Minimally invasive procedure ‘helpful to reanimate facial paralysis’
January 18th, 2011 - 5:41 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 18 (ANI): A new study reports a procedure involving only one small incision and no major modifications that appears helpful in reanimating the lower face after paralysis.
“The primary goal of all facial reanimation protocols is to restore facial movement that is controlled, symmetrical and spontaneous,” the authors write.
Kofi D. Boahene and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, studied 17 patients with facial paralysis who underwent a minimally invasive temporalis tendon transposition procedure between 2006 and 2008.
“All the patients tolerated the procedure well, and none developed procedure-related complications. All the patients achieved improved symmetry at rest and voluntary motion of the oral commissure [corners of the mouth],” the authors wrote.
The patient first learns and practices a “Mona Lisa” smile, in which the corners of the mouth are elevated but not the upper or lower lip. They then learn to smile by contracting the temporal muscle without moving the jaw.
“Dynamic reanimation after facial paralysis remains challenging but can be achieved in selected patients using the minimally invasive temporalis tendon transposition (MIT3),” the authors conclude.
“Although the technique is straightforward and dynamic movement can be demonstrated with intraoperative muscle stimulation, acquisition of desired facial movement requires intensive physiotherapy and a motivated patient.”
The study appears in the January/February issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. (ANI)
- Artificial muscle may offer ray of hope to patients with facial paralysis - Jan 19, 2010
- Synthetic muscles restore ability to blink, save eyesight - Jan 18, 2010
- Beautiful people are more selfish: Study - Aug 15, 2011
- Babies laugh and cry in womb - Sep 16, 2011
- Simple surgery will correct crossed eyes - Feb 14, 2012
- Why faces cannot lie? - Mar 19, 2012
- Botox paralyzes your emotions, too - Jun 27, 2010
- Now, artificial muscles to restore wink and smile - Mar 12, 2009
- Cotton swab use may result in ruptured eardrum - Apr 29, 2011
- Plastic surgeons bring back the smiles to smileless faces - Oct 09, 2008
- Is facial attractiveness all down to looks? - Nov 02, 2010
- New Therapy can ease irritable bowels - Jul 19, 2011
- First near-total face and upper-jaw transplant looks successful - Nov 17, 2009
- Botox research shows 'smiling actually increases your happiness' - Jun 24, 2010
- Gene linked to hereditary incontinence identified - Jun 14, 2010
Tags: dynamic movement, facial movement, facial paralysis, facial reanimation, incision, invasive procedure, johns hopkins university, johns hopkins university school, johns hopkins university school of medicine, kofi, mona lisa smile, muscle stimulation, physiotherapy, plastic surgery, school of medicine, symmetry, temporal muscle, tendon, transposition, voluntary motion