My surgeon says to wait, and the movement will return. What could have happened?
Sometimes after a browlift, the nerves that innervate the frontalis muscles are stretched a bit. Usually this gets better over time., most of the time this improves over the first 6-12 weeks. If the nerve wasacutally cut, then it will not get better.
Humbird,
During brow lift, the nerves are stretched as the skin is pulled. This leads to a transient neuropraxia (weakened nerves) which may occur on both sides or only one side. It is impossible to predict who this will happen to prior to surgery. The good news is that almost always the nerves start working just fine. The bad news is that it may take 1 to 3 months to recover full function. In the mean time, you may be able to have Botox injected under the brow to help lift it temporarily. By the time the Botox wears off, your brow should be working again.
I hope this is helpful.
Dr. David Shafer
Shafer Plastic Surgery
New York City
Nerve bruising and/or stretching may occur during a brow lift operation. This may temporarily injure the nerve that causes your brow to move. In the overwhelming majority of patients the nerve function returns to normal, but the recovery may take six months. Have patience, trust in your surgeon. If it is disfiguring at this point you can consider temporarily paralyzing the other side with Botox for symmetry until the injured side returns to function. Good luck!
Brow lifts pull on the tissues of the forehead. The trauma of surgery plus the pulling can cause temporary injury to the nerve that moves your eyebrows. Your nerve injury should resolve within 6 months of the time of surgery.
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