76. Getting the Right Diagnosis for Facial Paralysis with Dr. Amit Kochhar

Every medical treatment needs to start with a diagnosis, but sometimes that diagnosis proves elusive. Sometimes it may appear that a person has one thing needing treatment, and after that treatment doesn’t work, doctors have to consider other possibilities. Dr. Amit Kochhar at Pacific Neuroscience Institute sees patients with facial paralysis, which is often diagnosed as Bell’s Palsy or Ramsey Hunt Syndrome—but sometimes turns out to be a cancerous tumor on a facial nerve. Doctors try to figure that out as quickly as possible, so they can remove the tumor and begin the work of restoring the patient’s appearance. In today’s episode, Dr. Kochhar describes these various symptoms and explains how he reaches the right diagnosis and treatment for his patients.