Was Thomasz Drobnik Really the First to Operate on the Facial Nerve?

Thomasz Drobnik is considered to have been the first to operate on the facial nerve. The original report of this operation has unfortunately never been found. Because Drobnik's procedure has generally been considered to be the first documented facial nerve repair in history, it is interesting to explore Drobnik's background and the veracity of this claim. Three sources were studied: (1) literature on facial nerve repair; (2) L'état actuel de la chirurgie nerveuse, the oldest known reference to Drobnik's operation; and (3) some biographies of Drobnik. It is concluded that Thomasz Drobnik was not the first to operate on the facial nerve in 1879. Instead, the first was Sir Charles Balance, of London, England, in 1895.