Anterior and Posterior Facial Nerve Rerouting: A Comparative Study

The infratemporal fossa type A (IFT-A) and the modified transcochlear approach are used to remove glomus jugular tumors type C and petroclival tumors extending to the prepontine cistern, respectively. Anterior rerouting is a key step in IFT-A, whereas the modified transcochlear approach involves posterior rerouting. The aim of this study was to analyze facial nerve function after application of the two procedures. One year after surgery, anterior rerouting was associated with excellent to good outcomes (grade I to III) in 94 % of the cases, while posterior rerouting was associated with good outcomes (grade III) in 70 % of the cases.