Deep-planes lift associated with free flap surgery for facial reanimation

Between April 1999 and April 2008, 37 patients with long-standing facial paralysis underwent a one-stage facial reanimation with neuromuscular free flaps: 28 patients (group A) underwent flap transposition only; 9 patients (group B) underwent a deep-planes lift (DPL) composed of the superficial muscoloaponeurotic system + parotid fascia at the time of facial reanimation. The postoperative and final results were compared between groups A and B, following the classification of Terzis and Noah (1997). Before the onset of contraction, only group B patients (100%) showed good or moderate symmetry at rest, while none of the patients of group A had a symmetric face. The respective final results for patients in groups A and B who already showed the onset of flap contraction were excellent in 28.6% and 44.5%, good in 42.9% and 33.3%, moderate in 10.7% and 22.2%, and fair or poor and fair in 17.8% and 0% of patients, respectively. The DPL allows immediate symmetry of the face at rest and contributes to upgrading the final static and dynamic results in facial reanimation with free muscular flaps.