I would do a lot of research before agreeing to this surgery. If you go to a surgeon, I am sure that is what he will suggest.Their job is to cut and thats how they make their living. If you aren't locked open or shut, I wouldn't even think about it. I went through all the conservative therapies too, made the mistake of going the surgical route. They say everyone is different, that may be true, but it is coming out more and more that doctors are just guessing and hoping for good results when it comes to TMJ surgery. When it doesn't work, "it must be your fault". Been there, done that....
Elaine
TMJ has acquired the name of "The Great Impostor," and has been described in the press as "A Medical Mess."
Although all surgeries have risks, TMJ surgeries are especially risky have proven mostly unwarranted or unsatisfactory. An initial surgery can often lead to more. Except in life-threatening emergency situations, it is strongly recommended that TMJ surgeries be avoided or conducted only after multiple independent opinions. Additionally, certain jaw joint implants have been reported by the Food & Drug Administration to cause serious long-term medical problems, and rules have been tightened on their usage/approval.
There is currently no universally recognized medical discipline or accredited medical specialty that addresses TMJ. Jaw joints, due to their location in the oral cavity, are the only joints in the body that are considered both medical and dental joints. They are commonly and mistakenly isolated from whole body health and "assigned" to the realm of dentistry. Temporomandibular joints must be perceived as part of the whole body system and treated as are all other joints in the body. It is urgent that the medical profession take an active role in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ. A change in perception would have several important consequences:
Current treatments often focus narrowly on the jaw and neglect other physiological systems in need of care. The desired therapeutic outcome is often not achieved, and many patients are left in serious pain or with serious dysfunction.
Going to discuss options with surgeon on Thursday
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