Clinical Implication of Facial Nerve Decompression in Complete Bell's Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Clinical Implication of Facial Nerve Decompression in Complete Bell's Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol. 2019 Sep 07;: Authors: Lee SY, Seong J, Kim YH Abstract We compared the therapeutic efficacy of facial nerve decompression (FND) and conservative treatment in patients with Bell's palsy through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Primary database search was performed in PubMed, Medline, and Embase. After screening, 13 studies were assessed for their eligibility. Among them, seven studies employing either the House-Brackmann grading system (HBGS) or May's classification (modified HBGS) were selected for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Based on May's classification, the degree of recovery was classified into complete (HBGS I), fair (HBGS II-III), or failed (HBGS IV-VI) recovery. The outcomes were assessed between 6 and 12 months after surgery. The estimated pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using random effects model. Cohorts were comprised of patients who underwent FND (n=202, 53.0%) and conservative treatments (n=179, 47.0%). In pooled analysis, the rate of complete recovery was significantly higher in the FND group than in the control group (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.22 to 3.48; P=0.007) showing neither heterogeneity nor publication bias. Meanwhile, the rates of fair recovery (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.42 to 1.21; P=0.208) and failed recovery (OR, 0.60; 95%...
Source: Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology - Category: ENT & OMF Tags: Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol Source Type: research