6 months post orbital floor blowout surgery. Face is still numb. How long does it take to feel normal again?

Question

I had the orbital floor blowout surgery 6 months ago and I’m still feeling my face numb and part of my lip, gum and nose too. I feel that side of my face very cold especially on my nose.

Mehryar (Ray) Taban, MD, FACS · Answer

Best to communicate with your surgeon any concerns you have but it may take up to a year for sensory nerves to recover.

Heather Lee, MD · Answer

Typically numbness after surgery returns after 6 months but can take up to one year. However, depending on your original injury, sometimes the sensory nerve is significantly traumatized and numbness can persist even after that. I would recommend following up with your surgeon to further discuss.

Katherine A. Lane, MD · Answer

The nerve that gives sensation to the cheek, tip of the nose and top teeth runs through the floor of the orbit and can often be irritated, and less often damaged, by fracture of the floor. this can lead to temporary, and less often permanent numbness over the affected areas. i always tell patients that surgery to repair the bony abnormalities is not to improve numbness and also may make it temporarily worse. the numbness, assuming that the nerve has not been damaged at the time of trauma, should recover over several months but can take up to a year. 
unfortunately there is not much to do but wait for recovery....
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6 months post orbital floor blowout surgery. Face is still numb. How long does it take to feel normal again?

Answers (3)

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