LSH: Upcoming hysterectomy 6/6: Intubation and TMJ

Has anyone dealt with this one? I've got bad TMJ, and my PCP warned that it might be a challenge with intubation and to discuss with anesthesiologist. (Not sure what he can do, and I doubt it can be worse than the time a novice subbing for my usual dentist wrenched my jaw filling a back molar and left me unable to eat for two weeks till I met my amazing chiropractor). So:

Has anyone here survived intubation while having diagnosed TMJ?

What do you recommend I be telling the anesthesiologist becides "I have TMJ?" I'm kinda already not his favorite person because of the Saga of Putting an IV in Me When I'm a Vampire from Friday. (Read that btw if it would help you to have a black humor laugh at an IV problem so implausibly awful it's hard to imagine anyone else's topping it for a while.) What do I actually say to him that won't just sound like more whining? Is there anything he can do to make intubation less bad in the case of TMJ?

Hi! I have been intubated several times with TMJ issues. Just mention it to your anesthesia team. Honestly it have never felt worse than jaw soreness after a dental cleaning!

Hi noname1000 -

Make sure your anesthesiologist knows about your TMJ, as well as any other health issues you have. Even if you think they are minor, it might be important. If they know they have to deal with something, they can take steps to deal with it. I do not think he will think that you are whining. If it makes you feel better, say that your PCP mentioned that your TMJ could be an issue.

I always have a list of health items I tell the new doctors. I would rather they know then not know. Let them decide what is important.

So far I've told two nurses to tell him. And cited PCP.

I have pretty bad TMJ and I'm 12 days post op and I did OK. I've actually been intubated 3 times in past 10 months. BUT, your anesthesia doc could choose to go through your nose instead of your mouth...so talk to him/her and let them decide. They are going to keep your jaw in a specific position to keep your airway open. I had more trouble with my neck than my jaw. Just let them know, but don't stress about it. Mine is pretty severe and the tube hasn't made in any worse times 3 surgeries in 10 months. How is the IV holding up? Good Luck tomorrow! Don't let anyone push you to go home too soon, I am so glad I had two nights post op in the hospital...listen to your body!

I'm pretty sure the IV is still in. No redness, heat, or lumps, and my husband says he sees the saline going into the cannula. The saline burns real bad, but it burns in a "line" down my arm and there's no lump, so I hope the cannula is still in the vein and he just doesn't have a nurse's touch. It burned some when the nurse first did it. So I'm hopeful, I I think starting prophylactic antibiotics early has been good. My immunity is shot to he**, and I think I was cooking yet another low grade sinus infection.

Now I just need to somehow sleep. Boss buried me under a tidal wave of remote work emergencies. I did 17 hours today. And to cope with the fact that no one called with my D&C biopsy results when they promised they would. Hope that means normal.

If you can feel the burn shot up your arm when it's flushed, you are still in! Good luck! Will be thinking I of you tmmrw and offering prayers!

Thank you, Corpsman! It's definitely shooting up in a clean line, not a diffuse burn. Hey, I even slept! (4 hours, but I was expecting zero...)

Hoping its all over with now. Post when you feel up to it!

It's over! I'm in bed, waiting for my husband to get back from CVS with my Percocet. Preliminary pathology strongly suggests adenomyosis, not endometriosis, which if true I'm thrilled about because adeno isn't chronic. I'll see what the pain is like when the IV opioids wear off...

(Jaw feels pretty good, though the intubation sore throat was vicious until my husband could get back there with the cough drops.)