The Long-Term Impact of Facial Palsy on the Quality of Life of Vestibular Schwannoma Patients

To compare long-term quality of life (QoL) of vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients with and without facial palsy.

Facial palsy following vestibular schwannoma treatment carries a significant and durable quality-of-life penalty; audiologists and surgeons counseling patients should weight this risk heavily in shared treatment decision-making.

Quantifying the long-term quality-of-life impact of facial palsy in vestibular schwannoma patients strengthens the evidence base for patient counseling and may influence treatment selection toward hearing and nerve-preserving approaches.

1. 01Longitudinal cohort study compared quality of life in vestibular schwannoma patients with and without facial palsy.
2. 02Facial palsy was associated with significantly worse long-term quality of life outcomes.
3. 03Study was conducted in a tertiary care setting, which may limit generalizability to community practices.
4. 04Findings reinforce the importance of facial nerve preservation as a surgical and treatment goal.
5. 05Results are relevant for audiologists involved in pre- and post-treatment counseling of these patients.

PMID

42183953

DOI

10.1002/ohn.70255.

Journal

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Vestibular schwannoma patients at a tertiary care center, with and without facial palsy

Intervention

Presence of facial palsy following vestibular schwannoma management

Comparator

Vestibular schwannoma patients without facial palsy