Facial Reanimation Program

The facial nerve controls expressions such as smiling, blinking and frowning.

• Facial nerve palsy can be congenital or acquired.
   
• Congenital facial nerve palsy is present at birth and can affect one or both sides of the face.
   
• Acquired facial nerve palsy develops because of trauma, inflammation or infection, or after removal of tumors in the head and neck.

Here at Boston Children's Hospital, our experienced, compassionate team of physicians understands that lack of facial expression or facial muscle tone can cause a variety of functional and social problems for your child.

That's why we make it our business to offer the latest and best treatments — so that your child can live a happy and healthy life.

Children's Facial Reanimation Program is focused on fixing your child's facial nerve problems. Here's how we do it:

• Sometimes, we'll use your child's own tissues to improve both looks and function around the eye and the mouth.
   
• We'll often need to do what's called a dynamic muscle transfer to help your child smile and use her lips effectively.
   
• Our doctors will try to minimize the side effects of surgery by using microsurgical techniques that reduce scarring and improve recovery times — getting your child home and healthy faster.

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