ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Facial Issues => Topic started by: TP on August 17, 2009, 02:56:43 pm
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It's been 3 years since my AN was removed. I have facial paralysis on my AN side. Finally decided to see a plastic surgeon to see if he can do something for my face. Has anyone visited a plastic surgeon for consultation and work? The AN side of my face my eyebrow is higher that the other eyebrow on the NON AN side. Also, the wrinkle from your nose to your mouth it seems darker and bigger on the AN side of my face as well as below my mouth on my AN side there seems to be a cluster of wrinkles which I assume since the mouth really does not smile on that side. Folks tell me that can't notice but I think people are just being nice cuz I see it big time in the mirror.
Please let me know if you did visit a Plastic Surgeon and how things worked out, did they do botox, surgery or just say "get use to it...." Thanks! :-\
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I went to Dr.Patrick Byrne at Johns-Hopkins last year & had the T3. After 12 years of NO movement - I have been thrilled w/ the results! I have never done Botox but am not opposed to it if it can help. It is just not a "permanent" fix as it has to be redone every few months
k
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Have you seen a facial physical therapist or neuromuscular trainer? The wrinkles indicate that your muscles are enervated to some degree, so I think therapy could help you.
Plastic surgery can have some great results, as can Botox. I'm fourteen months post-op and about to start physical therapy, so I don't have any personal results to tell you about, but I'm sure others will chime in.
I do wish you all the best, whatever journey you take.
Sara
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sorry I had to run a while ago as they were shutting the door on our around the world trip home from Chicago - we had diverted to stop for more fuel...i'm too tired now, but will post more tomorrow...
K
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The AN side of my face my eyebrow is higher that the other eyebrow on the NON AN side. Also, the wrinkle from your nose to your mouth it seems darker and bigger on the AN side of my face as well as below my mouth on my AN side there seems to be a cluster of wrinkles which I assume since the mouth really does not smile on that side.
TP,
Like Kay I too have travel exhaustion (ie jet-lag)... and need to hit the hay.
I went to ALL the workshops related to "facial issues" at the Chicago symposium I took many notes (and business cards). I think Kay was at all of these too. Some excellent and valuable information was imparted to us... which I will pass on and share.
Am I correct in reading that your AN tumor affected side of your face has the higher eyebrow? If this is the case then it sounds like some nerve firing took place (this is good!) and your brow may now be hypertonic. In that case you may want to look at therapy combined with Botox before incision type surgery. Botox is very affective for me with the hypertonic muscles combined with neuromuscular facial retraining therapy… so far no incisions… I too will see how things progress by year #3 (I am year #2 post op)
What state do you reside in?
I ask as there was one plastic surgeon that really impressed me as she uses the “team approach†which also included physiotherapy… all others seemed to focus only on surgical techniques.
I am fatigued from travelling and my time clock is off having me with a little wonky head… I will write more later...
DHM
(also a 4cm)
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Thank you all for responding. I look forward to your additional comments. Very good timing that you all have this info from the symposium. My appt is this Friday so I am anxious to hear more stuff. Thanks again!
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Hi TP: like K said, Dr. Patrick Byrne at Johns Hopkins is the way to go - he specializes in facial paralysis.
You can see my before/after pictures under Facial Issues: Post Temporalis Transfer (& it just keeps getting better & better - did you see K's pictures from the symposium ?!).
Always good thoughts, Nancy
ps: My AN side eyebrow was higher too - Dr. Byrne did a brow lift on the opposite side, so they're symmetrical.
However, with age, the AN side will stay high & the opposite side may start to droop - if it becomes annoying in the future, I'll
just have another brow lift on the good side ! I never had the wrinkle from nose to mouth on the AN side.
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TP
As far as facial plastic surgeons who spoke this is the one that impressed me the most, at the symposium, as she used the “team†approach that includes neuromuscular facial retraining therapist.
http://www.facialnervecenter.org/team.html
The only one small flag I has is that she does not use the blink eze and was too pro- surgery on this small detail (the blink-eze stick on weight was FAB for me! No surgery)
Her name is
Dr. Tessa Hadlock MD
Here is their center website (with enough information to keep you up all night- web surfing)
http://www.facialnervecenter.org/research.html
She was a very impressive speaker who came with a great power point presentation. She was quite the spark plug! Quite young, well-spoken, … Harvard grad.
http://www.facialplastics.meei.harvard.edu/hadlock.htm
I have more info from the other presenters (who were also good- but she stood out to me...) but I have been swamped with the kids since I returned from Chicago and this is all I can get together for you- before your appointment tomorrow.
