Safely Navigating Around the Facial Nerve in Three Dimensions

Although much literature discusses the anatomy and injury of the facial nerve branches, the fascial plane of the nerves, particularly where they transition from one plane to another, is rarely emphasized and information is often contradictory. This article describes in three-dimensional, accurate surgical terms where the facial nerve branches are located and how they can be protected during dissection above and below the superficial musculoaponeurotic system-platysma plane.