Doctors in Supercare Hospital successfully conducted the first alloplastic jaw transplant on a 24-year old woman, who was unable to chew food or close her mouth for the past one year.
The woman from West Khasi Hills district had sought medical help from the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) in Supercare Hospital, Shillong. She had complained of severe pain in bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which acts like a sliding hinge, connecting the lower jawbone to the skull.
“She had difficulty in eating and chewing food, difficulty in opening and closing her mouth as well as difficulty in biting her upper and lower teeth for past one year and progressive development of open bite,” doctors said, adding, reports suggests that she was suffering from bilateral degenerative TM joint disease.
A team of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (who are a part of OncomaxNE association) headed by Dr. Bobby Linda Majaw from Shillong and Dr. Ashutosh Vatsyayan from Guwahati carried out what is possibly the first ever CAD/CAM Alloplastic Bilateral temporomandibular joint replacement surgery at Supercare Hospital which lasted for eight hours.
They were assisted by Dr Debashish Borkotoky (OMFS) and Anaesthetists, Dr. Sangeeta Kar and Dr Janardhan Bordoloi.
Doctors informed that the custom fabricated implant was manufactured from TMJ consultancy services from Bhopal under the guidance of Dr. Darpan Bhargava and the entire surgery was supported with the Megha Health Insurance Scheme of the Meghalaya government.
Meanwhile, Dr. P S Chakraborty, co-director of OncomaxNe and who is currently pursuing his MSc in Clinical Oncology at Birmingham, UK has lauded the team and expressed his happiness over the success of the surgery.
