I saw my surgeon

[shanalouis]

i saw my surgeon today and took x-rays of everything, he said everything looks good and that he dont see any loose screws or anything, he said my jaw is getting solid BUT I. dont. think. so. It stills feel very loose and i can here clicking sounds. i dont think my surgeon even know whats going on or what to do. he said he has never seen this in his 40 years and that it will stop in time. i have one more appt. with him, then i see my orthodontist afterwards again.

i am even more worried then i was before, i feel lost and confused, i dont know what to do! who am i suppose to turn to now when my surgeon does even seem to care or know whats wrong with my jaw. i want to know whats going on before it gets worst.

[hduggan]

If the xrays show that the bone is getting more solid (regrowing) that would seem to rule out a non-union (which, by definition, is when the bones *don't* get more solid). When he said that he hadn't seen it in 40 years, did he mean that he hadn't seen a non-union? Or that he hadn't had anyone with the same symptoms as you were showing? And, if he meant the second thing, did he say what he thought was causing your symptoms?

You can always go get a second opinion, if you don't have faith in your surgeon's opinion. You should be able to get the xrays from his office and show them to someone else and, although insurance may not pay for that visit, it might be worth it just to either put your mind at ease (or to have the problem resolved).

[shanalouis]

he said he hasnt seen this happen before. maybe i'll get a second opinion. do i have to get the xrays from his office or can they do the x-rays themselves?

[hduggan]

Anyone you consult with can take their own xrays. It's just cheaper to take the ones you've already had done.

[shanalouis]

ok

[chicago29]

I think you have to take some good news out of this - Your surgeon seemed to indicate that you're healing fine. You should start seeing signs of bone healing by this point, and I'm sure your surgeon is qualified enough to read the x-ray to make an initial diagnosis. Now, this being said, I would think that a true non-union is very hard to diagnose on a pan or ceph, and that it is too early to make that sort of diagnosis in your case. I'm pretty sure the only way to truly diagnose is to do a cat-scan, and I doubt they're going to recommend that when you are only a few weeks out.

If your jaw is literally mobile to me that sounds like a problem...I really don't see how that could be dismissed as normal. Did you show your surgeon? What did they say, because if it really is mobile I have a very hard time thinking s/he dismissed that. So, if that's really the situation, I'd take my X-rays and have another surgeon take a look.

Again, just because you have some mobility does not mean you have a non-union or that you're headed for one. If you're still worried and you don't trust your surgeon, you owe it to yourself to get another opinion.

By the way, "clicking" sounds are totally normal. You're going to have different sounds/feelings after all this. I hate to tell you this but your jaw is never going to be "the same" as it was before you had surgery. Some things are permanently changed...And the more you look for these things the more you're going to find.

-Chicago29

[shanalouis]

i showed him my mobile jaw. he looked at it and said its getting solid, but to me its not. i can feel it moving so much.

i mean i know he is qualified enough to know by the xrays but he also said he never seen this happen before which makes me worry more and if he hasnt seen anything like this before, how would he know whats exactly wrong and what to do....he seems very hesitant..i can tell

now he also said my clenching at night is what can be keeping it loose, so he gave me a muscle relaxer to take, he said that should help with everything.

chicago, what you say makes so much sense, but i'm so worried my jaw will get worst. and theres not many surgeons in my city.

[Christina28]

an ICAT can give a 3 dimensional view of the bone. I don't know how far after surgery they can tell if there is healing or not. I'd look for a second opinion especially if the surgeon says he has never seen it before and you are concerned. Good luck hope it all resolves quickly.

[shanalouis]

yeah

[qwertz1]

I don't mean to say that you shouldn't get a second opinion, even if it only eases your mind.
just don't assume that your surgeon is inexperienced or something like that just because he has never seen it.

all of them say that they've never seen it or seen it many years ago once or twice. it's the nature of a complication like that.
it doesn't mean that your surgeon is inexperienced, it means that is very unlikely that you have it

good luck

[shanalouis]

i'll see what happens until my next appt which is in two weeks.


if its still mobile, something will need to be done........