Severe Trimus

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CancerDad423
CancerDad423 Member Posts: 1
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

For some background here... I had throat cancer in 2012 with 4 rounds of 24/7 chemo and 35 rounds of radiation.  I recovered pretty well and was fine until 2014 when it retured with the tumer being higher in my throat, this was follwed by 6 rounds of chemo and 33 rounds of radiation.

This is where things really fell apart.  I started having some jaw pain a few months after my last radiation treatment which turned into severe trimus to the point that I have maybe 15mm of opening, when normal opening is 20-25mm with the ability to open to 40mm.  Where this is great for weight loss...not realy good for talking or eating and very painful so I'm on oxvcodone more then I care to be.

My question is what can be done about this?  Is there a surgery that can replace the muscle on the left side of my jaw as that is the one that is damaged and not about to move much.  I'm really at my wits end with the pain and the inabilty to open to eat, I've lost teeth becasue of it.  Would this be an ENT Dr. surgery, Oral surgen...or something else.

Any advice would be helpful.

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  • georgiasurfer
    georgiasurfer Member Posts: 63 Member
    #2
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    My husband had surgery. His
    My husband had surgery. His was so bad it was 6mm. An oral surgeon at Emory did the surgery. Dr Roser. They actually cut his jaw on both sides. It is so much better but not perfect. His opening is now about 20mm but he can eat again. Some have success with a Therabite or tongue depressors. Start ASAP working on it. It will only get worse and harder to treat.

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