Recovering a Smile

A smile may be worth a thousand words, but for those who are incapable of this simple act of pleasure, it is worth far more. Sufferers of facial paralysis, a condition that alters normal motions of expression, understand the toll a loss of facial animation can have on one’s happiness, well-being and livelihood.

Whether the result of a stroke, Bell’s Palsy, traumatic injury, or a tumor, victims of this unfortunate and often permanent condition undergo extensive and complex physical alteration of facial features, affecting both form and function. These effects can include difficulty or inability to smile, difficulty or inability to close the eyelid, drooping of one side of the mouth and/or depression of the brows.

The ability to express emotion, whether its feelings of happiness, sadness or otherwise, is in many ways what defines us as human beings. As surgeons we understand the physical challenges native to paralysis, but as people we connect with the sense of loss a condition of this form can cause for certain patients emotionally. We have seen what restoring motion to an individual’s face can do for their confidence, and that is something that extends beyond physical repair.

For more than 65 years we at New York Plastic Surgical Group have been in the forefront in providing patients with effective surgical options for the treatment of facial paralysis. Dynamic restoration, a procedure that seeks to bring mobility to paralyzed regions of the face by utilizing muscles from other facial areas, is one of the most consistent approaches used in helping patients to smile again.

Although facial paralysis remains a troubling condition for patients to confront, advances in the world of medicine are helping to pave the road to recovery. I invite you to explore this website to review patient testimonials, photos, and treatment options.