When a patient undergoes surgery to correct facial paralysis, some results can be seen immediately, though it’s common for increased results to continue for the following year with the help of neuromuscular retraining.
Beverly Hills, CA (PRWEB) November 14, 2013
Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS in Beverly Hills and director of the Facial Paralysis Institute has reported extreme success after performing a masseteric-facial nerve transfer in patients. Most recently, the expert facial paralysis surgeon helped a patient by the name of Chelsea, a young women afflicted with facial paralysis affecting the entire right side of her face.
“Performing a masseter to facial nerve transfer has been a surgery that has produced excellent results for my patients time and time again. In Chelsea’s case, the procedure improved her ability to smile and gave her a more symmetrical facial appearance,” said Dr. Azizzadeh.
A masseter to facial nerve transfer, also known as a trigeminal nerve transfer, is an ideal procedure for patients suffering from facial paralysis for less than three years or those who suffer from permanent Bell’s palsy. During the procedure, expert facial paralysis surgeon Dr. Azizzadeh identifies the masseteric nerve, which is sewn together under a microscope with the paralyzed facial nerve. Because the masseteric nerve brings neural input to the paralyzed facial nerve, function is restored to the smile and other facial muscles that have been affected by paralysis as the patient continues to heal and recover.
“Because this is such a delicate surgery, we perform the procedure using a team of experts who are each extremely integral in different stages of the treatment,” said Dr. Azizzadeh.
In addition to undergoing a masseteric-facial nerve transfer, the patient also underwent an upper eyelid gold-weight to assist in blinking and lag as well as Botox injections for increased management of synkinesis, also known as involuntary twitching of the facial muscles.
"At my three month post op appointment with Dr. Azizzadeh, some slight movement was noted on the right side of my face. Eleven months after surgery, by biting down, I could achieve the semblance of a smile on the right side. I can now smile for photos and appear more natural with my friends," said Chelsea.
Nueromuscular retraining is also a highly recommended part of increasing facial movement following facial paralysis surgery, which involves rehabilitation therapy of the facial muscles. This therapy is most often tailored for the unique needs of each individual and incorporates sensory feedback techniques for restoring facial movement.
“When a patient undergoes surgery to correct facial paralysis, some results can be seen immediately, though it’s common for increased results to continue for the following year with the help of neuromuscular retraining,” said Dr.Azizzadeh. “Chelsea recovered extremely well and is already seeing fantastic results from her surgery that are going to help her lead an improved quality of life.”
Since his extensive and prestigious training at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Azizzadeh has helped hundreds of people with varying degrees of facial paralysis. Dr. Azizzadeh is the director of the Facial Paralysis Institute and one of the leading figures in the field of Facial Nerve Paralysis. As a true pioneer in the field, Dr. Azizzadeh has been recognized for his work on several occasions and has even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and countless other media outlets.
If you would like to learn more about masseteric-facial nerve transfer to correct facial paralysis, please contact theFacial Paralysis Institute today by calling (310) 657-2203 to schedule an initial consultation. For additional information, please visit http://www.facialparalysisinstitute.com.