Post-traumatic and postoperative peripheral paralysis of the facial nerve.

Forty-five patients with postoperative or post-traumatic paresis of the facial nerve were studied and it was found that in only 2.6% of the postoperative cases was there some temporary facial nerve palsy, while in 11% of the cases with facial lacerations the paralysis was permanent. The preauricular area was the most hazardous, while in the submental area no paresis was recorded.