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Nov 16, 2006 7:15 pm US/Eastern
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A Smile 30 Years In The Making
Part II Of Dr. Marks' Report On Plight Of Geoffrey Woodcock
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Geoffrey Woodcock is about to undergo an unusual operation called facial reanimation -- taking a muscle from one part of the face and moving it to a different location. In this case, it's the muscle in the temple. It contracts every time you bite down.
"But it's not the only muscle that does that so you can use it, move it, and have it do something entirely different and not lose any function," said Dr. Roger Simpson of Long Island Plastic Surgery Group.
In the operation, Dr. Simpson cuts one end of the muscle and then tunnels it under the skin and attaches it to the corner of the mouth. When the muscle is moved, it leaves a hollow space around the temple. So Dr. Simpson will take skin from a human cadaver and implant it to fill up that space. He also inserts a gold weight into the upper eyelid so Geoffrey can close his eye.
Just 6 days after surgery, there's still a lot of swelling. But now when he bites down, the muscle that used to be in Geoffrey's temple contracts and raises the corner of his mouth, allowing him a full smile for the first time in his life.
"I feel like my life is starting all over again you know. Brand new start," Geoffrey said.
Added Dr. Simpson: "You're returning dignity to these patients."
And around three months later, after the swelling has gone and the incisions have healed, the results become more obvious, and Geoffrey's smile widens.
"It's just kinda cool to have that side of my face, because for 30 years it wasn't there," he said.
As time goes by the old temple muscle may stretch a bit, so Geoffrey may need more operations to adjust it. This certainly isn't a cure for the facial paralysis, but for Geoffrey, it's the next best thing.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)