The Facial Paralysis Institute



Babak Azizzadeh, M.D., F.A.C.S



Director, The Institute for Facial Paralysis

Attending Surgeon, Audrey-Skirball Kenis Center for

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Assistant Clinical Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, the Director of The Facial Paralysis Institute, is a Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon who is deeply committed to the treatment of individuals with facial paralysis and Bell’s palsy. He is board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. His expertise in facial plastic surgery has made him one of the most sought-after surgeons in the country. He has been featured in The New York Times, Discovery Health, and numerous other media for his work in the field.

After graduating from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA at the top of his class, Dr. Azizzadeh completed a six-year residency program in Head & Neck Surgery/Facial Plastic Surgery at the UCLA Center for Health Sciences. He then completed a sub-specialized fellowship in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Harvard Medical School with special emphasis on Bell’s palsy and facial reanimation. This prestigious fellowship position was available to only one surgeon in the United States.

Dr. Babak Azizzadeh is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the UCLA School of Medicine and a facial reanimation surgeon at the House Clinic’s Center for Facial Nerve Function. He is also an attending surgeon at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Audrey-Kenis Skirball Center for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Head & Neck Cancer Center and Craniofacial Center where he performs reconstructive procedures for patients with facial paralysis. He is also a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the Director of Facial Reconstruction at the Center for Advanced Head & Neck Surgery.

Dr. Babak Azizzadeh the Course Director of "Advances in Facial & Reconstructive Surgery" Symposium at Cedars Medical Center.

As a former Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School and a clinical faculty at UCLA, Dr. Azizzadeh has been actively involved in teaching facial plastic surgery to residents and medical students. He has also been actively engaged in clinical and basic science research for facial paralysis reconstruction. He has collaborated with Nobel Laureate Dr. Louis Ignarro and has received many honors and grants for his research endeavors. Furthermore, he has published numerous articles in such peer-reviewed journals as Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Laryngoscope and is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences.

In addition to his busy surgical practice, Dr. Azizzadeh has also been actively involved in several humanitarian causes. He is in the process of creating a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the treatment of patients with facial paralysis. Dr. Azizzadeh also works with Medical Missions for Children (MMFC), traveling to third-world countries in order to treat children with cleft lip and palate disorders. Additionally, he is involved with the Reconstructive Surgery Program of the R.O.S.E. Fund (Regaining One’s Self-esteem), a national non-profit organization committed to ending violence against women and children.

Multidisciplinary Team Approach

The most important treatment objective for individuals with facial paralysis is prevention of unwanted eye complications, recontruction of facial movement, restoration of a dynamic smile, and improvement of facial aesthetics. At the Institute for Facial Paralysis, Dr. Azizzadeh and his team of facial plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, neuro-otologists, neurosurgeons, head & neck surgeons, ophthalmologists and physical therapists utilize a systematic approach to reach these objectives. Each patient will be initially consulted by Dr. Azizzadeh who will then utilize different members of the team to obtain the best possible outcome. A true multidisciplinary approach is necessary in the treatment of facial paralysis.