An 11-year-old girl from Virginia is smiling using the right side of her face for the first time.
At birth, Nicole Serna-Gonzalez was unable to close her right eye or smile on the right side of her face because of her facial palsy.
Doctors told her family that she could have the condition if she pressed against something during labor.
Carolina Gonzalez said that she and her daughter had hoped that it would go away with time. She couldn't smile because of it. She was able to eat and her speech was not affected by it. She was capable of swallowing.
Her mother said that she liked having a different smile. She felt uncomfortable when people asked about it.
Nicole's 10-hour facial reanimation operation allowed her to slowly develop use of the right side of her face after years of therapy and searching.
The first procedure to create a contraction of the lower eyelid and around the eyes is called a trivector gracilis free tissue transfer.
Nicole is the first person to go under the knife.
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Nicole's facial palsy is usually diagnosed when she is a baby.
The delivery team can sometimes notice that one side of the baby's face is immobile in the first few hours of life.
It can be caused by birth trauma like when medical professionals accidentally crush a facial nerve. Sometimes it is considered a birth defect.
Part of the facial nerve can be affected by subtle cases. It can be weeks or months after that people notice.
He met Nicole when he was a student at the school. It can be hard to find someone to treat the condition in children.
The Pandemic stopped the operation they were going to do in 2019.
He said that they tracked him down and showed up in Cleveland. We were able to treat her
A little boy cried when he saw his parent's face for the first time.
The tri-vector gracilis free tissue transfer is the first of its kind and evolved from a procedure where surgeons implanted a leg muscle into the face.
Patients were able to smile because of the leg muscles pulling on the corner of the mouth. The corner of the mouth was pulled up unnaturally because of the smiles.
The multivector gracilis muscle flap, where surgeons take a section of the gracilis muscle, located on the thigh, and separate it into two smaller strips, was a long time in the making. The muscles are put into the face at the corner of the mouth or upper lip.
The patients who received this procedure had a problem with their face because of the silent eye.
The frame has a width of 100 percent and a height of 100 percent.
There is no movement in the eyes when a person smiles. People with naturally smiling faces have their cheeks lifted and their eyes crinkled. These smiles are often thought of as genuine, natural smiles.
The area around the eyes was not addressed in the multi-vector procedure. Under and around the eyes were added for the first time during the procedure.
Nicole and her family traveled to Cleveland for her surgery. She went to the hospital for a few days to recover. She came back a year later to make sure.
Nicole's smile looks alive and dynamic. During the first few years after surgery, there isn't much swelling.
Her mom said she's doing well.
Her mother said that she can see a big difference now. Now she likes her smile. She was fond of it before.
The 11-year-old has a big personality. She likes to play basketball, take care of animals, and draw. She got new art supplies after celebrating her birthday.
When it comes to her facial muscle, it takes between four and 12 months for it to wake up, and the healing process takes several years.
The body can be hard to understand. The muscles that used to move legs are being reinvented. For the next three years, she should see improvement.
He said she has a great smile. There is nothing more fascinating than the interplay of facial expression, which is what makes us human.
The family will meet with Byrne in the future to make sure everything is okay.
It was difficult for him and his wife as parents.
He said that they can rest knowing that they did everything they could. She's doing well." We're pleased.
Her mother wants people to teach their children not to judge others. She said that the intentions of the kids are not to be mean.
She said it was a good lesson she had learned as a mother.
Her mother said that Nicole's big personality extends to other people as well.
She met a girl who was about to have an operation after she left the hospital.
Nicole said it was all worth it. The process is something to trust.
Saleen Martin is a reporter. She loves Halloween, witches, Christmas, and food from Virginia. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com if you would like to follow her on social media.
A patient with facial palsy gets reanimation surgery.
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