Post Operative Care
Facial Paralysis Institute
With most procedures, patients are up and about within one to two days, and able to return to usual activity a week or so following surgery. It usually takes about 2 weeks before you can resume a light exercise regimen and three weeks prior to heavy physical activity. The staff at the Facial Paralysis Institute will give you more specific guidelines for gradually resuming your normal activities. They're likely to include these suggestions: Avoid strenuous activity (jogging, swimming, bending, sexual relations for two to three weeks. Avoid sun exposure or trauma to the surgical area for eight weeks. Be gentle when washing or showering the surgical area for at least three weeks.Individuals who are from out of town can usually fly home 8-10 days after surgery. Patients who have had gracilis free flap reconstruction will generally be able to go home in two weeks. Facial nerve rehabilitation may be resumed in 4-6 weeks. Botox and injectable treatments can be performed about 3 weeks after surgery as deemed necessary by your physician. Our staff will schedule frequent follow-up visits in the weeks and months after surgery to check on the progress of your healing. Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any unusual symptoms between visits or for us to answer any questions. For patients from out of the region, we will also require you to send photos to us regularly to keep a check on your progress. If you have any questions please contact The Facial Paralysis Institute at any time.
