An elective anesthesia plan should be written out and filed in your hospital chart. A copy should be given to your family doctor and a copy should be retained by you, especially when you are travelling away from home. The anesthesiologist's note should include the warning that intramuscular injections should be avoided, if possible, and that care should be taken to avoid soft tissue injury and to pad bony areas during surgery to prevent pressure sores. Several FOP patients have noted that elective removal of teeth once the jaw has fused may help provide oral access as well as help in eating and preventing aspiration of food. It is important not to undergo any aggressive dental procedure while the jaw is still mobile, as such procedures could rapidly lead to ossification about the jaw and further limit movement at the temporomandibular joints.
Anesthesiologists are well-trained experts in handling emergency situations.
Even if you have not had an initial evaluation, and even if your anesthesiologist has never seen a patient with FOP, a well-trained anesthesiologist is capable of rapidly evaluating difficult airway access. They will know how to deal with it. So, if an emergency should arise, and you have not previously seen or been evaluated by an anesthesiologist on an elective basis, do not panic. The anesthesiologist will be able to deal with it, much like an airplane pilot who has never flown a particular route will know how to deal with an emergency situation. In summary, although surgery is generally avoided in patients with FOP, as it can stimulate new areas of heterotopic ossification, there are certain indications for surgical intervention and careful and appropriate airway management.