Treatment Options

Facial paralysis surgery

A number of surgical procedures can restore movement to the lower part of the face. Some of these procedures involve moving facial nerves, tendons and muscles (or parts of them) from other areas of the body to the face.

Surgery to transplant muscle tissue may involve more than one procedure and hospital stays of several days for each stage.

Your individualized treatment plan may involve one or more of these procedures:

• Temporalis tendon transfer (T3): This is a relatively simple procedure that moves the temporalis muscle and tendon from one location in the face to another.
• Gracilis muscle transplant: A small portion of a thin muscle of the inner thigh is transferred to replace facial muscles.
• Cross-facial nerve graft: a nerve is moved from one side of the face to the other to supply a transplanted muscle with the ability to contract.
• Masseteric nerve transfer: One branch of the muscle that helps people chew is re-routed to a new area in the face.
• Hypoglossal nerve transfer: A portion of the nerve that moves the tongue is relocated to a position that innervation to facial musculature.
• Eyelid surgery: Patients with difficulty closing their eyes, dryness or excessive tearing may benefit from placement of a small weight in the upper eyelid and/or tightening of the lower eyelid.

Other treatment options

• Rehabilitation services
• Surgery for brow and eyelid paralysis including brow lift surgery, eyelid weight placement, and ectropion correction
• Neuromodulation with botulinum toxin (also known as Botox)
• Nerve transfers and selective surgical neurolysis
• Gracilis free muscle transfer
• Regional muscle transfer and static suspension