experimental group (Figure 1). Information collected
at the first week after the surgical operation
included patient´s age, gender, and medical history
(diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia,
obesity, alcohol habit, smoking habit). The facial
nerve function (global and by facial nerve branches)
were grading with the House-Brackmann Facial
Nerve Grading System at first week (baseline
assessment) by the same observer (I: normal; II:
slight; III: moderate; IV: moderately severe; V:
severe; VI: total). According to the House-
Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading System, a score
ranging from 1 to 6 was given for each of the five
facial nerve branches, and the result was summed
to obtain an overall score of magnitude dysfunction.
The overall score ranged from 5 points (no
facial paresis) to 30 (total facial paralysis). Patients
of experimental group were subdivided into two
subgroups: patients with a score between 5–10
points (normal or slight paresis) and patients with a
score between 11–30 points (moderate, severe or
total paresis).All patients of control group received a selfadministered
homework manual at the outpatient
surgery clinic to perform ten facial mimic exercises
autonomously in front of the mirror at home, five
times every day. Patients of experimental group
were treated at the Rehabilitation Department. A
subgroup of patients with facial paresis score
between 11 and 30 points at baseline assessment
received facial exercise therapy comprising ten
45-minute weekly sessions, where they performed
the ten mirror exercises supervised by the therapist,
and external and intraoral massage. In each session,
patients were instructed by the therapist in
facial exercises and self-massage techniques. The
therapist demonstrated the exercises to the patients
in person, after which the patients tried the exercises
and massages with correction of technique,
and gave them a homework manual with the ten