RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the effects of open technique rhinoplasty on facial nerve terminal branches more concerned with mimicry via electroneurography (ENoG). METHODS: Twenty patients ages between 24 and 36 years were included in the study. Five nasal mimicry muscles were used to evaluate axonal loss of the facial nerve: bilateral transverse nasal, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi (LLSAN), and procerus muscles of all patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperative third month by ENoG. The patients that have abnormalities regarding the amplitude and latency at third month were reevaluated at sixth month postoperatively. RESULTS: Mean latencies of the facial nerve were calculated to be increased for all muscles at third postoperative month, but this increase was significant only for left LLSAN (P = 0.002). Amplitudes of the facial nerve decreased in all of the groups, but this decrease was not significant (P > 0.05). Two patients with exceptionally long latency facial nerve response of transverse nasal muscle and 11 muscle recordings with abnormal low amplitudes of the facial nerve at the third month was reevaluated at sixth postoperative month and the values were improved. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that facial nerve integrity is minimally affected after rhinoplasty, yet all affected muscles were recovered on the long term.