Facial Nerve Decompression Treatment in India

Angel Garcia, a 42-year-old high school...

Angel Garcia, a 42-year-old high school music teacher and father of two, first noticed a strange tightness on the left side of his face while conducting the school orchestra. Within 72 hours, the left side of his face was completely paralyzed, he couldn't close his eye, smile, or control his mouth. Eating became messy, and his speech was slurred. Diagnosed with severe Bell's palsy, he was devastated when, after 3 months of intense steroid therapy and physical therapy, there was zero improvement. His ENT specialist, Dr. Lee, explained that the facial nerve was likely being compressed within the bony canal of his skull, and without surgical decompression, the paralysis could become permanent. Angel felt his identity slipping away; his students were uncomfortable, and his young daughter asked why Daddy's face was 'broken.' He underwent a transmastoid facial nerve decompression. The surgery was successful in relieving the pressure. Recovery was gradual; the first sign of hope was a tiny flicker in his cheek at 6 weeks post-op. With dedicated physical therapy, he regained about 80% of his facial function over the next year. Emotionally, he moved from a place of profound loss and social withdrawal to one of immense gratitude and patience. He's back teaching, and while his smile isn't perfectly symmetrical, it's full of genuine joy again.