Ask a Surgeon - Eyelid Surgery - I have had Bells Palsy since September, 2006. The muscles in my right cheek...

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I have had Bells Palsy since September, 2006. The muscles in my right cheek are...

Q:

I have had Bells Palsy since September, 2006. The muscles in my right cheek are pulled tightly up into a sneer. My right eye has become increasingly smaller and appears to be sinking further back under my eyebrow. The eyelid on this eye sits heavily on and over the eye blocking my peripheral vision. Originally the whole right side of my face seemed to have slid down my neck. The right sides of my lips are very thin, and my chin is “jowly.” My neurologist says "that's just Bell's Palsy" and offers no options, help or guidance. Can cosmetic surgery help to remedy or minimize the effects on my appearance with any success?

A:

My recommendations are to treat the individual components of your neurological disease. If the eyelids are your main concern, than either an eyelid lift or lid tightening procedure can be performed. In some cases a "gold weight" may need to be inserted in the upper eyelid to provide additional weight to the eyelid if closure is a problem.

If the "jowls" or skin of the facial region is your concern, than once again a tightening or lifting of the cheeks, jowls or mid face may be performed. If areas in which the skin or musculature have become thinned or atrophic, fat grafts or dermal fillers may be helpful to provide additional fullness and enhance the contour of the facial region. In all cases, a complete evaluation and examination needs to be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon prior to establishing a treatment plan for your options.