This article provides an overview of the current state of the art of facial reanimation using the best available evidence. Medical, surgical, and physical therapy options in acute and long-standing facial palsy are discussed.
Key points
- •
Management of facial palsy (FP) is dictated by the pattern and time course of dysfunction.
- •
Therapeutic options include pharmaceutical agents, corneal protective measures, physical therapy (PT), chemodenervation agents, fillers, and a myriad of surgical procedures.
- •
Good evidence from well-designed studies supports the use of glucocorticoids and antivirals in the setting of idiopathic and acute viral FP and botulinum toxin (BTX) and PT in the setting of synkinesis.
- •
A plethora of surgical techniques and their respective outcomes have been described in the literature, but few use controls, blinded assessment, and validated scales to reduce bias.
- •
Outcomes research in facial paralysis should comprise standardized subjective quality-of-life (QOL) and objective functional measures.
Related posts:
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
