Facial Nerve Issues/Bell's Palsy?

Has anyone here dealt with facial nerve damage before? I'm trying to figure out what the realistic odds are for recovery if a facial nerve has been severed, specifically in a case where surgeons have already performed a nerve repair to reconnect the ends.

It’s superior to the other cranial nerves; provided the procedure was executed correctly and there aren't any adverse local or systemic factors at play, one can realistically anticipate nerve recovery, though determining the exact extent or timing remains difficult...

Sam Hall15 said:It's better than the other cranial nerves; basically, if the procedure was done right and there aren't any nasty local or systemic complications hanging around, you can realistically expect the nerve to recover. Now, as for how much recovery we're talking about or exactly when it happens, that's hard to pin down...

Since he had the surgery immediately after the injury and was handled by a highly respected professor from a top-tier clinic in Chicago, I’m really holding out hope for some kind of progress. Thanks! 🙂

Professor Stanec?

Sam Hall15 said:Prof. Stanec?

It was Dr. Uglesic, and honestly, looking back on it now, he absolutely crushed it. Way beyond what anyone expected.

I am happy to hear that, congratulations. Could you please provide some information regarding the extent of the nerve recovery? What are the prospects for the facial muscles?

Sam Hall15 said:I'm really happy for you, congrats! If you don't mind me asking, how much has the nerve actually recovered? What kind of control are we looking at with the facial muscles?

Look, I can't give you a clinical breakdown using medical jargon, but it’s been three and a half months now and the function has improved quite a bit. You can still see a tiny hint of that weakness when I give a big laugh, but my eyes, my mouth—everything else is 100% back to normal. Speech isn't even an issue; you can barely tell anything is off. The only real sticking point is trying to lift my nose during certain exercises... that part is a total failure 🙂 but honestly, after everything I've been through... I don't have the exact numbers from the last round of stimulation or the mask measurements memorized right now. But considering that three and a half months ago, half my face was practically drooping down to my chin, I’d say this feels like a 90% improvement... in plain English. 🙂 So, now you see what I was getting at...

You explained that well, though I suspect 😁... It seems they have recovered to a reasonable extent. Did the physical therapist or the neurologist provide any specific guidance for next steps?

Sam Hall15 said:You described that pretty well. At least, I think 😁 it seems like they’ve recovered to a decent degree. Did the physical therapist or the neurologist give you any specific guidance on what to do next?

The PT basically told us that electrical stimulation isn't worth it anymore; all it'll do is trigger muscle spasms, though the facial grimacing happens every single day anyway. 🙂
As for the numbness, it's manageable—we're doing check-ups every two months along with deep tissue massage that hurts like hell. (Keep in mind, there are also scars from a car accident all over my face.)
We haven't actually seen a neurologist yet.