Is TMJ Surgery the Answer to All Facial Related Complications?
TMJ or The Temporomandibular joint is the joint that allows you to move your jaw as you like, help you chew your food, and talk amongst other things. It is located where the skull and jawbone meet and are shaped like a hinge.
TMJ surgery is needed by patients who are suffering from TMJ disorder where the jaw gets fused with the skull making it impossible for the person to open his mouth or an accident that resulted in broken bones and injuries to the soft tissues leading to facial trauma. The surgery might also be done for patients suffering from tumour or cancer. In such cases, the patient’s ability to see, move his jaw, swallow gets hindered making him unable to breathe. The posture and movements of the whole body get affected as well.
Even in its reckoning stage, TMJ surgery in India is already booming because of the quality and efficiency of the surgical care offered. TMJ surgery cost in India varies from patient to patient depending on the severity and complexity of the case, but it usually ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 3,00,000, which is less than half of what other countries charge. Implants needed to aid with the surgery takes up most of the cost.
There are several different surgeries available depending on the intensity of the case. One such is Arthrocentesis which is performed in case of minor injuries or stiffness to the wounds where a fluid is injected in the joint which removes any inflammation and helps regain the motion. Another is Arthroscopy which is a bit more invasive than Arthrocentesis but lesser than Open-Joint surgery. In this procedure, a small hole or holes are made on the skin above the joint to allow a cannula to pass through it for doctors to be able to perform surgery using small surgical instruments.
TMJ replacement surgery in India is mostly restricted to those patients that have already had several other treatments done to them with no luck. In this open- joint surgery, the surgeons will remove excess tissues and bony growths, and repair and reposition them. If it is not in a repairable condition, then it is replaced by an artificial disk or other tissues. The patient’s rib grafts along with the titanium plates are used in the reconstruction process.
There are many TMJ surgery specialists in India who have shown wonders in this field of dental, medical, and surgical science. In 2014, AIIMS became the first medical institution in India to have successfully carried out a Total Temporomandibular Joint replacement. And at the beginning of 2020, AIIMS once again brought a remarkable change by introducing India to 3D jaw joint replacement. Under this technique of ‘Virtual Surgical Planning’, medical imaging software and technology are used to print cutting jigs to develop a 3D image which is then implanted during the surgery.
This development is not only a big achievement in the field of medical history but is also a ray of hope for people going through these adversities. The success rate is very high, and the surgery is known to be quite safe.
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