Medical and Surgical Treatments

·         Botox® injections for synkinesis (abnormal movement of the face) or spasm

·         Optimizing eye moisturization if the paralysis prevents complete closure of the eye – this can be accomplished with medications and/or surgical procedures:

o   Hydrating eye drops and lubricating ointment

o   Eyelid taping

o   Eyelid weight placement

o   Eyelid tightening/partial closure

·         Surgical elevation of the forehead, facial skin and mouth that droop because of the facial paralysis:

o   Brow/forehead lift

o   Lifting of the face with fascia (borrowed from the patient’s own leg)

·         Nerve transfer for permanent facial paralysis that has occurred within approximately the past two years:

o   Masseteric-to-facial nerve transfer

o   Hypoglossal-to-facial nerve transfer

·         Muscle transfer surgeries for facial paralysis that occurred greater than 2 years ago:

o   Temporalis tendon transfer

o   Gracilis free tissue transfer