Dr. Edward D. Buckingham (left) & Dr. Erin Smith (right)
“I was tearful when I saw this patient’s significant smile improvement in the recovery room, as I know it will only continue to improve from here. While I love all aspects of my career, this part of it is by far the most gratifying.”
AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB)
May 11, 2021
The Buckingham Center proudly announced today that their own Dr. Erin Smith, who specializes in Bell’s Palsy, has completed another successful selective neurolysis surgical procedure for a patient who had developed synkinesis after suffering from Bell’s Palsy for 30 years.
Before the successful surgery, the patient suffered from a constricted tight smile, neck pain, facial spasms, and the inability to control certain facial functions, like frowning or blinking instead of smiling—all symptoms of synkinesis. Synkinesis occurs when the facial nerve is not correctly wired with the brain signal. Dr. Smith performed selective neurolysis to rewire the input to her patient’s smile and restore normal smile function.
“This surgery requires post-op physical therapy for final results, which take about a year. Only some patients show immediate improvement.” Wrote Dr. Smith in an Instagram post. “I was tearful when I saw this patient’s significant smile improvement in the recovery room, as I know it will only continue to improve from here. While I love all aspects of my career, this part of it is by far the most gratifying.”
Since moving to Austin, Dr. Smith has become the area expert for the treatment of Bell’s Palsy using facial reanimation procedures. The condition of Bell’s Palsy causes facial weakness or paralysis and can lead to sudden nerve weakness where one side of the face droops or sags. Dr. Smith developed a passion for facial nerve reanimation procedures early on in her career during medical school where she studied the complex anatomical pathway between the brain and the face.
Her education includes 10 years of training including medical school and six years of advanced head and neck surgical training that included a one-year internship with world-renowned Dr. Babak Azizzadeh at the Facial Paralysis Institute and Dr. Paul Nassif, star of the show “Botched”.
“Dr. Smith’s advanced and highly specialized training helps patients with synkinesis to improve their appearance and overall quality of life with both surgical and nonsurgical treatments. We’re extremely proud of the life-changing transformations that she delivers for her patients.” commented The Buckingham Center’s Dr. Edward Buckingham.
Patients considering facial reconstruction after Bell’s palsy can request a private consultation with Dr. Smith in which she will walk through all options for cosmetic and functional improvement.
To schedule a Bell’s palsy facial reanimation consultation at Buckingham Center in Austin, Texas, call the offices at 512.401.2500 or visit the Bell’s Palsy section of the website at http://www.buckinghamfacialplastics.com/procedures/bells-palsy.
About Dr. Erin Smith
Dr. Erin Smith is a Beverly Hills trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon who specializes in both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures of the face, neck, nose, eyelids, ears, and forehead. Learn more about her extensive educational and practical background at http://www.buckinghamfacialplastics.com/dr-erin-smith.
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