During the 10-year period between January 1975 and December 1984, 367 patients with
hemifacial spasm were examined at our institution. Because of the severity of the
spasm, 54 patients underwent surgical management that consisted of microvascular decompression
of the facial nerve. Postoperatively, the hemifacial spasm was completely resolved
in 44 patients (81%), but 6 of these patients had subsequent recurrence of the condition.
An additional five patients (9%) experienced improvement but were not totally free
of the spasm. Five patients (9%) received no benefit from the procedure. Complications
occurred in 19 patients (35%) but were usually transient. The most serious complication
was permanent ipsilateral hearing loss, which occurred in eight patients (15%). Thus,
in general, microvascular decompression of the facial nerve effectively alleviates
hemifacial spasm.
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© 1986 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
