Facial Paralysis & Bell's Palsy Treatment for Adults and Children
Smile reanimation in Scottsdale by Harvard faculty & global expert Nate Jowett, MD, PhD
Facial paralysis and salivary duct damage from a chainsaw. Repaired with a nerve graft and duct reconstruction. Result 9 months later.
Facial paralysis and salivary duct damage from a chainsaw. Repaired with a nerve graft and duct reconstruction. Result 9 months later.
- Synkinesis from Lyme disease. Smile rebuilt via thigh muscle transfer technique pioneered by Dr. Jowett. Result shown at 6 months.
- Paralysis after acoustic neuroma (brain tumor) removal. Expression restored by rerouting nerves for chewing, tongue, and neck movement. 1-year result.
- Paralysis from blood cancer. Nerves supplying neck, chewing, and healthy-side smile movements and thigh muscle were used to restore expression. Result 1 year after final surgery.
- Paralysis from salivary gland cancer. Microsurgical repair of 8 nerve branches using grafts. Result 1 year later.
- Paralysis from brainstem tumor removal. Multi-stage repair by transfer of tongue, chewing, and healthy-side smile nerves, followed by thigh muscle transfer. Result 1 year after final surgery.
- Facial paralysis from a gunshot wound. Facial nerve repaired with a graft. Result shown 1 year later.
Dr. Jowett has taught and has been invited to lecture at leading surgical conferences and medical institutions around the globe on the science and art of facial reanimation for patients suffering from facial paralysis.
International Expertise. Now in Arizona.
Nate Jowett, MD, PhD, FRCSC
Harvard-Trained Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Dr. Jowett is a Harvard-trained, internationally recognized facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. His focused practice spans facial palsy and facial nerve reconstruction—including Bell's palsy management and smile reanimation—as well as deep plane facelift and neck lift surgery. After nearly a decade serving on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, he established Revitalis to bring this specialized care to Scottsdale and patients who travel from across the United States and abroad.
His expertise is the result of relentless global pursuit of excellence by extensive training at the world’s premier institutions. Dr. Jowett’s background is unique in the field, combining medical training at the University of Toronto with surgical training and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from McGill University, paired with dual subspecialty fellowships in Head & Neck Oncology and Facial Plastic Surgery at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
This unparalleled fusion of engineering and advanced surgical training allowed him to pioneer novel techniques for restoring joy-expressing smile in patients with facial paralysis and corneal sensation in patients with facial anesthesia, while raising over $5 million to support his basic research advancing knowledge in the field of nerve repair. Dr. Jowett brings this bench-to-bedside innovation from the world's top academic centers directly to patients in Scottsdale and worldwide.
Training
Dedicated to excellence, Dr. Jowett trained extensively at the world's best institutions.
Professional Organizations
Committed to the highest standards of care, Dr. Jowett is a member of the American Societies for Peripheral Nerve and Reconstructive Microsurgery, the world’s leading societies dedicated to advancing the art and science of microsurgical reconstruction. He is listed in the Acoustic Neuroma Association clinician directory.
Academic faculty and hospital appointments
Dr. Jowett served as Harvard Medical School faculty for a decade before joining the medical staff at HonorHealth in Scottsdale.
Board Certifications
Dr. Jowett is Board Certified in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.
Verify credentials in the Royal College directory and on the ABFPRS certification profile.
Why patients choose Dr. Jowett
World-class training
University of Toronto, McGill University, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, and Harvard Medical School.
Focused on complex facial reconstruction and rejuvenation
Dedicated to facial reanimation surgery to enhance function and facial aesthetics.
Compassionate, honest guidance
Clear explanations, realistic expectations, and long-term follow-up.
Media & Press
Nerves rerouted from her tongue restore woman’s smile
A patient-centric story about a complex nerve transfer restoring a smile.
Dr. Nate Jowett Named Director of Surgical Photonics Engineering Lab
Appointment to lead research on light-tissue interactions and nerve repair.
A Defining Moment of Convergence
Spotlight on Dr. Jowett’s pioneering corneal reinnervation surgery and mentorship of future surgeon-scientists.
Lyme Disease and Facial Weakness: What You Should Know
Dr. Jowett breaks down Lyme disease-associated facial palsy and what you need to know for proper treatment.
‘Bionic Face’ Experiments Could Lead to New Treatment Approach
Study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery highlights a paradigm shift in managing facial paralysis.
Why you shouldn't worry about a connection between Bell's palsy and COVID-19 vaccines
Expert commentary on the lack of evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to increased facial paralysis risk.
‘Bionic face’ experiments could lead to new treatment approach for facial paralysis
Research on implantable neuroprosthetic devices to restore natural movement.
A “Bionic Face” Brain Implant Could Treat Facial Paralysis
Discussing a device that copies neural activity from one half of the face and sends it to the paralyzed part.
Bell's Palsy Occurred More Frequently With COVID Vaccines
Dr. Jowett comments on study finding SARS-CoV-2 infection poses greater risk of facial paralysis than vaccination.
Corticosteroid use linked to worse outcomes for patients with Lyme disease-associated facial paralysis
Research urging caution in prescribing corticosteroids for acute Lyme disease-associated facial paralysis.
Steroid Use Questioned for Common Lyme Disease Manifestation
Discussing findings that corticosteroids may worsen outcomes in Lyme disease-associated facial paralysis.
Conditions We Treat
Expert care for facial paralysis, facial drooping, and facial nerve disorders caused by:
- Bell’s Palsy (Acute & Chronic)
- Facial Synkinesis (Post-Paralysis Tightness & Twitching)
- Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma Sequelae)
- Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (Herpes Zoster Oticus)
- Lyme Disease-Associated Paralysis
- Parotid Tumor & Cancer Reconstruction
- Skin Cancer with Perineural Spread (Squamous Cell Carcinoma)
- Hemifacial Spasm (One-Sided Facial Twitching)
- Moebius Syndrome (Congenital Facial Paralysis)
- Facelift & Cosmetic Surgery Injury (Iatrogenic Trauma)
- Traumatic Nerve Injury (Skull Fracture / Laceration)
- Facial Nerve Schwannoma / Geniculate ganglion hemangioma
- Congenital Unilateral Lower Lip Palsy (Asymmetric Crying Facies)
- Blepharospasm & Meige Syndrome (Involuntary Eyelid Closure)
- All other causes of facial paralysis
Procedures
The same facial-nerve anatomy that guides reanimation also guides a deep plane facelift.
