Reanimation following facial palsy: present and future directions

Background: An understanding of the management of chronic facial palsy is vital for otolaryngologists, due to its common presentation to ENT surgeons. There is currently a lack of consensus on the optimum management of this condition. This article reviews the existing literature and offers a perspective on current management, as well as an insight into future treatments. Methods: A literature search was performed, using the Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases from 1966 to the present, using the keywords listed below. Articles were reviewed. Selection was limited to English language articles on human subjects. Results and conclusion: A tailored, multidisciplinary approach using combinatorial therapy should be used for reanimation of the face following facial palsy. Advances in surgical and non-surgical techniques, and the exchange of information from centres of excellence via global databases, will objective appraisal of results and the development of an evidence-based approach to facial reanimation.