The advantage of grafting nerves is that the facial movements on the non-paralyzed side of the face will be transmitted directly to the paralyzed side. Antoher advantage is that this graft can provide movement to a muscle that is brought into the face from another part of the body, as shown in Figure 13. Correction of Region-Specific Facial Motion Problems Inability to Close the Eye Protecting the eye is a primary concern in patients with facial palsy. Surgeons can perform different procedures to achieve this goal. In each case, the treatment is tailored to the unique situation of each patient.
Surgeons can suture parts of the eyelid together to reduce the amount of exposure of the eye.
This procedure, called tarsorrhaphy, is cosmetically less attractive than procedures that allow the patient to open the eye fully when desired. Because the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid is powered by a different, noninjured nerve, it is really the closure of the upper eyelid that is needed. After this procedure, the patient must make sure the eyelid is closed while sleeping. The gold weight, which uses gravity to help close the eye, may not work as well when the patient is lying down. There are several procedures that help the eye to close.