title: Current trends in the treatment of established unilateral facial palsy.
abstract: A unilateral facial palsy can be considered established and therefore unlikely to recover, if a year has passed since the injury which initiated it. Fascial slings and muscle transfers have still a place in maintaining static position and preventing the mouth swinging to the animated side on smiling. They do not, however, produce a smile responsive to emotion. Crossed facial nerve grafting is rather unreliable and rarely produces a symmetrical smile. Since the mid 1970s vascularised muscle grafts have been employed to compensate for the degeneration of the paralysed facial musculature. The pectoralis minor is a particularly suitable muscle for transplantation to the face because of size and shape. Experience with these techniques and the results of the first 30 cases using this muscle are presented.
authors.affiliation: Regional Plastic Surgery Centre, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004576:Electromyography; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000637:transplantation*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*