Psychosocial Impact of Facial Paralysis Following Neck Dissection: A Literature Review

Facial paralysis, a common complication of neck dissection due to facial nerve injuries, results not only in the loss of facial mimicry but also significantly affects patients' quality of life, particularly in terms of psychosocial perception - an aspect often overlooked by medical teams. This study aims to evaluate the psychosocial impact and perceptions of patients who developed lower third facial paralysis following marginal mandibular nerve injury during neck dissection. A total of 445 postoperative patients who underwent head and neck tumor resection with neck dissection were assessed, of which 217 experienced some degree of facial paralysis. The impact on quality of life varied depending on the assessment scale used, but most patients with lower third facial paralysis reported a reduction in their quality of life and negative effects on their perception of social inclusion. This paralysis, coupled with the stigma of cancer, leads to difficulties in understanding their societal role and concerns about how their social environment perceives them, particularly in social settings.