Innovative Treatment for Bell's Palsy to Bring Back Your Smile

If you or a loved one has developed sudden paralysis or weakness in one side of the face due to Bell’s palsy, don’t wait to get help. The sooner you see a facial nerve expert, the better your chances of bringing back your smile and facial symmetry.

At The Aesthetic Surgery Center on the Upper East Side of New York City, New York, our acclaimed plastic surgeon Elliott H. Rose, MD, is an expert in helping to reanimate smiles following facial paralysis. Learn more about Bell’s palsy and the innovative treatments we use. 

What is Bell’s palsy?

Bell’s palsy affects about 40,000 Americans each year. It causes sudden weakness in your facial muscles, so half of the face droops and your smile appears one-sided. 

Anyone can develop Bell’s palsy at any age, but it’s most common in people aged 15-45. The condition usually appears after inflammation of the nerves due to a viral infection, but the exact cause of Bell’s palsy isn’t fully understood.

In most cases, the effects of Bell’s palsy is temporary, and complete recovery happens within about six months. In rare cases, the facial weakness of Bell’s palsy persists for life. In these cases, Dr. Rose offers innovative treatments to restore a more symmetrical smile. 

You want to consult Dr. Rose when Bell’s palsy symptoms don’t begin to improve within a couple weeks. He can do his best facial paralysis and Bell’s palsy surgery when the facial muscles are still viable and before they become irreversibly paralyzed. 

How is a smile restored?

Facial paralysis is a complex medical situation, but many surgical treatment options do exist. In addition to surgery, physical therapy and injections of neuromodulators, like Botox®, help patients retrain muscles during recovery. 

Dr. Rose may use myectomy and selective neurolysis that divides tight muscles and abnormal nerves so the face can relax and you attain better movement. If you do have frozen muscles that no longer function, the doctor may transplant muscles obtained from your inner leg or neck to restore your smile. He also recruits nerve action from dormant facial muscles to restore your smile. 

Dr. Rose is a skilled and experienced surgeon who has pioneered a new procedure to support the corners of the lip and nostril to balance your facial features. He does a fascia lata sling operation to improve the symmetry of your mouth when your face is at rest. The procedure is so successful, people won’t be able to tell you’ve had facial paralysis when you’re not smiling, and it reduces drooling that can occur following Bell’s palsy. 

The exact procedures the doctor uses to restore your smile and facial animation depends on a number of factors, including your age, the degree of paralysis, and the time you’ve been affected. 

Facial paralysis following Bell’s palsy is rare, but devastating. Consult The Aesthetic Surgery Center to learn about your options to restore facial symmetry, animation, and your smile. Contact our New York City office by phone to schedule a consultation or use the online tool to book your appointment.