Guest guest Posted February 7, 2000 Report Share Posted February 7, 2000 , is feeling great, and is not having any problems at all right now (that we can see). This is not unusual for him. He is still taking the ultrase. He is scheduled for a scope on March 17th. We will know if it has helped at all then. If no improvement, we will most likely try the flovent therapy. Glad to hear that Dan is feeling well. I'll keep you posted when we find out 's scope/biopsy results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2004 Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 Hi Shiloh! Yes, unfortunately it was my fourth surgery. Surgeries #1 (BSSO of lower jaw to place distractors which gradually advanced my lower jaw 17 mm) and #2 (removal of distractors and upper jaw moved 5 mm) were planned. Because I had a long time history of TMJ and already had some degeneration of the joints, my surgeon decided to do the surgery in two stages and using distraction to minimize the stress on the joints. However instead of making the TMJ better (like in the majority of patients), surgery caused the arthritis to flare up. Within 6 months, my new perfect bite was no longer. My overbite was returning and my lower jaw was deviated 6 mm to the left because of bone loss in the condyles. My first surgeon referred me to a TMJ specialist. He found that the disc and condyle was gone (basically disintegrated) on the left and the right was in pretty bad shape too. Last May, he did a temporalis (scalp) muscle graft on the left and arthroscopic surgery on the right. He warned us that I would eventually need more surgery on the joints but we were hoping that this would hold me at least a few years. I did well for a few months and then I started to have a lot of pain again. My opening was very limited and my overbite was back, only 7-8 mm this time but still. Another CT showed that the right joint was fused and what little of the condyle was left had avascular necrosis (dead bone). Four weeks ago, the surgeon removed what was left of the condyles and placed distractors again ( this time to rebuild the condyles) and did a muscle graft on the right side to replace the cartilage (the left muscle graft had held up well). In a few weeks, I will have one last surgery (I hope) to remove the distractors. Since the new bone is still soft, my surgeon can mold the bone into the correct position and again restore my perfect bite. Plates (similar to what we already have from our previous orthognathic surgeries) will hold the bone in position until it's fully calcified. Upper jaw surgery didn't change my upper facial structure too much. Straightening out my upper jaw did straighten out my nose. When I sent our family Christmas picture to my college roommate this year, she said the only way she recognized me was by my eyes. They didn't change at all. I don't have a picture file here but if you email me at minirascal@..., I can send you some of my pictures pre-op and post-op. I'm not surprised the ER docs didn't want to do anything with your mouth other than look at it. In medical school we just learn the basic anatomy of the the mouth and jaws. We're not trained to do any treatment of the jaws or teeth - we leave that to the dental people (dentists, oral surgeons, etc). I've only seen a handful of orthognathic surgery patients in the ER and that was to treat dehydration in the first few days post-op. 99% of my knowledge of orthognathic procedures I learned first-hand as a patient so I don't know anymore than the rest of you when it comes to orthognathic surgery. What was surgery #2 for? Surgery #1 was lower jaw only, right? > #4??? > Sorry I haven't been too active here, why 4? As someone who's going > in for #3 and since you are a doctor yourself....? > > I am just feeling around and realised that my cheekbones are close > to the 'cut' lines. I am also trying to schedual a septoplasty so I > am wondering how much the uppers will change my facial bone > structure... > > New bone plates? > > > Shiloh > do you have a picture file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2004 Report Share Posted February 12, 2004 Hi , Could you tell more of your personal experience on distraction. Is it painful compare to normal jaw surgery? Is it hard to manage with a device in your mouth for weeks? My OS told me I need distraction cos' my jaw joint is weak. If I choose normal jaw surgery, the chances of me getting a relapse is very high and including condyles resorbs and shortens. But again, if I opt for distraction there is no guarantee that I will not suffer a relapse but chances is lower. The last option is just to put on braces but the outcome will be less than ideal. Now I'm in a dilemma of which one to choose. I still have not put on braces yet. Cos' I've to make up my mind which of the above I will choose. Right now, I'm approx. 12mm over bite and accordingly to my OS, braces can move back approx. 5mm. As oral distraction is quite a new technology, not mamy pple can share their personal experience to me. Even my OS only have done 4 cases on distraction before, So I'm really worried about distraction. I would really appreciate if you could share your expreience with me. Anyone out there can feel free to comment on it too. Thanks! Rgds, Maggie > > #4??? > > Sorry I haven't been too active here, why 4? As someone who's > going > > in for #3 and since you are a doctor yourself....? > > > > I am just feeling around and realised that my cheekbones are close > > to the 'cut' lines. I am also trying to schedual a septoplasty so > I > > am wondering how much the uppers will change my facial bone > > structure... > > > > New bone plates? > > > > > > Shiloh > > do you have a picture file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2004 Report Share Posted February 12, 2004 Hi , Could you tell more of your personal experience on distraction. Is it painful compare to normal jaw surgery? Is it hard to manage with a device in your mouth for weeks? My OS told me I need distraction cos' my jaw joint is weak. If I choose normal jaw surgery, the chances of me getting a relapse is very high and including condyles resorbs and shortens. But again, if I opt for distraction there is no guarantee that I will not suffer a relapse but chances is lower. The last option is just to put on braces but the outcome will be less than ideal. Now I'm in a dilemma of which one to choose. I still have not put on braces yet. Cos' I've to make up my mind which of the above I will choose. Right now, I'm approx. 12mm over bite and accordingly to my OS, braces can move back approx. 5mm. As oral distraction is quite a new technology, not mamy pple can share their personal experience to me. Even my OS only have done 4 cases on distraction before, So I'm really worried about distraction. I would really appreciate if you could share your expreience with me. Anyone out there can feel free to comment on it too. Thanks! Rgds, Maggie > > #4??? > > Sorry I haven't been too active here, why 4? As someone who's > going > > in for #3 and since you are a doctor yourself....? > > > > I am just feeling around and realised that my cheekbones are close > > to the 'cut' lines. I am also trying to schedual a septoplasty so > I > > am wondering how much the uppers will change my facial bone > > structure... > > > > New bone plates? > > > > > > Shiloh > > do you have a picture file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2004 Report Share Posted February 12, 2004 Hi , Could you tell more of your personal experience on distraction. Is it painful compare to normal jaw surgery? Is it hard to manage with a device in your mouth for weeks? My OS told me I need distraction cos' my jaw joint is weak. If I choose normal jaw surgery, the chances of me getting a relapse is very high and including condyles resorbs and shortens. But again, if I opt for distraction there is no guarantee that I will not suffer a relapse but chances is lower. The last option is just to put on braces but the outcome will be less than ideal. Now I'm in a dilemma of which one to choose. I still have not put on braces yet. Cos' I've to make up my mind which of the above I will choose. Right now, I'm approx. 12mm over bite and accordingly to my OS, braces can move back approx. 5mm. As oral distraction is quite a new technology, not mamy pple can share their personal experience to me. Even my OS only have done 4 cases on distraction before, So I'm really worried about distraction. I would really appreciate if you could share your expreience with me. Anyone out there can feel free to comment on it too. Thanks! Rgds, Maggie > > #4??? > > Sorry I haven't been too active here, why 4? As someone who's > going > > in for #3 and since you are a doctor yourself....? > > > > I am just feeling around and realised that my cheekbones are close > > to the 'cut' lines. I am also trying to schedual a septoplasty so > I > > am wondering how much the uppers will change my facial bone > > structure... > > > > New bone plates? > > > > > > Shiloh > > do you have a picture file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.