For anyone researching about cross facial nerve graft surgery - I report I have had it done 2 weeks ago and confirm the pain in the leg is quite bothersome. It feels like painful "pins and needles" and is exacerbated by movement and anything that touches the leg. Pain killers don't help. If it gets bad sometimes just pressing the leg at the spots where it hurts stops the sensations. I find benefit also from warm/cold compresses. Also, stress makes the nerve pain much worse so staying as calm as possible during recovery is crucial (very important to avoid annoying people and situations because otherwise pain is pretty unbearable). Right now, 2 weeks out I'm not able to walk on my own and I'm using crutches. I'm looking into options for physiotherapy or neurological therapies and I'm counting on it to get better with time, as it did for other people who had this procedure done
On the other side - the incisions on the sides of the face don't hurt AT ALL. I was really surprised since the procedure looks quite brutal if you look it up how they do it. There is a lot of swelling of course but no pain, just light tingling sensation which I enjoy cause it tells me the nerves are growing
I also had a Masseter nerve transposition and this one doesn't hurt at all. Right now my jaw opens a bit less and the muscle feels weak but I can bite with no problem on the good side and there is no pain. If anyone has questions about this procedures, I'm glad to answer and to exchange experiences, since finding information from patients is not always easy.
