Jaw surgery: Last Updated

[southernlady]

I have my two year follow up in mid March. At my one year, we talked about removing all the hardware he installed during surgery for 2 main reasons...they are hurting and they are causing arthritis. Typically once pins and screws are placed to hold bone together, it remains...however there are times when removing it is advised...I am coming in under the "it is advised". We waited til the two year mark as he wanted me to have two years under my belt before removing any hardware but it's easier between years 2-4 than after that.

I will update more when I find out more...

What I do know:
I will be on full liquids for 6-8 weeks, maybe even 12 weeks.

 

[hilary1617]

Youch! Best wishes - that sounds just awful. So sorry you have to endure this!

 

[DianaCox]

OMG - that sounds almost as bad as the original surgery.

I have wondered about removing hardware once bone heals. Charles has something like this from nearly 4 years ago, and now he can feel the plate as being the source of arthritis pain - since the bone has healed, why not remove all that stuff?

Probably for this reason:

J Orthop Trauma. 2013 Dec;27(12):696-701. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0b013e31829906a0.
Femoral neck fracture after removal of the compression hip screw from healed intertrochanteric fractures.
RESULTS:
Six (9.0%) FNFs occurred within 1 month after a CHS removal.

All that bone would have to re-heal - besides cutting through the skin and muscle, the hole in the bones that would be left would likely not be a great idea.

 

[southernlady]

ouch! Please let us know when this is planned and if there is anything I can do to help!

I will...my follow up is the 19th of March...he will tell me then when we can do this.

OMG - that sounds almost as bad as the original surgery.

I have wondered about removing hardware once bone heals. Charles has something like this from nearly 4 years ago, and now he can feel the plate as being the source of arthritis pain - since the bone has healed, why not remove all that stuff?
Probably for this reason:

J Orthop Trauma. 2013 Dec;27(12):696-701. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0b013e31829906a0.
Femoral neck fracture after removal of the compression hip screw from healed intertrochanteric fractures.
RESULTS:
Six (9.0%) FNFs occurred within 1 month after a CHS removal.

All that bone would have to re-heal - besides cutting through the skin and muscle, the hole in the bones that would be left would likely not be a great idea.

Yeap, and I think a lot of it is WHERE it's located and how much weight bearing is on it. Example, the rods and screws in my back are there TO STAY! But then there is a LOT of weight bearing there (altho not near as much as before ) My mouth doesn't have any weight bearing...chewing yes but I'm still avoiding the really chewy stuff even now.

I wouldn't worry about it if 1) the one esp on the left side of my jaw pokes out so you can feel the top of the screw head. 2) Arthritis has developed in my jaw 3) The ones up in my sinuses HURT.

But yes, he will have to cut thru skin...altho he does avoid cutting muscle as much as possible. It's still possible to nick it and they have to be stretched quite a bit.

 

[JackieOnLine]

sorry it's going to have to go ahead. :085: and that's a long time to be on liquids, yikes.

 

[southernlady]

sorry it's going to have to go ahead. :085: and that's a long time to be on liquids, yikes.

The up side to this...I'll lose my regain again.

 

[JackieOnLine]

yes, I thought of that. :tongue:

 

[SHales]

Oh man, sorry you have to go through this, I hope it improves things.

 

[brooklyngirl]

Ack, sorry you have to go through surgery and another liquid diet!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

AGH :-(. I'm so sorry to hear you'll have to do this misery AGAIN.

 

[DeeDee484]

Sorry you have to go through this! Hope and pray it goes well for you!

 

[southernlady]

Update...had my 2 year check up this afternoon...spent the last 36 hours in Knoxville as both of us had a doctor appt and no, we couldn't seem to combine them into one day. We spent the night with a good friend.

Anyway, they took a panoramic xray (which I got a copy to give to my dentist) and then I saw the surgeon. (also saw his current resident as this is at UT which is a teaching hospital). He looked at the xray then we talked as to how I was doing. I mentioned that the lower jaw really bothered me...after feeling along my jaw line, he agreed and based on the xray, said it was an "easy" matter to remove the plates/screws in the lower jaw....it will be day surgery. The upper jaw would be far more complicated and it just is slightly bothersome unlike the bottom half. It just feels like my sinuses are "full" (they are, of metal). So unless it really becomes an issue, the top plates/screws stay there.

Since I am a Medicare Advantage patient, he has to get a pre-approval. Then I have to go over to do all the registration, paperwork, etc (I DID ask if my PCP could handle that but apparently not), and then within a month of that, have surgery. Tentative date is around the first part of May. He typically does his scheduled surgeries on Tues...so it's likely I will have it on a Tues. Getting approval should be an easy matter as he did the original surgery and Medicare Advantage companies TEND to let you see the original surgeon if he is still in network.

So I should have about another month to protein load...altho today was a bust.

 

[Sandy]

That sounds like all sorts of miserable, Liz. I'm glad you have a game plan now so you know what you're up against. May the agonizingly long (well it would be for me anyway) liquid food phase go by quickly.

 

[Parousia]

That does sound awful, Liz! I do hope everything goes smoothly and that you feel much better after the procedure.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I know you will be glad when it's over!!