Titanium Plate after mandibulectomy

hwt said:

Titanium

I had my lower jaw recontructed with my fibula and titanium last January. For many months it felt like I was carrying around a bag of nickels on my lower jaw but that sensation has since passed. I haven't noticed anything usual in the cold but it hasn't been down to zero here this year either. I can't open my mouth as wide as I used to and that isn't going to change. When I cut a sandwich and eat it with a fork because I can't get my mouth around it, I just remind myself that I am fortunate to be eating it at all. I am about to undergo hyper baric chamber tx and then will be getting implants where he fibula/titanium is. Right now, I have a temporary denture. A year out and my jaw is a constant discomfort but never painful. I did have chemo and radiation and attribute most of my discomfort to the radiation. 

Candi

Unfortunately, I can't help you with your question.  After my bone graft failed and they took the bone out, a screw worked loose on the plate.  A month and a half after the bone came out, so did the plate.  I was told they couldn't reattach it.  I'm surprised they reattached yours.  I'm going to find out why couldn't attach mine again now that I know reattachment is possible.  Right now the half a mandible that I have left sorta swings in the breeze.  Good luck.

hwt said:

George

That would be wonderful if you good get a shot at another plate. Have you ever considered getting an opinion from Mayo? 

when I get dilated again on the 19th.  One of the two doctors that performed the mandible operation is going to dilate me since my gastroenterologist was afraid he'd tear my esophagus the last time he tried.  With all the known FACTS about my case, I came to the conclusion that my esophageal stricture wasn't staying open because of the neck being fibrotic and putting pressure on everything.  I advanced that theory to my doc and he said that was possible.  Since I've had improvement with the neck from my chiropractor using the Graston Technique on me, I wanted to try the drug that Blackswampboy brought up in a recent post.  I found out though that Trental can't be crushed because it is a time release tablet.  I did start using an over the counter herbal supplement that does basically the same thing as Trental in that it increases the blood flow.  Hopefully by attacking the problem both from the inside and outside, I'll get this thing licked and be able to swallow again.

I seem to have gotten off on a tangent, HWT.  As far as your question about Mayo, I think Hellman's is best especially on fresh white bread with a thick slice of beefsteak tomato and a cold glass of whole white milk (Sorry, couldn't resist.  As you can tell, I dream alot about food).  Seriously though, my two docs that did the operation are both affiliated with Johns Hopkins. I'm sure both are up with the latest techniques.  I do have confidence in both.  My failure was brought on by 44 years of smoking and drinking plus even more years of eating good fried foods.  For the way things turned out, I have no one to blame but myself.