Cranial nerve anatomy

Facial nerve

This material is accepted for publication in Operative Neurosurgery journal.
Please find the paper on the following LINK
01. Facial nerve with parotid gland preserved
Soft tissue dissection of the superficial anatomical layers of the head and neck. The scalp blood supply as well as innervation is presented. The frontal and temporal branches of the facial nerve are microsurgically dissected and presented.
02. Facial nerve with parotid gland removed
The parotid gladn has been removed exposing the main trunk of the facial nerve at the stylomastoid foramen exit. The buccal and mandibular branche of the VIIth nerve has been microsurgically dissected and presented. A neck dissection exposing the carotid artery, jugular vein and the hypoglossal nerve was done.
03. Facial nerve mastoid segment
The facial nerve can be followed from the mastoid segment to extracranial course and its branches.
04. Facial nerve labyrinthine and tympanic segments
A combined petrosal approach type bone flap was done ezposing the middle fossa. Extradural exposure of the Meckel’s cave and gasserion ganglion was done. The mandibular and maxillary divisions of the trigeminal nerve were exposed. The internal accoustic canal was drilled from middle fossa and the labyrinthine and tympanic segments of the facial nerve, as well as the geniculate ganglion were revealed. Therefore the facial nerve can be followed from the internal accoustic canal to its extracranial branches.