Columbia Facial Nerve Center

Facial movement is central to how we communicate, connect, and express ourselves. Facial nerve dysfunction can impact not only physical function, but also emotional well-being and quality of life. The Columbia Facial Nerve Center provides highly specialized, multidisciplinary care for patients with the full spectrum of facial nerve disorders.

Our team treats conditions ranging from acute facial paralysis to complex, long-standing movement disorders, offering coordinated care across every stage — from diagnosis and medical management to advanced rehabilitation and surgical reconstruction.

About the Facial Nerve Center

The Columbia Facial Nerve Center is dedicated to restoring both form and function—helping patients regain natural movement, confidence, and the ability to express themselves fully through thoughtful, individualized care.

The Center brings together leaders across multiple specialties to provide coordinated care:

• Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Neurology and advanced neuromuscular diagnostics
• Specialized rehabilitation and occupational therapy

This collaborative model ensures that every patient benefits from a complete and carefully integrated treatment plan.

Our team is dedicated to diagnosing and treating conditions that affect facial movement and expression. These conditions can result from infection, injury, tumors, or neurologic disorders and may impact a person’s ability to smile, blink, speak clearly, or express emotion.

We approach care using a coordinated, team-based strategy. Our specialists work together to evaluate each patient and develop a personalized treatment plan that may include medical therapy, targeted rehabilitation, and advanced surgical intervention.

Our goal is to address the underlying cause of facial nerve dysfunction while restoring movement and improving facial symmetry. We’re committed to helping patients regain comfort, confidence, and natural expression.

Who We Treat

Our program cares for patients with all types of facial nerve disorders, including those resulting from conditions like neurological dysfunction, traumatic injury, and cancer. Each patient is evaluated individually, with treatment tailored to the timing, severity of symptoms, and patient goals.

Conditions We Treat

Our specialists treat a wide range of conditions, including:

• Acute facial paralysis
  • Bell’s palsy
  • Ramsay Hunt syndrome
  • Lyme disease
• Facial nerve injury following trauma or skull base surgery
• Facial nerve involvement in head and neck cancer and oncologic resection
• Synkinesis and post-paralysis movement disorders
• Hemifacial spasm and other hyperkinetic facial conditions

Treatments We Offer

Treatment plans range from observation and medical therapy to advanced rehabilitation and surgical intervention, tailored to each patient’s presentation and goals. We offer the latest surgical treatments for facial nerve disorders, including:

• Periocular and Static Support Procedures
  • Brow lift for brow ptosis (brow sagging)
  • Eyelid procedures and lateral tarsal strip
  • Eyelid loading with gold or platinum weights
• Static Facial Reanimation
  • Facial slings to improve oral competence
  • Nasal valve suspension to improve breathing
• Dynamic Reanimation and Nerve Reconstruction
  • Temporalis tendon transfer
  • Masseteric-to-facial nerve transfer (“babysitter” procedure)
  • Cross-face nerve grafting
  • Hypoglossal-to-facial nerve transfer
• Free Tissue Transfer
  • Gracilis free flap for restoration of smile
• Microvascular Decompression
  • For carefully selected patients with hemifacial spasm caused by vascular compression
  • Procedures are selected and timed based on each patient’s condition, goals, and stage of recovery.

Treatment plans are highly individualized and often combine multiple approaches over time.

Program Highlights

Unmatched Surgical Excellence

Columbia has long been a leader in surgical innovation and skill. We’ve helped develop and refine many of today’s treatments, including minimally invasive procedures that shorten recovery and minimize pain.

Advanced Diagnostics and Personalized Care

Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment. Our program uses advanced imaging and nerve testing to precisely characterize facial nerve dysfunction. This allows our team to design targeted therapies that optimize both non-surgical and surgical outcomes.

The Full Spectrum of Surgical Treatment Options

We offer a comprehensive selection of surgical treatments for facial nerve disorders. All procedures are selected and timed based on each patient’s condition, goals, and stage of recovery.

Continuity of Care and Long-Term Management

Facial nerve disorders often require ongoing care. Our team follows patients throughout their entire treatment journey — from initial diagnosis through rehabilitation and long-term management — ensuring continuity, coordination, and support at every step.

Access and Convenience

While initial evaluations are typically performed in person, we offer telemedicine follow-up visits when appropriate. This flexibility helps reduce the burden of travel for patients undergoing longer-term care.