Temporomandibular joint interpositional gap arthroplasty under intravenous (I.V) conscious sedation

Ankylosis may be defined as the fusion of joint surfaces. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is a condition that may cause chewing, digestion, speech, esthetic and psychological disorders. It is a devastating disorder resulting in inability to open the mouth. As a result of this, General anaesthesia, is very difficult to administer because laryngeal inlet is not directly visualized. Even the blind nasal intubation is difficult because of small mandible and tongue fall following relaxation. There are various techniques to overcome these challenges. At times these techniques fail and tracheostomy has to be done. All the risks associated with difficult intubation, and general anaesthesia can be avoided if the surgery is done under conscious sedation. Conscious sedation, a simple but safe and effective method of anaesthesia is described here, which allows successful temporomandibular joint interpositional gap arthroplasty.