[Facial paralysis surgery. Current concepts]

Abstract

Facial palsy is a relatively common condition, from which most cases recover spontaneously. However, each year, there are 127,000 new cases of irreversible facial paralysis. This condition causes aesthetic, functional and psychologically devastating effects in the patients who suffer it. Various reconstructive techniques have been described, but there is no consensus regarding their indication. While these techniques provide results that are not perfect, many of them give a very good aesthetic and functional result, promoting the psychological, social and labour reintegration of these patients. The aim of this article is to describe the indications for which each technique is used, their results and the ideal time when each one should be applied.

Keywords: Anastomosis hipogloso-facial; Facial paralysis; Hypoglossal-facial anastomosis; Nerve transfer; Parálisis facial; Transferencia nerviosa.