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. 2023 Apr 21;8(3):639-644.
doi: 10.1002/lio2.1053. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Race and sex demographics in the surgical management of facial nerve palsy

Kayva L Crawford  1 , Laurel L Ball  2 , Sandhya Kalavacherla  2 , Jacqueline J Greene  1 , Quyen T Nguyen  1   3 , Ryan K Orosco  4   5
Affiliations

Race and sex demographics in the surgical management of facial nerve palsy

Kayva L Crawford et al. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. .

Abstract

Objective: Facial palsy affects patients of all backgrounds, yet no existing studies describe differences in its treatment patterns between demographic groups.

Methods: We used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database to investigate whether race and sex disparities exist in facial reanimation surgery. Patients were identified using CPT codes corresponding to facial-nerve procedures.

Results: Seven hundred sixty-one patients met criteria; 681 self-identified as White (89.5%), 51 as Black (6.7%), 43 as Hispanic (5.6%), 23 as Asian (3.0%), and 5 patients as other (0.61%). White patients were more than twice as likely to undergo brow ptosis repair than Non-White patients (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.16-6.15, p = .03). After controlling for malignancy, men had longer operative times than women (480.2 vs. 413.9 min, p = .04) and higher likelihood of free tissue transfer (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.9-9.8), fascial free tissue transfer (OR 10.7, 95% CI 2.1-195), and ectropion repair (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.8).

Conclusion: Most patients undergoing facial reanimation surgery in the United States are White. Men have longer operative times and a higher likelihood of undergoing free fascial grafts and cutaneous and fascial free tissue transfer than women regardless of malignancy status.

Level of evidence: 2c.

Keywords: facial palsy; facial reanimation; racial disparities; sex disparities; surgical management.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Indications for surgical intervention for facial nerve palsy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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