The facial nerve is second only to the vagus as the "busiest" cranial nerve in the human body. It is the part of the highly specialized nervous system and is genetically programmed to perform in a specific fashion. As the techniques of microsurgical nerve repair have become established , it appears that improved clinical results will be independent of further refinements in surgical technique. The technology of muscle transplantation into the paralyzed face has undergone significant improvements over the past decades , with corresponding improvements in the clinical efficacy of the technique.