ReviewClinical and experimental otorhinolaryngology2019
Clinical Implication of Facial Nerve Decompression in Complete Bell's Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Clinical and experimental otorhinolaryngology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Acute Peripheral Facial Palsy: Recent Guidelines and a Systematic Review of the Literature.Journal of Korean medical science · 2020Pooled it
- Laser acupuncture and photobiomodulation therapy in Bell's palsy with a duration of greater than 8 weeks: a randomized controlled trial.Lasers in medical science · 2024Trial
- How I Do It: Middle Fossa Approach of Facial Nerve Decompression.The Laryngoscope · 2026Article
- Transauricular facial nerve combing for post-paralytic synkinesis and tightness: a propensity score-matched study.BMC surgery · 2026Article
- Optimization of decompression angles in facial nerve decompression surgery: A decompression model.PloS one · 2026Article
- Investigation of the Effects of the Timing of Decompression and Topical Mitomycin-C Application on Nerve Regeneration in a Rat Model of Bell's Palsy.Turkish archives of otorhinolaryngology · 2025Article
- Herbal medicine evaluation for reimbursement-based facial palsy (HERB-FP): a retrospective analysis using Korean health insurance claim data 2020-2024.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of collaborative treatment with Korean and Western medicine in patients with facial palsy: a multicenter prospective observational study.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Observational
- [Effect analysis of facial nerve decompression surgery in the treatment of Bell's palsy and Hunt syndrome].Lin chuang er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Journal of clinical otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery · 2024Article
- Development of the Korean Medicine Core Outcome Set for Facial Palsy: herbal medicine treatment of patients with facial palsy in primary clinics.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Bell's palsy research hotspots and frontiers from 2002 to 2021: a bibliometric and visual analysis.American journal of translational research · 2023Article
- A case of facial nerve palsy caused by severe head injury treated by translabyrinthine approach.Surgical neurology international · 2023Article
- Computed tomographic features of the proximal petrous facial nerve canal in recurrent Bell's palsy.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2021Article
- Surgical Outcomes of Transmastoid Facial Nerve Decompression for Patients With Traumatic Facial Nerve Paralysis.The journal of international advanced otology · 2021Article
- Effectiveness of Kinesio taping on peripheral facial paralysis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.Medicine · 2020Article
- Facial Nerve Decompression for Bell's Palsy: An Endless Debate.Clinical and experimental otorhinolaryngology · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
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% CI, 0.22 to 1.67; P=0.327) in the FND group were similar to that in the control group. In subgroup analyses, there was no significant difference in the OR according to the operation timing and surgical approach. FND can be a possible treatment option for patients with complete Bell's palsy, especially for complete recovery, which provide insights on decision-making and outcome prediction. However, FND should be determined carefully given the risk of small study effects and possible complications.
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