Viet Duc Hospital restores facial movement to man paralyzed for seven years

Doctors at Viet Duc University Hospital have successfully restored facial movement to a 26-year-old man from Son La who had suffered from total facial paralysis for seven years. The paralysis was a complication following a previous surgery to remove a large brain tumor located near the seventh cranial nerve.

The patient experienced significant facial asymmetry, an inability to close his eye, and muscle atrophy, which posed risks of corneal damage and psychological distress. To address this, medical teams utilized advanced microsurgery techniques, specifically transferring functional muscle flaps with accompanying nerves to recreate natural movement.

Following the initial surgery to restore mouth movement and prepare for eye movement recovery, the patient showed signs of improvement within three months. After nine months, he regained the ability to smile symmetrically and control his facial muscles.