Traditionally, reconstruction for chronic facial palsy was a two-stage procedure: long cross-face nerve graft (20-25cm in length) in the first stage, followed by functioning free muscle transplantation in the second stage with a one year interval. Since November 2001, we have started to use a short nerve graft (10-15cm) to cross the face in the first stage. After a 6-months waiting period, functioning free muscle transplantation was performed for the second stage of the reconstruction. This method, developed by chance, has shown encouraging results to achieve the goal of rapid restoration. Advantages of this evolution in technique include fewer scars on the donor leg and a shorter operative time in the first stage, a shorter interval (6 months) of waiting period required for nerve degeneration and regeneration, and safer, easier and faster dissection of the previous embedded cross-face grafted nerve in the second stage, making the operation safer and operative time shorter. Finally, revision of the flap if required is also safer than before. Between 2002 and 2003, a two-year period, 58 patients were operated on by using this new technique. All patients finished the operative restoration within one year. The functional results show no difference compared with the traditional method.