Yüz Felci

Facial paralysis may be caused by damage to the nerve or its branches that carry electrical impulses to the facial muscles, or due to muscle-related reasons. All facial muscles are controlled by the motor nerve called facial nerve. After leaving the brainstem, it travels within the ear bone and leaves the bone under the ear, heading towards the target muscles on the face.

The most common cause of facial paralysis is a disease of unknown cause called Bell's Palsy. This type of paralysis can be fully or partially healed with treatment within 1-2 months. Non-healing muscles create asymmetry, and the formation of nerve bundles that produce abnormal electrical discharges can also cause problems.

Another reason for loss of movement in the face is paralysis due to previous surgeries. Tumors originating from the canal where the facial nerve enters from the brain to the ear bone, or from the nerve membrane beforehand, and damage caused by their surgery are among the leading causes of irreversible paralysis.Whatever the reason, the aim of treatment is primarily to restore nerve functions. Therefore, long-term follow-up and physical therapy with some healing-promoting medications should be tried. The nerve either recovers completely or partially recovers at the end of this period. One of the most common problems during regeneration is the orientation of the fibers to the wrong muscles and involuntary lightning-like contractions called synkinesis.If the nerve does not show signs of recovery with EMG follow-ups for a period of 1 year, this means that the damage is permanent. In such cases, the part of the skull that goes to the tongue or the chewing muscle can be cut and used to revitalize the facial nerve. Some of the satisfactory results we have obtained in such surgeries have been shared at congresses.

Some of the other tools that can be used in the treatment are to achieve symmetry with facial fillers, to apply Botox to reduce the strength of the opposite side, or to achieve correction with surgical face lift methods or suspension methods.