The Penn State Health Approach to Facial Nerve Disorders
Facial weakness has a profoundly detrimental effect on quality-of-life. Patients often have difficulty communicating both verbally and non-verbally, which can be socially and physically debilitating. Due to asymmetries and unintended movements of various facial muscles, a patient’s inadvertent facial gestures may lead to misinterpretation of expressions. Vital functions such as eating, speaking and drinking may be limited for patients; common actions, such as blinking, brow lifting and smiling may lead to unpleasant facial movements. This can limit quality-of-life, decrease social interactions and, in some cases, cause social isolation.
Complete care for a full range of conditions
The Facial Nerve Clinic at Penn State Health is dedicated to the treatment of patients with facial weakness and facial paralysis caused by injury, surgery or disease. The most common cause of facial weakness is Bell’s palsy, but it may be due to other disorders such as Lyme disease, tumors, stroke, trauma to the skull base or face, or from surgery to treat diseases. Some patients regain facial function but are left with abnormal nerve regrowth that may cause spasms or unintended movements of the muscles in the face.
Caring for patients with facial nerve disorders is complex and typically requires multiple specialists for optimum outcomes. Treatment options vary based on the degree of facial weakness and prognosis for recovery. Therapy ranges from physical therapy, minimally invasive therapies such as botulinum toxin to treat synkinesis, abnormal facial spasms and a wide range of surgical therapies. Some patients may benefit from advanced techniques to try to restore facial function.
Expert, team-based care designed for you
The clinic offers a multidisciplinary and patient-centered approach to treat patients with facial nerve disorders, providing a full range of services to improve the appearance, function, and quality of life of patients. The team consists of medical and surgical specialists trained in the diagnosis and advanced management of facial nerve disorders.
The team includes two facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons and a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with expertise in treating facial nerve disorders, two therapists with advanced training in facial rehabilitation, and a nurse. Other specialists are involved as needed and may include:
- Neurotology
- Head and neck surgery
- Adult neurology
- Pediatric neurology
- Ophthalmology
- Neurosurgery
- Infectious disease
As a multidisciplinary program, patients may also obtain any necessary laboratory, imaging and electrodiagnostic studies that may be requested as part of their care.
The Penn State Health Facial Nerve Clinic is the only clinic of its type in central Pennsylvania. Dr. Jessyka Lighthall, division chief of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, explains how the clinic helps to restore function for people with movement disorders of the face, such as facial paralysis.
Dr. Jessyka Lighthall has a passion for providing life-improving plastic surgery to children in need. As the chief of the Division of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, she’s able to go on surgical mission trips to countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Zimbabwe, where she performs cleft lip and palate surgery for children who wouldn’t normally have that option. Patients in central Pennsylvania can receive the same compassionate, expert care from Dr. Lighthall and her team at Penn State Health.
Conditions Treated
Facial paralysis or facial weakness due to many causes including:
- Bell’s Palsy
- Cholesteatoma
- Facial nerve palsy due to birth trauma
- Head and neck cancer
- Infection
- Intracranial tumors
- Lyme disease
- Neurologic disorders
- Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
- Skull base or facial trauma
- Sarcoidosis
- Stroke
- Synkinesis
Procedures
- Botox
- Brow lift
- Corneal neurotization
- Eyelid lift
- Facelift
- Facial spasms treatment
- Facial sling/suspension
- Facial therapy
- Gold or platinum eyelid weight placement
- Lower eyelid tightening
- Myectomies
- Muscle transfers
- Nerve grafts
- Nerve repair
- Nerve transposition
- Reanimation
- Selective neurectomy
- Synkinesis treatment