Facial Palsy Surgery (Facial Reanimation)
Facial palsy or paralysis can dramatically impact expression, speech, and daily living. Modern facial reanimation programs provide a full spectrum of care, beginning with early assessment to prevent irreversible muscle atrophy. The surgical toolbox includes free muscle transfer, such as gracilis muscle from the thigh, nerve grafts or transfers, and static or dynamic techniques to restore facial movement and symmetry. These advanced approaches enable patients to regain the ability to smile, blink, speak, and eat more naturally. The process is highly personalized, requiring multidisciplinary collaboration among surgeons, neurologists, rehabilitation specialists, and, when needed, speech therapists. Treatment often includes physical therapy for facial neuromuscular retraining. Long-term follow-up and ongoing care help ensure the best possible functional and aesthetic outcomes, often involving staged surgeries and collaboration among multiple specialists.
Facial palsy is a debilitating condition characterized by paralysis or weakness of the facial muscles, often resulting from trauma, tumors, infections, or congenital abnormalities. It affects facial expression and symmetry as well as critical functions such as eye closure, speech, and oral competence, significantly impacting a patient’s quality of life.
At Asan Medical Center, we offer advanced, personalized treatment for facial palsy through a multidisciplinary approach, aiming to restore both facial function and aesthetic balance.
Our Surgical Approaches
Our team specializes in a broad range of facial reanimation procedures, tailored to meet each patient’s unique needs.
Microneurovascular Free Muscle Transfer
The gold standard for long-standing facial palsy, this technique transfers a small muscle, typically the gracilis, along with its nerve and blood vessels to restore dynamic movement, such as smiling. It is often combined with cross-face nerve grafting to achieve spontaneous and symmetric motion.
Cross-Face Nerve Grafting (CFNG)
This procedure uses a nerve graft from the healthy side of the face to provide neural input to the paralyzed side, enabling natural, emotionally driven facial movements.
Masseteric Nerve Transfer
A reliable and effective option, this technique uses the masseter nerve, which controls chewing, to innervate a free muscle flap, offering rapid reanimation and robust movement. It is often chosen for single-stage reconstruction.
Static Suspension Procedures
For patients unable or unwilling to undergo dynamic procedures, static slings using fascia lata or sutures can improve facial symmetry at rest and support facial structures.
Upper and Lower Eyelid Reanimation
Techniques such as gold weight implantation, lateral canthoplasty, or temporalis muscle transfer help protect the eye and restore blinking.