Acoustic neuroma neurophysiologic correlates: facial and recurrent laryngeal nerves before, during, and after surgery.

This article focuses on the facial nerve with additional comments on the recurrent laryngeal nerve as a proxy for the lower cranial nerves. Methods, advantages and disadvantages, and techniques are listed. The article addresses the anatomy of the facial nerve, discusses neurophysiologic testing, the role of electroneurography in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative testing, and presents 7 steps to set up for and perform facial nerve monitoring. Details are provided on interpretation of testing, and the pitfalls of interpretation are discussed. Studies are reviewed presenting outcomes of testing.