Similar to your AN treatment I advise you to do LOTS of research and seek multiple opinions.
Best wishes for tomorrow!
DHM
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I had my appt with a plastic surgeon today about my facial paralysis. I thought for sure he would recommend botox or some other injections even possibly an eye lift but he didn't. He said he recommends another type of surgery (I didn't write it down) but it would involve lifting the eye brow but doing other nerve procedures and he said he didn't believe anyone in this area has the expertise to handle this type of surgery. He did a fellowship at NYU and worked with a dr there that specializes in this type of surgery. He said he would contact his dr friend as well as do some research and see if he could get me a dr closer to where I live. I must say I was impressed with his honesty and support.
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TP ~
Thanks for the update on your consultation with the plastic surgeon. I hope this will be the start of a successful journey toward your goal of facial normalcy, because you deserve it.
Jim
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Glad you had a good appt. I'm curious to know what the surgery is - keep us updated !
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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TP
Thanks for updating us. Will be interested to see your plan, as I am in the same boat with facial paralysis, three years post op. I had the nerve transposition 12/7 18 months ago.
Still waiting for more action from the 12/7 (doctor's insistence) so am going for consult tomorrow for acupuncture to see if that will help get things "moving."
I also have facial massage every couple of weeks.
Thanks, DHM for the info from the symposium!
Hopefully I will meet you in September in Portland.
Happy day to all ;)
Maureen
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Hey,
zfor all those who saw Dr. Byrne at Hopkins, how was he? I was Dr. Boahene at Hopkins and am absolutely in love with the new me! It is far from perfect, however, I am much more like my old self! I saw him for three years - doing little tweaks here and there. Several little face lifts, eye lifts, Botox injections, a cheek implant, and a 7-12 nerve graft later, I am so happy. He is wonderful!
-maren
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Hi Maren~
I absolutely can not say enough wonderful things about Dr. Byrne - if I were to have another child, I would probably have to name it after him!! Aside from being so knowledgeable, he is just a GREAT human being - I would say that he has superb bedside manor, but it is more than that even - he is just a good person! He even gave me his cell number after the surgery and he called me the night before surgery to see if I had any questions or concerns...told me "get a good nights sleep & know that you'll be in good hands tmorrow!" Can you believe that?? Then my friend in Baltimore ran into him & his family in B&N one day and talked to him - he introduced his wife and told my friend to call him "Patrick" - Can you tell I love the man??
K ;D
PS - He's good lookin' too and I don't usually even noticed things like that! ::)
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Hi Maren: I also had the T3 done by Dr. Byrne: like K, I am very happy with the results !
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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I saw my plastic surgeon this past week to have a cyst removed from my face. When he walked in he quickly realized he had not done his homework in talking to his Dr friend up north. I go tomorrow to have my stitches removed and hopefully he will have a name for me. I really don't want another surgery, however, my husband and I just got back from vacation in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons two weeks ago and all my pictures I have this ugly smile. I really miss having a normal smile as well as my face hurts by the middle of the day and by nighttime I have a pain that I've learned to live with.
By the way, our trip out west was fantastic. We had a blast, we saw the most beautiful country (northeast Utah, southwest Idaho, and western Wyoming and southern Montana). We saw moose, bear (grizzly and black), heard a wolf very early in the morning, elk, deer, coyote, hundreds of eagles, hawks, buffalo and pronghorn sheep. It was very dry out there and since I am from Florida I had the lack of humidity issue. It takes me about 2 weeks once I get home to readjust. The cool thing is I bought me some really nice binoculars. Even though my bad eye is very dry I had no problem scoping out animals on the mountains and in the trees. I was able to scope out a grizzly bear very early in the morning on a mountainside (in Lamar Valley). There were a bunch of photographers there waiting for the sun to rise and they had not even seen this grizzly on the mountainside. I was so tickled that my poor eyesight was able to see this "moving dot" on the mountain. Now the deafness was really strange. We heard the wolf as well as coyotes fighting in the valley in front of us, the problem it was very foggy. Having SSD I had no idea where the sound was coming from. My husband told me the coyotes were to the right and the wolf howling was to the left. To me it all sounded like they were smacked dab in front of me. Best trip of my life and also celebrated 32 years of marriage that week as well!