Benefits and risks

Information for the public

When NICE looked at the evidence, it decided that that the procedure works well and is safe enough to be used in the NHS. The 7 studies that NICE looked at involved a total of 3936 patients.

Generally, they showed the following benefits:

less pain
better movement in the jaw and ability to open the mouth wider
ability to eat a less restricted, more normal diet
improved speech.

Most patients in the studies said they were enthusiastic, pleased or satisfied with the procedure, and that they would have the surgery again.

NICE also received a number of commentaries from patients who described the beneficial effects of the procedure on their lives, including being able to communicate at work and better psychological wellbeing.

The studies showed that the risks included:

bleeding during the procedure; 2 patients needed a blood transfusion and 1 patient needed more surgery
facial nerve weakness; this was temporary (up to 6 months) in most people
sensory loss to the lip or tongue
the joint parts coming loose, dislodging, breaking or getting infected. These were reported in 1 to 3% of patients.

NICE was also told about some other possible risks: changes in hearing, damage to an area of the skull known as the middle cranial fossa, and gustatory sweating (sweating on the cheeks after eating food) known as Frey's syndrome. Patients with allergies to metals may react to certain types of prostheses and patch testing is commonly done to guide the choice of prosthesis.

If you want to know more about the studies see the guidance. Ask your health professional to explain anything you don't understand.