Hi all,
I have an anteriorly displaced disc without reduction, limited mouth opening (approx. 35 mm), and pain upon eating hard or chewy foods. I have been on splint therapy for a few months and have made very limited progress. (I think my mouth opening was approx. 30 mm upon initiation of treatment.)
My tmj dentist has recommended an arthroscopic consultation w/ an oral surgeon. Based on what I have read on this forum, I am very nervous about proceeding with surgery
, and have some questions which I hope some of you may be able to answer.
1. Are there others out there with similar situations who have proceeded with arthroscopy? What was the result?
2. Are there others out there with similar situations who have decided NOT to proceed with arthroscopy? What has been the result?
3. For those of you with limited mouth opening who have had surgery, how were you intubated??? My research seems to indicate that AWAKE fiberoptic-aided intubation is required. The procedure sounds awful--has anybody experienced this??? I can find no discussion of this on the forum.
4. From what I can tell, arthroscopy is done to remove possible adhesions and scarring. But it sounds as though the surgery does not address the disc displacement. If your body has not created a "pseudo-disc," doesn't that leave the joint "bone on bone," and what are the repercussions of that situation being left unresolved?
I would like to be as educated as possible before meeting with the surgeon, and would be grateful for any input anyone can provide. Thanks!
