NE HEALTH BUREAU
CHENNAI, AUG 23
SIMS Hospital from the SRM Group of Institutions has successfully performed three total jaw joint replacement surgeries, including one using 3D printing technology, first in Tamil Nadu , said Dr K Sridhar, Director, Institute of Croniofacial, Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery, SIMS Hospital here on Saturday.
Though surgeries for the replacement of hip and knee joints have become common, the ones for the replacement of jaw joints and the use of 3D printed custom-made joints are entirely new, Dr Sridhar said.
In a rare surgical feat, the team of plastic surgeons at SIMS Hospital, has successfully performed total jaw joint replacement for three persons using 3D-printed custom-made jaw joints….
Know more →https://t.co/We6q56SZhH#SIMSHospital #PlasticSurgery #Jointreplacement pic.twitter.com/dYKcEYSB1x— SIMS Chennai (@SIMSHospital) August 22, 2021
Explaining the complex procedure, Dr Sridhar said, “We have performed total jaw joint replacement for three (One from Tirupura, another hailing from Neyveli in Tamil Nadu) different patients. In one patient, who had zero mouth opening following a jaw surgery done elsewhere, the damaged jaw bone part was replaced with an artificial part made of titanium, as the metal has no side effects.
Compared to other replacements – total hip or knee – the ‘Total Jaw replacement’ costs is very low, as the 3 Printed cutomised Jaw would costs around Rs. 50,000 and operation/medical cost would comes around Rs. 2.5 to 3 lakhs, Dr Sridhar said.
The same was done for the second patient who had complete ‘ankylosis’ (immobile joint) of temporomandibular joint (TM joint), which acts like a sliding hinge, connecting jawbone to skull. This patient also had the complaints of sleep apnoea (snoring and sleep disorder due to less oxygenation) and hypoplasia of jaw bone (smaller than normal jaw bone). For this patient, first the jaw bone was lengthened with distraction and later total joint replacement was performed, Dr Sridhar added.
The third patient had a bone tumour, for which the entire one half of the jaw, the TM joint and the adjoining facial bones were removed about 20 years ago. This patient required a custom made jaw joint for replacement. Since no bone was available to fix the joint, the total jaw joint was replaced with artificial jaws made of titanium and polyethylene using 3D printing technology. Since this patient required teeth on one half we also took leg bone and did microsurgery and put in a dental implant also at the same time.”
All the patients now have very good mouth opening. The two patients who were not able to open their mouths at all are on solid food after many years. The third patient with a custom made joint is waiting for the fixing of the teeth on the implant.
Talking about the necessity of jaw joint replacement, Dr Sridhar said, “Patients who have problems with opening of mouth (Trismus) due to infection, arthritis or trauma, struggle to chew their food. In extreme cases, the patients can hardly achieve 2–3 mm of mouth opening. We call the condition of immobile joint as ‘ankylosis. Those who have ankylosis will not be able to take real solid food, and will be forced to live their lives only with a soft or semi solid diet.”
Usually, the treatment for ankylosis involves creation of a gap by cutting the fused joint and tissues (like muscle, cartilage, or silicone) to prevent fusing again. But, recurrence and failure are very common. In the case of cancer, the adjoining bone may be removed leaving behind a large gap. The reconstruction for it is done by transferring a bone from leg to jaw with micro-surgery. This is possible if a joint is present. If the joint is also removed, then there is a need to create a new joint.
Speaking on the rare clinical feat, Dr. Raju Sivasamy, Vice President – SIMS Hospital, said, “All our clinical endeavours are aimed to restore good health and physical functionality for our patients. For that we innovate continuously by keeping abreast with the technological advancements around the world, and fostering clinical innovation. I applaud the leadership and guidance of Dr. Sridhar that has led his team to achieve this remarkable success.”
Ecstatic over the feat, Ravi Pachamuthu, Chairman – SRM Group, said, “It is always a proud moment to achieve something that is rare. And, I am truly delighted about this accomplishment by Dr. Sridhar and his team. Reflecting upon the life transforming clinical success of these three persons, I can say that our Institute of Craniofacial, Aesthetic & Plastic Surgery really live upto their moto of ‘making lives meaningful’. I congratulate Dr. Sridhar and his team for this outstanding and rare clinical feat.”
