Facial palsy refers to the paralysis of the facial expression muscles caused by damage to the facial nerve. It is manifested by a series of facial deformities: loss of facial expression, crookedness of the corners of the mouth, and the possibility of blindness due to stabbing pain in the eyes, tearing, severe formation of corneal inflammation, and even refractory corneal ulcers caused by the inability to close the eyes. These damages not only bring physical pain to the patients, but also a heavy psychological burden, making it impossible for them to live and work normally. Because of this, treatment for facial palsy is necessary and urgent. So what department should I see when facial palsy occurs? Facial palsy can be caused by a variety of reasons, so the treatment of facial palsy involves several clinical specialties: neurology, ophthalmology and plastic surgery. Neurology and otolaryngology treat the primary disease (such as facial palsy caused by viral infection or otitis media) to recover from facial palsy, for example, sudden onset of facial palsy of unknown origin should first be treated by the above two clinical departments. Patients with facial palsy caused by early trauma or surgery (especially tumor surgery), patients with a long period of paralysis (more than 2 years), and patients with all types of facial palsy sequelae (inability to close the eyelids, eye-mouth linkage, etc.), etc., can be helped by a plastic surgeon to achieve the greatest possible recovery in form and function. However, the outcome of facial palsy treatment is variable: some patients can achieve a near-normal recovery, while others do not change at all after treatment. What is it that causes such a wide variation? First of all, the type of facial palsy that the patient suffers from affects the treatment effect: for example, Bell’s palsy accounts for the highest proportion of facial palsy incidence, and this type of facial palsy manifests itself as sudden facial palsy. If the facial palsy can be clearly excluded from tumor, trauma or ear disease through examination by a specialist, then most of them can get a good recovery after timely treatment. Secondly, the time of facial palsy treatment: timely and effective treatment is the key to achieve good results. Especially for patients with facial palsy caused by trauma or surgery, early restoration of facial nerve innervation to the paralyzed muscles is likely to result in the best recovery of the patient’s facial function. If the patient does not receive timely repair, then the eventual restoration effect will gradually decay with longer intervals until the nerve repair is lost. In addition, the skill and experience of the surgeon, as well as the corresponding correct treatment philosophy and the appropriate choice of treatment method, are also very important in influencing the final outcome of the patient with facial palsy. This is because the treatment of facial palsy can involve other specialties such as neurology and pentacology, so the plastic surgeon in charge of facial palsy treatment is required to have adequate expertise in facial palsy treatment. Only then can a detailed preoperative examination and evaluation be performed to determine if the patient is a good candidate for treatment in plastic surgery. For example, for patients with facial palsy caused by tumor surgery, etc., who must wait under observation in the early postoperative period, the treating physician of the original disease can discuss the appropriate treatment plan together with the plastic surgeon to avoid missing the best time for treatment. In this regard, the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Ninth People’s Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with its rich experience in microsurgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, has achieved rich results in the treatment of facial palsy: it has nearly 30 years of experience in several hundred cases of facial palsy repair, as well as continuous innovations in technology: for example, the first to perform the first stage of trans-facial nerve repair of the latissimus dorsi flap; the first stage of intra-abdominal oblique muscle flap transplantation; the modified sternocleidomastoid flap surgery; the application of a modified temporalis flap advancement for the treatment of patients with advanced facial palsy, etc. Not only that, the treatment of facial palsy should be a systematic and holistic treatment that ranges from eye closure to mouth movement, from facial symmetry at rest to symmetry during smiling activities. In addition, the treatment of facial palsy should also be an individualized sequential treatment: a treatment plan is developed that meets the individual’s requirements and is carried out in a gradual and phased manner. The treatment plan may include both a dynamic repair of the facial palsy and some cosmetic repair procedures to improve the facial appearance. Post-operative functional rehabilitation, as well as post-operative make-up and dressing advice, can also help to improve the patient’s appearance and enable him/her to integrate better into society. This advanced treatment concept, which is now a commonly accepted treatment internationally, is still just beginning in China.