Are facelifts ever used to repair some of the facial damage caused by strokes?
That’s a great question. Usually the damage from strokes is due to nerve and muscle paralysis. This results in sagging cheeks, lips and mouth, forehead and eyelids. The issues are not only ones of appearance but function as well with speech and eating being affected as well as eyelid closure and blink reflex. The loss of expression and emotional response is also quite significant. Many procedures are available to aid patients who suffer these terrible sequelae provided they have regained enough of their health after the stroke to undergo elective surgery. These include facelift type procedures to lift sagging skin and muscle and tighten eyelids. Also done are nerve and muscle transfers to help restore function as well.