About 40,000 Americans are affected by Bell’s Palsy each year. While the exact cause of the condition is unknown, usually, patients have inflammation and swelling in the cranial nerve VII.
Researchers believe that reduced immunity, along with triggers such as stress, lack of sleep, and physical trauma, can result in facial nerve swelling and cause a restricted supply of blood and oxygen to the facial nerve cells. Other causes of facial paralysis are brain tumors, myasthenia gravis, stroke, and Lyme disease.
Treatment for facial paralysis varies depending on the patient’s age, symptoms, and severity of paralysis. Botox has proven to be an effective treatment in restoring facial symmetry by fighting synkinesis and hypertonic movement. Botox for facial paralysis helps restore a patient’s speech, eating and drinking abilities, and facial expressions. There are other treatments for Bell’s Palsy. They are discussed here.
Nerve Graft
Due to damage to the nerves, they do not function properly or entirely. In such cases, the most accessible treatment protocol is to sew the severed ends of damaged nerves to restore function. If it is difficult to sew, the nerve ends directly, a nerve piece is harvested and used as a connector.
Eyelid Tightening And Weighting
One of the most common symptoms of facial paralysis is the inability to close the eye on the affected side of the face. It can result in dryness and excessive tears. The tightening of the lower eyelid and weighting of the upper eyelid can help the patient to close their eye passively with the help of gravity.
The upper eyelid is weighed down by implanting platinum or gold weights to help close the eye. Lateral lid adhesions are also performed to allow the patient to blink quickly.
T3
Temporalis tendon transfer (T3) is done to restore lip movement without changing the shape of the face. The procedure requires the tendon and bone to be attached to the muscles at the corner of the mouth resulting in an upward pull. This tendon transfer to the edges of the mouth reduces drooling significantly and gives the patient a meaningful smile. It provides immediate and long-lasting symmetry and improvement in speech and chewing.
Botox For Bell’s Palsy
Botulinum toxin has been known to be highly effective in managing Facial Palsy. The dose, treatment interval, and adjunct therapy vary from patient to patient. Stress is one of the factors resulting in Facial Palsy, and an asymmetrical face can cause further pressure due to impaired social interactions.
Botox for facial paralysis has been a well-accepted treatment procedure for abnormal facial contractions and spasms since the 1970s. It prevents the neuromuscular junction from getting acetylcholine and therefore hinders muscle contraction.
Facial paralysis Botox is a well-known procedure, and research found that it does vary between 10 to 80 units, based on patient requirements. The process is simple, and its benefits last for four months.
12-7 or 5-7 Nerve Graft
2-7 (Hypoglossal) or 5-7 (Masseteric) grafts connect the masseteric nerve or the hypoglossal nerve to facial nerves to enhance facial nerve growth. The hypoglossal nerve assists in tongue movement and nerve fibers are re-purposed to the facial muscles in patients with little chance of native facial nerve recovery.
The masseteric nerve transfer is the most common procedure to restore a patient’s smile. The masseteric nerve is re-directed to the injured buccal branch facial nerve and connected to them, allowing the patient to smile. The only drawback of the procedure is that the patient has to bite down to smile.
Contour Restoration
Bell’s Palsy can cause facial muscles to contract or atrophy. It can have a massive impact on the size, shape, and volume of the patient’s face. This can be treated by performing Botox filler injections, free flap tissue transfers, and fat grafting to help restore the facial contours.
Gracilis Muscle Tissue Transfer
The gracilis is a muscle in the thigh that is removed along with its artery, nerves, and vein. It is attached to the face, and the arteries, veins, and nerves are connected through microvascular surgery.
Once the graft heals, it allows the patient to have a healthy smile. Sometimes, the nerves from the unparalyzed side are attached to the gracilis muscle in the paralyzed side. It gives the patient spontaneity when smiling and laughing. Botox for Bell’s Palsy can last for up to four months giving the patient a confident smile. Facial paralysis botox is a standard procedure that can help restore facial symmetry and allow patients to smile openly. Bell’s Palsy is most common among people between 15 and 45 years. Causes can range from pregnancy to hypertension and even upper respiratory ailments.
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