Illustration of Facial Nerve

July 8, 2017

This medical illustration depicts the most common branching patterns of the facial nerve and was created in collaboration with one of the country’s leading facial plastic surgeons. Designed to support surgical planning and education, the illustration emphasizes anatomical variation, spatial relationships, and clinically relevant landmarks that are critical during facial procedures.

Particular care was taken to balance clarity with anatomical accuracy, presenting complex nerve pathways in a way that is easy to interpret at a glance while remaining true to surgical reality. By distilling multiple branching patterns into a single cohesive visual framework, the illustration serves as a reference for understanding both typical anatomy and variation encountered in practice.

Projects like this underscore the role of medical illustration as a tool for precise communication between surgeons, educators, and trainees—helping translate detailed anatomical knowledge into clear, usable visual information.