Histopathological, Biochemical And Electrophysiological Evaluation Of Single Or Combined Use Of Diode Laser/Steroid Treatment On Facial Nerve Injury

All rats will be anesthetized with ketamine hydrochloride at a dose of 50 mg/kg (i.p) (Ketalar ®, Eczacıbaşı Parke-Davis, İstanbul, Türkiye) and Xylazine HCl (Alfazyne ®, Alfasan International B.V. Woerden, Hollanda) at a dose of 10 mg/kg (intraperitoneal). A right postauricular incision will made under general anesthesia, and an external trunk of the facial nerve will be found. In the DCG and other experimental groups, the facial nerve was dissected, and it will be clamped with an average force of 150 g for about 1 minute. Afterward, the surgical area will be sutured in all rats in the DCG, L, S, and LSG groups. At the end of the 4 weeks of study, tissue samples will be taken from the facial nerve trunk in the control and experimental groups with a second surgical procedure preserved in formalin solution and sent for histopathological and biochemical examination.