Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026
Surgical Approach to Full Soft Tissue Face Allograft Procurement for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
Published on: December 30, 2025
Great Auricular Nerve Arborization for Multi-Branch Facial Nerve Reconstruction After Parotidectomy: A Surgical
Qicheng Ye1, Lingli Huang1, Wenjun Yang2
1Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Resident, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Resident, National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, China; Resident, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, China; Resident, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
None:
Reconstruction of multibranch facial nerve defects following parotidectomy presents a significant challenge. To our knowledge, this article first introduces the concept of great auricular nerve (GAN) arborization, a term that refers to the natural branching pattern of the GAN. The GAN often exhibits an intrinsic branching structure resembling a tree, with a main trunk and several terminal branches. The main trunk can be coapted to a suitable proximal facial nerve stump, while each natural branch can be connected to a corresponding distal facial nerve branch. We describe the surgical procedure and present a single illustrative case as preliminary evidence of technical feasibility. GAN arborization provides an additional option for immediate reconstruction of multi-branch facial nerve defects when suitable proximal and distal nerve stumps are available. Further comparative studies with standardized assessment and long-term follow-up are required.
