Factors Associated With Late Admission to Facial Plastic Surgery Among Patients With Long-Standing Facial Paralysis

Background Facial plastic surgeons often encounter patients experiencing untreated long-standing facial paralysis who are unaware that their condition can be managed by facial reconstructive procedures. To promote timely admission of patients with facial paralysis for facial plastic surgery, factors associated with late admission should be elucidated. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients admitted to our facial paralysis clinic. Late admission was defined by an onset-to-admission interval longer than the median value. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the odds ratio of late admission with age, sex, etiology, referring physician specialty, and the time of first admission. Results A total of 199 cases from October 2017 to March 2020 were included. Onset-to-admission interval longer than 21 months (median) was considered late admission. Etiologies involving benign tumors and congenital diseases were significantly associated with late admission (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 3.9 [1.0–14.4] and 31.7 [4.7–212.6], respectively). Most benign tumor cases were referred from nonplastic surgeons. Conclusions Benign tumors and congenital diseases were significantly related to late admission of patients with long-standing facial paralysis. As the majority of benign cases were referred from nonplastic surgeons, spreading awareness on facial plastic surgery as a treatment option may be necessary in promoting timely admission.