Post Temporalis Tendon Transfer

[jilljpower]

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Hi guys:  my nephew put this up for me.  I'll try to find the other before/after photos.  (thanks Anthony !)
This picture was taken 1 1/2 months post op.  I still had swelling around the face. 

You look amazing!!!

[odirish]

Hi, haven't been here for awhile. I have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Byrne in Maryland for sept. 1st. I do have some movement, not much.
I had to send pictures of myself (it was horrible) They said if i don't qualify for the surgery they will let me know before my appointment. I
haven't heard anything yet, so I guess that's good news. At one time, I had a cheek implant, and I really liked it. It lasted about 6 years. When it dropped,
it fell hard.  

Mary Ann

[moe]

Hi Mary Ann,
I had the cheek implant surgery this past May 13, but the doc at UW in Seattle used the masster nerve as innervation to the muscle. I am still waiting on the verdict on that They took some thigh muscle and transplanted into the cheek, along with the nerve and blood supply. 8 hour surgery.

Should see movement in mid August, the 3 month point, and then I should be able to train myself to smile by biting down. I will post pre/post pics.
This surgery is called gracilis free flap surgery. I was very blessed to have this procedure, not too many do the surgery.

Possibility for you to have something like this?
Maureen

[odirish]

The cheek implant I had was gortex. It was like a sling to pull up the muscle. I really liked it, for as long as it lasted. I will keep your latest surgery in mind and ask at my appt. if i were to be able to have it done in combination with the T3. my DH and I both have medical insurance, so what one doesn't pay, the other one should. My biggest concern is how long I would be off work. How did that workout for you?

Mary Ann

[moe]

Hi odirish,
My surgery recovery time from the gracilis flap surgery was a couple of weeks, I would say. Depending on what kind of job you have you could easily do office/desk work. My leg where they took the muscle was painful, but  I didn't use narcotics, just tylenol and motrin. They say 4-6 weeks  though, until you can use that leg in exercising and such.

I did develop a leg incision infection  which was unusual, but my luck Apparently the dis solvable suture didn't agree with my skin.

That has  resolved.

Since I had lost facial muscle tone through the years, this was the best surgery for me.
Good luck with whichever way you go! I'm almost to the 3 month point where I should see movement........
Maureen

[leapyrtwins]

Mary Ann -

Kaybo had the T3 with Dr. Byrne and had great results.

Jan

[Kaybo]

Moe~
How does what you had done and the T3 differ?  The more I read about your surgery, the more it sounds a lot the same.  The main difference I can see is that they took tendon from the OUTSIDE of my thigh.  I get movement from clenching down also.  I, however, had immediate results as far as my smile didn't "droop" down anymore and had some movement right away - more as the days went by and the swelling went down.

Just curious!   

K 

[KimLyle]

I was wondering if you have the surgery done on both sides or just the paralysis side becuase the doctor I was talking to said some people get it done on both sides and I was confussed why someone would have it done on both sides??

[KimLyle]

BY the way ur pics look amazzing 

[moe]

K~
Good question about how the T3 differs from the gracilis flap. They took l muscle with the nerve and blood supply from my inner thigh muscle, transplanted it into my cheek area, and then used the masseter nerve and other blood vessels  to connect to what was transplanted! The masseter nerve then progresses 1mm/day through the grafted nerve from the thigh and that's where they get the 3 month wait period.

Very confusing. The verdict is still out, BUT I am noticing movement now in the cheek muscle, and it is supposed to accelerate. At this point, when I bite down I can see my cheek muscle move a little. I need to follow up to find out the time frame. The goal is a spontaneous smile. I'll post pics a bit later for an update.
Sorry for the hijack!
Maureen

[Joef]

Hi there Jim: I had posted this picture January 2008 but it somehow got removed so my nephew posted it for me again.
I'll have him post more recent pictures the end of July (I forgot my camera to computer hook up piece..).
Hope all is well by you.
Always good thoughts,  Nancy

any pictures posted on the old Frappr page are gone... it seems that Frappr is gone!!

[nancyann]

Hi Kim:  I had a facelift on my non AN side when I had the T3 done.  the reason is when they pull up the AN side,  the other side will not be symmetrical (especially if you're older, I was 51 at the time of the T3 surgery). 

Moe:  great news on the movement in the cheek area !! 

[KimLyle]

Thank i was just confussed when he said that they only covered one side...I was like i think i only want one side done lol thanks

[odirish]

Hi, I had my appointment with Dr. Byrne today. I will have the T3 done alone with a new weight in my eyelid (something that is not so bulky). I am having a brow lift, a under the chin lift and my left side of my face lifted. I will have an out of pocket expense. I was told less than 50%. (50% of what?) There was no way I wasn't going to have the left side lifted. I am 58, and my left side would have looked saggy after the operation. When it's done, I will post a picture. I almost forgot to add that he told me (if I understood this right) that he will transfer the muscle above my upper jaw bone and connect it to the upper corner of my mouth.

Moe...how did you make out with your surgery?
Nancy...what about you. Are you happy with the results after all this time?

Mary Ann

[moe]

I have my 3 month photo on FB, I'll try to copy here.
I've got my muscle movement when I bite down, and it looks good! Lots of facial exercising, biting down to smile, and eventually I should be able to spontaneously smile Roll Eyes
We'll see. I still favor the good side when talking. Need to learn how to move that whole side of the face again, after 4 years of paralysis.
Hope the photo goes through on my FB page. You'll see my profile pics, one last summer  in Oregon, and a 3 month post surgery. My face is ALREADY doing more movement, so I'm pleased, ecstatic, but lots of work to do!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=100000882310860