Key Points in the Surgical Treatment of Facial Paralysis: Evolution Over the last 25 Years

Key Points in the Surgical Treatment of Facial Paralysis: Our Evolution Over the Last 25 Years

Facial paralysis presents one of the most complex treatment challenges in reconstructive oral and maxillofacial surgery. The best approach depends not only on the cause of the paralysis, but also on how much time has passed, which functions remain, what deficits are present, and which complementary therapies may help improve the final result.

In this IAOMS webinar, Dr. Teresa González-Otero will share a practical, experience-based approach to the surgical treatment of facial paralysis, drawing from 25 years of multidisciplinary care at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain.

Rather than focusing on a single technique, this session will examine how treatment decisions are made over time: when to intervene, how etiology influences the pathway, and how complementary treatments can support improved functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Webinar Details

Date	Friday, June 19, 2026
Time	10:00 AM CDT / 11:00 AM EDT / 15:00 UTC / 17:00 CEST
Location	Online
Speaker	Dr. Teresa González-Otero, Spain
Moderator	Dr. Marina Morante Silva, USA

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:

• Evaluate treatment options for facial paralysis based on timing, etiology, and patient presentation.
• Identify complementary therapies that may help improve functional and aesthetic outcomes.
• Discuss a multidisciplinary treatment algorithm developed through 25 years of experience at La Paz University Hospital.

About the Speaker

Teresa González-Otero, M.D., is Head of Section in Maxillofacial Surgery at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, where she has practiced as a consultant since 1999. She also maintains a private practice at Ruber Juan Bravo Hospital.

A founding member of La Paz Hospital’s Facial Paralysis Unit, established in 2001, Dr. González-Otero’s clinical interests include reconstructive head and neck surgery, facial paralysis, vascular malformations, and facial aesthetics. She also serves on the hospital’s multidisciplinary unit for vascular anomalies of the head and neck.

Dr. González-Otero is an Assistant Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, has directed ten continuing medical education courses, and has contributed to five national research grants as co-researcher. She is the author of more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and 15 book chapters and has presented more than 70 papers at national and international scientific meetings.

She is a member of the Spanish Society of Maxillofacial Surgery, the Sir Charles Bell Society, and the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.