New surgery technique gives hope for facial paralysis
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A new surgical technique combined with physical therapy can help restore movement in patients who have suffered facial paralysis, US research suggested on Tuesday.
A technique known as temporalis tendon transfer showed good results in seven patients who opted for the surgical-therapeutic technique, according to the study by medical researchers at John Hopkins University in Maryland.
The operation consists of making a three to four centimeter (one-1.5 inch) incision from the ear into the hairline, near the temple.
The surgeon then cuts the temporalis muscle meets the jawbone, and reattaches it to the place where the mouth muscles join together.
The tendon that previously connected the temporalis muscle to the jawbone is cut free, stretched horizontally and reconnected to surrounding muscles and deep skin tissue.
Physical therapy begins before the procedure in order to retrain facial muscles and resumes several days after surgery, according to the study published in July/August issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
The patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the results four months after surgery, particularly in their ability to eat and smile.
"Four patients were physician-graded as excellent to superb. The other three patients were rated as having good postoperative results," the report said.
Restoring facial flexibility after paralysis is one of the "greatest challenges faced by reconstructive surgeons today," it said.