TMJ Forum - Can reconstructive surgery for TMJ cause nerve damage to the

Conditions and Diseases > TMJ Forum > Can reconstructive surgery for TMJ cause nerve damage to the

Q: Can reconstructive surgery for TMJ cause nerve damage to the

asked by: DoctorQuestion on February 26th, 2006

I have had TMJ since I was 16. It prgressively got worse over the years. I went through 7 TMJ splints and meds did not work. I have had 3 surgeries.

The first surgery was:

TMJ Bilateral Arthrocentecesis - they removed 20 cc's of praticals and fluid on my right side and 25 cc's of particals and fluid on my left side. My doctor had thought that I had a tumor but the MRI showed just massive amounts of fluid and particals, thus calling for this surgery.
This relief lasted for a year.

The second surgery was:

TMJ Bilateral Arthroscopic surgery - This surgery gave me about a years relief.

The third surgery was:

Bilateral Reconstructive Jaw surgery - (I can't remember the medical terminology) I had this one about 2 years after the second surgery. It has been 2 years since this surgery and I still have very little problems with my TMD. My question is this....

After each of my surgeries, I knew that there would be a possibility of loss of feeling in the face. Each time I did lose feeling. Now I have no feeling on either side of my tempral area from the top of my head down around my hear. I can live with that. It's wierd, but liveable. What I'm wondering is, after this 3rd surgery, I lost some of my hearing as well. I am now having to wear hearing aides. Can the reconstructive Surgery cause nerve damage in the ear nerves as well as the face nerves or is that just some thing that has happened?

Users who thank DoctorQuestion for this post: Spookysue

Replies(1)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on May 22nd, 2006

TMJ Answer A896

Reconstructive operations such as the ones you've experience can’t damage ear nerves. Ear nerves are located inside the skull and all your reconstructions were faciltated via a structure placed outside the skull. It is possible, however, that the middle and outer ear become damaged during such reconstructions. The structures of the middle and outer ear don’t contain acoustic nerve structures but DO contain bone structures that conduct and transmit sound waves to the inner ear where the acoustic nerve is placed. You will need an expert opinion from an ENT-specialist about this problem.

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