Ancillary Procedures in Patients of Refractory Facial Palsy Patients Selection and Evaluation of the Outcomes

Introduction:

There are numerous causes of facial palsy (FP), though hemifacial weakness is often generally termed Bell's palsy, named after the Scottish neurologist Charles Bell, who described sudden onset unilateral facial paralysis in 1821.

Virally triggered, acute FP, to which the term Bell's palsy (BP) refers, is one of the most common, and fortunately the most likely condition to result in eventual return to premorbid status; 70% to 90% of patients recover spontaneously. Other causes of FP routinely result in poorer recovery, and the clinician must discern among these to formulate a treatment plan.

In facial palsy, paralysis of muscles on the affected side of the face results in loss of forehead creases, loss of the nasolabial fold, lagophthalmos, brow droop, and drooping of the corner of the mouth. In contrast, muscles on the unaffected side of the face no longer have opposing forces.

This may cause difficulty in articulation, eating, drinking, and is often cosmetically unacceptable to patients because of asymmetry, especially when speaking, smiling, and laughing. There are significant psychological effects as patients lack the confidence to carry out many daily activities in public, such as appearing in photographs.

Although management is difficult, there are a range of reanimation options available. These include nerve grafts, muscle transfers, myofunctional approaches, and microsurgical patches usually for the more severe facial palsies (House-Brackmann grades 4 to 6). However, despite these procedures, facial symmetry may not improve.