. Anatomic and functional preservation of the facial nerves combined with maximal tumor removal is particularly challenging in this rare anatomic variant, and surgery may lead to postoperative facial dysfunction, inadequate tumor removal, and/or a high retreatment rate.¹ This 3-dimensional video (Video 1) demonstrates a vestibular schwannoma with dorsally displaced facial nerve, which was surgically treated by the retrosigmoid transmeatal approach under continuous facial nerve monitoring. The video was reproduced after informed consent of the patient. A 46-year-old man presented with transient hearing impairment. Neuroimaging displayed a left acoustic tumor extending into the internal acoustic meatus. The retrosigmoid transmeatal approach was performed, and a dorsally displaced facial nerve was predicted by preoperative magnetic resonance images and confirmed during surgery. The facial nerve was accurately dissected under continuous facial nerve monitoring, and gross total removal of the tumor was achieved without postoperative facial dysfunction.².