Neurological Surgery

FAQ About Hemifacial Spasm

Many patients have never even heard of hemifacial spasm until they or a family member are diagnosed with it. Here are some of the common questions we're asked about hemifacial spasm:

What our Patients Say

Emma Novick had surgery for hemifacial spasm at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine
“It Felt Like a Miracle” (A Hemifacial Spasm Story)
It began in 2017, as a twitch in Emma Novick's left eye. The tic wasn’t painful, but it became more persistent over time, pulling downward into her cheek.  Emma was diagnosed with hemifacial spasm, which is caused by irritation of one of the cranial...

Do Botox injections really work for hemifacial spasm?

Temporarily, yes. An injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) causes a small, partial paralysis of the muscle and stops the spasm. The paralysis is temporary, so injections need to be repeated approximately every six months. See more about Diagnosing and Treating Hemifacial Spasm.

What causes hemifacial spasm?

Hemifacial spasm is caused by any one of a number of possible irritants to the seventh cranial nerve, but it’s most frequently caused by a small blood vessel (usually an artery) compressing the  facial nerve at the brainstem. Find out more about Hemifacial Spasm.

How is hemifacial spasm treated?

Microvascular decompression surgery for hemifacial spasmInjections of botulinum toxin (Botox) can provide temporary relief, but the permanent solution is usually microdecompression surgery. See more about Diagnosing and Treating Hemifacial Spasm.

Our Care Team

Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD, Weill Cornell Medicine
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  • Chair and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief
  • Margaret and Robert J. Hariri, MD ’87, PhD ’87 Professor of Neurological Surgery
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Phone: 212-746-4684
Michael Kaplitt, MD, PhD
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  • Executive Vice Chair, Neurological Surgery
  • Professor of Neurological Surgery
  • Director, Movement Disorders and Pain
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Phone: 212-746-4966
Jared Knopman, MD
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  • Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventional Neuroradiology
  • Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
  • Fellowship Director, Endovascular Neurosurgery
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Phone: 212-746-5149
John Park, MD, PhD
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  • Chief of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
  • Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery
  • Co-director, Weill Cornell Medicine CSF Leak Program
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Phone: (718) 670-1837
Justin Schwarz, MD
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  • Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery (Brooklyn and Manhattan)
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Phone: 212-746-2821 (Manhattan); 718-780-3070 (Brooklyn)

Reviewed by: Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD
Last reviewed/last updated: May 2024
Illustration by Thom Graves, CMI

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