Questions about smile surgery doctors and selective neurolysis

[rosie_p]

Ive seen some discussions about selective neurolysis and who performs them.
I understand Dr Azizzadeh in BH's is a top doctor in this field. Ive seen other doctors at Hopkins personally for consults about re-animation surgery. It was Dr. Bohene. It states that Hopkins and other specialists in facial palsy, use selective neurolysis as well.

Is there something "different" per se about Dr A's approach vs the other doctors that make him in a way the only one to go to for a neurolysis procedure?
Has anyone had re-animation or neurolysis surgery w/Dr Bohene?

I know Dr Azizzadeh is out-of-pocket
Thank You!

[Director]

Hi rosie_p

Thanks for your post, I hope others will share their experiences with facial re-animation surgery here.  I am sharing some of the ANA's resources below, I hope these will be helpful for you:

Educational webinars https://www.anausa.org/member-login
•   The Facial Nerve and Acoustic Neuroma
•   A Multidisciplinary Approach to Treating Facial Issues Associated with Acoustic Neuroma
•   Treatment Options for Facial and Eye Issues Affecting Postsurgical Acoustic Neuroma Patients
•   When Is It Time to Consider Facial Reanimation After Acoustic Neuroma Surgery?
•   Non-Surgical Neuromuscular Retraining for Facial Paralysis after Acoustic Neuroma Surgery
 
ANA Video Library, search by Facial/Eye Issues
https://www.anausa.org/learn-about-acoustic-neuroma/video-library
 
NOTES, Quarterly newsletter articles
•   2018 December - Approaches to Reanimating a Paralyzed Face, by Ryan Collar, MD, MBA
•   2018 March - Neuromuscular Retraining for Facial Paralysis After Acoustic Neuroma Surgery, by Jacqueline Diels, OT
•   2020 June – Facial Paralysis and Emotional Health, by G. Nina Lu, MD
•   2023 June – The Facial Issue
https://www.anausa.org/member-login

Patient Information booklet - Facial Nerve and Acoustic Neuroma: Possible Damage and Rehabilitation
https://www.anausa.org/member-login

Facial Paralysis Support Group
Wednesday, April 3 at 6 pm MT
Topic: Facial Paralysis and Emotional Health
Presented by G. Nina Lu, MD
Assistant Professor, University of Washington
Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Director, Facial Nerve Center
REGISTER NOW at https://www.anausa.org/programs/support-groups/upcoming-events

Connect with a Peer Mentor – if you want to connect with others who have had facial re-animation procedures, contact the ANA to request peer matches at mentors@anausa.org or search the peer mentor database. https://www.anausa.org/member-login
 
Best regards,
The ANA Team

[Michellebelle007]

I live in Dallas, TX and am set to have Cross Facial Nerve Grafts aka Facial Reanimation surgery by Dr Shai Rozen at UT Southwestern this upcoming July. I just had my second AN surgery, they completely removed tumor as well as my facial nerve, so I woke up with complete facial paralysis on the right side of my face. He plans to take nerves from my ankle and graft them into my face to restore my smile/bite and closure for my eye. He is amazing and he has an incredible success rate and website with all the details of different procedures he performs. Every patient you know has unique needs so the most important part is not to wait and get an option if you’re having facial issues right away.

[tugnutt]

Hi Rosie -

I can tell you that I had facial reanimation by Dr Boahene in 2017. He grafted muscle from my inner thigh, separated it into strands (think string cheese), and attached to the masseter nerve to give me a smile. It was awesome. Three months later, the muscle twitched; about 5 months the smile came.  After a year plus of being horrified when I looked in the mirror, I felt like myself again.

Just to note - I found reference to him on this page.  It has been incredible help to me to learn about therapies etc for our afflictions.

Tugnutt