Cymy Sue

Hi juulie,
Sometimes when we feel we have no other options, especially if we have been seeing one Doctor or Specialist for a while, we can be wrong. They can be wrong.
There could be options with someone else. I listened to a Surgeon for over 10 years regarding my condition. He is a wonderful surgeon, but did not believe splint therapy would help with post-surgical problems. He was wrong.
With a splint designed for my particular condition, after over 25 years of treatment and surgeries for TMJD, my life is back to normal.

Most people who come to this board and warn of the problems that occur with surgery are not trying to put Surgeons out of business. They are trying to tell anyone considering surgery to look at the statistics, read the literature regarding surgery on the TM joints and be "AWARE" of the risks involved.

There are many treatments for TMJ and many theories on what will help or work. With most, you can stop if it is not helping and seek help elsewhere. With surgical alteration, there is no going back.

I guess we all look at success differently. In reading the posts on this thread, we have one member who has had "several", is still in pain and believes it was worth it.
One who had "several" with good outcomes and now has Implants or a Total Prosthesis (?) and is happy with this. That's wonderful.

I had "several", all with excellent surgeons and up unitil 2 years ago was condemned to a life of staying highly medicated due to the pain and dysfunction.
There are many other's here who have had "several" and have not found any help with post-surgical problems and have been left "absolutely" without other options. The ones I know, did have good surgeons who were doing many procedures.

The facts about TM Joint surgery are very real. There are many risks and possible complications. Read a consent form. All of these risks and complications are very real and they do happen. If they didn't, the Doctors would not require this "consent" to perform these procedures.

Also, you may have noticed, the people who find these support groups have rarely had just one procedure. They have had several, all taking a toll on their minds and body. Some people do go on to Implants or Prosthesis. This seems to work well for some and not so well for others.
I always thought that would be an option for me when I could no longer handle my situation. Not so. Read the criteria for proper Patient selection for Implants to be successful.
They are not recommended after multiple surgeries or for heavy bruxers.
I was turned down for Implants due to multiple surgeries, bone loss, nerve damage and other reasons due to having "several" prior surgeries.
I'm very glad I was. A couple of months later, I found help elsewhere.
I am living with basically no real "joint function" at all and with a splint for support, no pain and good function. Getting to this point was living in total misery for most of my life. I thought I had suffered pain as bad as it could possibly get......until I started with surgeries. It can get worse.

The opinions on TM joint surgeries change as often as the weather. Joint procedures have been adapted from surgeries that work well on larger joints such as the knee and hip. It has been proven over and over, these procedures do not work so well on the TM Joint. It is a very different joint. There are millions of sensitive nerves in the area to be invaded. The incidence of nerve damage is very high and common. The consensus of an honest surgeon is, a procedure on the TM Joints is 50/50. They never really know how each person willl respond or how your joints will react to being invaded until it is done.

Many of the procedures that have been done in the last 10 years are not being done so readily at this point by some very well known surgeons. Some that they thought would work, did not, such as grafts. (cartilage or soft tissue replacement.) Nothing holds up in the TM joint as a replacement for the articular disc. Some Surgeons still do this procedure knowing that most fail within 2-5 years.
Sometimes the Arthroscope procedures do seem to work, only later the patient ends up with adhesions and scarring from invasion of the joint. This usually requires another procedure.
That's the reason that most of us have had several. Rarely does it end with one and many people get to a point where they can not continue to have more.
I am a rarity within these groups. I started with surgeries in 1988 and in 2002, finally found help and relief with a splint. It does not always turn out that way.

For those who have had good outcomes, it is wonderful. For those of us who did not, life can be very hard with NO other options and NO hope for relief.
When you hear anyone say , "Don't have surgery" they are not saying this to keep you from finding help. They are saying this to keep you from making the mistakes they feel they made in agreeing to surgical procedures that have no guarantees and have a great possiblity of causing you to be worse than you can imagine.
My message is to "Be Aware". Most good, honest surgeons will not make any promises with these procedures and if you find one who does, run.

My experience,
Diagnosed 1977 with TMJ Syndrome. I was 25.
Splints and braces until 1988.
2 Orthognathic procedures 1988. Failed. Left condyle permanently dislocated. Permanent nerve and muscle damage. Had all of the complications and almost died with both.
Extensive mandibular bone grafts 1989, due to infection from surgeries in 1988.
1989, First MRI revealed abnormal joint structure and shredded disc.
Arthroplasty (open joint) cartilage replacements, bone smoothing, 1992. Failed in 2 years.
Arthroplasty (open joint) discectomy, condular bone sanding & smoothing with no replacements 1997. Left in incredible pain and dysfunction.
Refused Implants in 2002 due to prior damage.
Misery ended with splint therapy a few months later.
I am told by someone I trust, the discectomy was needed due to dislocated, shredded disc. That was all that was needed. I am doing well now. 25 years of my life is gone and was spent in pain and hoping for good outcomes.

Always look for non-invasive options until there are "absolutely" none left.

Cymy Sue