St. Louis Children’s Hospital Gives Children the Ability to Smile: Literally
ST. LOUIS (PRWEB) September 28, 2018 -- Six-year-old Preston has Mobius Syndrome, which causes facial paralysis. That means he has never been able to smile...until now. Dr. Alison Snyder-Warwick, a Washington University pediatric plastic surgeon at St. Louis Children's Hospital, specializes in facial reanimation surgery. Children’s has one of only a handful of plastic surgery centers in the country that focuses on this specialized procedure.
Facial palsy is a complex condition –medically and emotionally. When we make facial expressions (such as smiling, frowning, and closing our eyes), the brain sends a signal to the muscles of our face through the facial nerve (also known as the 7th cranial nerve). When there is a problem with this pathway, facial paralysis results. Facial paralysis can happen at birth (i.e. Mobius syndrome), or later in life, and may be unilateral (affecting one side of the face) or bilateral (affecting both sides). There are more than 100 known causes of facial paralysis.
Facial expressions provide unique insight into a person’s emotions and are important for communication. The loss of facial expression, such as a smile, can be very upsetting, with emotional and social implications as significant as the physical.
To achieve Preston’s facial animation (i.e. smile), Dr. Snyder-Warwick performed two identical surgeries—one on each side of his face, approximately three months apart. The procedures involved removing a segment of muscle and nerve from his inner thigh, and inserted them into his cheeks through incisions from his temples to his jawline. This procedure is technically very demanding, and requires the use of microsurgery to connect vessels with stitches several times thinner than human hairs. Dr. Snyder-Warwick has performed facial re-animation surgery on more than fifty children with facial paralysis.
It can take several months for the nerves to take hold in their new location, and produce their desired outcome: a brand new smile.
While all the intricate movements of facial expression cannot be recreated, the ability to smile is achievable, and the resulting scar is usually barely visible. Preston’s on year journey resulted in a beautiful new smile that helps tell people how happy he is. He practices with a physical therapist at Children’s as well as at home in Iowa to improve muscle control and strength.
For more information about St. Louis Children’s Hospital, visit StLouisChildrens.org. Videos and photos of Preston and Dr. Snyder-Warwick can be found at: https://bjc-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/lxh4403_bjc_org/Ej3cw4bo6ABJnviSkFp2OW4ByavEVA3EKYmdSauK6hJbQg?e=b5lBKV
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ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
For more than 130 years, St. Louis Children's Hospital has provided exceptional care for children in all 50 states and 80 countries around the world. With its academic partner, Washington University School of Medicine, Children’s is consistently ranked among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. A member of BJC HealthCare, St. Louis Children’s Hospital follows one simple mission – to do what’s right for kids. That mission comes to life through medical discovery, innovative therapies and compassionate care. In 2018, Children's expanded with a state-of-the-art, 12-story medical tower. Children’s relies on generous donors to deliver specialized care for families in need, extend health care services to the community, and pursue research that promises to transform pediatric medicine. To find out more, visit StLouisChildrens.org, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Laura High, St. Louis Children's Hospital, http://www.stlouischildrens.org, +1 314-286-0374, [email protected]
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