Another Possibility

It's amazing the people you meet when you aren't even looking! I met a gentleman at the golf tournament on Sunday, March 29, who has connections with a surgeon in Tijuana, as well as surgical facilities. When I told him about the cost to have the surgery done in Mexicali, he felt that it was unrealistic. I am contacting him to arrange for the medical information/records to be sent to the maxillofacial specialist he knows to see what he can do for me. I told him the budget is tight and that I still have bills in the US that have to be paid from the emergency room visit, so hopefully he will keep that in mind when communicating my needs to the surgeon. I am also petitioning the Flying Samaritans, a group of surgeons from the United States who come to Mexico to perform surgical procedures for underprivileged residents. In lieu of paying for the surgery, I would donate the balance of the savings account to assist in covering costs for their team. I will keep this blog updated as more information become available.

More Screening

I had a second opinion from a surgeon in the US, had another series of cranial x-rays. I am still not convinced of the procedure to have done - re-breaking the jaw and removing the pieces. The quote from the Mexicali surgeon was out of the ballpark (with expenses, surgeon and surgical gallery, it was $9,500). I used a portion of the funds generated to pay for the US opinion and diagnostics, and travel expenses totaling $1,950.

Projected Surgery Date and Info

I had an appointment with Dr. Rubio Mora to review the x-rays I had taken in Mexicali a couple weeks ago. He spent about 40 minutes explaining each x-ray, how the normal joint should look, what mine looks like now, and the reasons that reconstruction is not possible. The piece that had broken clean off the top of the mandible and folded in toward my middle jaw has re-attached itself to the top of the mandible at an angle that prevents my mouth from opening more than about 18cm. I also have some atrophy in the muscle, which causes my jaw to cramp, much like a charley-horse. The fragments of the bone where it shattered have melded to other parts of the joint further exacerbating the difficulty in movement.

It was disappointing to hear that the damage is too extensive to actually rebuild the joint. However, the doctor has detailed a plan of alternatives to reconstruction. First, he needs to re-fracture the area of the jawbone that has re-affixed itself, then remove the top portion. He will measure the extension of my jaw before he closes to measure the expected increase of mobility. He also explained that he will be able to see a lot more once he gets inside the TMJ and will do his absolute best to give me the result I am looking for. I will not have to have my mouth wired shut as there will be no restoration of the joint.

I will then begin a series of therapy to exercise the muscles to allow my jaw to function more effectively. Part of that process includes restoring my missing teeth, which will assist in balanced mobility. Because the lower teeth support the jaw when it's closed and to chew, having implants for the 4 missing molars is most important. Then later I will have bridges put in on the top to fill the gaps, as I can afford to have the procedures done. It is much less expensive in Mexico than in the US, and since I am having the same surgeon do most of the work, I should get an even better rate.

We have tentatively scheduled the surgery for January 2009 after the holidays. Dr. Mora Rubio will contact the hospital to find out the charges for the surgeons' gallery and anesthesia and will provide me with a detailed quote when I am ready to proceed with a surgery date. Hopefully, I have raised enough funds to pay for the whole thing; otherwise, I will need to discuss payment options with the doctor. I must, however, be able to pay for the hospital expense in Mexicali.

As soon as I have that information, I will post it on this blog. The quote will include recent visits to the surgeon as well.