Nerve Transplant During AN Surgery?

[Enzo99]

I was pretty nervous during my first visit to the neurosurgeon last week (3cm AN), but I thought he mentioned something about grafting a nerve from my leg or something into my cranial nerves.  I haven't seen anything much about this here, but I'm brand new.  Is this a technique being used?

[ixta]

If they can turn a leg nerve into an auditory vestibular nerve let me know!

I can't see how leg nerves can be turned into a facial, trigeminal, or hearing nerves.
Who knows though- Science can change..

they'd really have to do some frankenstein cutting to get your facial nerve to branch off into the upper and lower jaw?
Or perhaps most likely the technique would just replace-graft the part of the nerve that a tumor has taken to "revitalize" the original nerve?

I myself do not know where the vestibular cochlear nerve goes to in the brain. I only know where it started right --behind the cochlea--where the AN starts too....

[nancyann]

I've read surgeons do that if the facial nerve is  damaged  beyond repair - they'll do a nerve graft right then instead of wait till a later date.
Personally I would have rather that instead of now maybe having to have it done if facial EMG shows no nerve regeneration.

Sounds like the surgeon is preparing for any outcome during the AN surgery.

Best wishes, Nancy

[FlyersFan68]

Hi Enzo,

  The facial nerve is called a motor nerve and these can be grafted with the expectation that some function will recover.  On the other hand sensory nerves, namely those nerves that carry impulses from the outside to the brain, cannot be re-attached. The same is true for the optic nerve.   

Steve D
GO EAGLES!!