jaw realignment

charlies-aunt

loulou123 wrote: »

Just to give people a different point of view (as am sure everyone has very different results immediately following the op)
Cant believe they sent your daughter home next morning :eek: i was in high dependancy from immediately after the op, until the next afternoon (but even my surgeon, who has done hundreds of similar ops was surprised by the degree of swelling i had), i was then transferred to the normal surgical ward, where i spent the next night, by the third day tho i REALLY wanted to go home, so ahem, discharged myself against medical advice! .

We were very shocked...and a bit scared as she was very swollen and heavy bruised from her hairline right down to her chest . . . . but the consultant sends everyone home because of the risk of mrsa . . the recovery ward was a bit dire - my daughter had to take herself + drip stand to the loo on her own through the night. . . . on both occasions she fainted and then got told off because she had dislodged the cannula :mad: She was safer and better looked after at home IMO - although DH & I never slept for the first three days - so worried that something was going to go wrong.

loulou123

charlies-aunt wrote: »

We were very shocked...and a bit scared as she was very swollen and heavy bruised from her hairline right down to her chest . . . . but the consultant sends everyone home because of the risk of mrsa . . the recovery ward was a bit dire - my daughter had to take herself + drip stand to the loo on her own through the night. . . . on both occasions she fainted and then got told off because she had dislodged the cannula :mad: She was safer and better looked after at home IMO - although DH & I never slept for the first three days - so worried that something was going to go wrong.

Yes i agree the bruising is pretty shocking, i looked a right mess :eek:
but i was more concerned by the swelling which i wasnt prepared for as it was so instant. I actually got fantastic treatment in hospital the 1st night (tho as i said i was in high dependancy, with one to one nursing etc) but still wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible! I'm sure i gave my mum a few sleepless nights too, especially as i had discharged myself

robnye

gladd to see this discussion still going.....

my eldest -whom i raised this thread about is now 3 years+ post jaw alignment operation, initially she spent 3 days in hospital - although i dont remember, apart from the first night sleeping in an arm chair in her room.... bruising was very colourful and reached down to her breast bone..... all colours of the rainbow, swelling was mild compared to when she had teeth out to make room....!

lisp has reduced
nerve damage, originally she suffered nerve damage (she was warned) on the left side of mouth, when she had teeth out to make room, following the operation this came back back and she now has a mild numbness in the middle of the bottom lip.

teeth wise, unfortunately (being a typical teenager), didnt realise the emphasis on wearing the retainer was important. she has since returned to the orthodontists and they have fitted her with and adjustable brace. which within 4 weeks has made a difference...... with it being adjustable she can losen/tighten it at will.....

overall she looks stunning, physically - no scars, apart from in the mouth (she had to have the plates removed a few months later), mentally has never looked back.....!

as i have said it is over 3 years aga now..... and the worst parts have been forgotton or are distant memories

negative - not enough information given in preparation - whilst the amount of pain/uncomfortableness cannot be ascertained for each individual, im not even sure talking to previous patients woul dhave solved everything, but perhaps a prelim talk would have helped

willashland

Toothsmith wrote: »

2cm is indeed a fair bit, but I don't know how this has been measured.

kacie seems a bit unsure about how to go about getting an osteotomy, which makes me think it's not been discussed by any dentist she's seen yet, so that's why I'm not sure if 2cm is a proper measurment of her overbite, or just a random measurement she's made herself from unknown points.

I would have hoped that if there was a real 2cm overbite, then it would have been discussed at some point with her what her options were.

I feel that nowadays, surgery is too often seen as a quick fix to what can sometimes be very minor blemishes. It's true that surgery these days is probably safer than it has ever been (even with post op hospital infections!). But it's still a major trauma to the body, and sometimes bodies react badly and unexpected things happen. I don't think that's pointed out often enough.

kacie needs to see a dentist and get referred if there really is a big problem with her bite, and it shouldn't cost her anything to get it done if it's considered 'necessary'. If it isn't necessary, then she really needs to be warned to think about it very carefully.

I would like to just add some things to what the ToothFairy said. Of course, no surgery should ever be taken lightly, as these are 'unnatural' modifications to the built-in systems our bodies have developed to cope with various sorts of conditions. That being said, this surgery can entirely change one's outlook on life. I've been doing research for the last several years into it, and I'm set to undergo orthognathic surgery next March, with mandibular and maxillary osteotomy to advance my upper jaw and recess my lower jaw.

My underbite causes me distress on a daily basis. I hate looking at myself in the mirror, so it's a cosmetic nuisance, but it also makes it very hard to eat certain foods, which can be embarrassing at times. My speech is affected, as I'm told I have a lisp which I do not notice myself. I expect this surgery to be a life-changing event for me personally, but of course we should always manage our expectations for any kind of significant event in our lives.

I've consulted with my dentist, orthodontist, and my maxillofacial surgeon on an ongoing basis. Fortunately, my surgery will be covered entirely through insurance; I only had to pay about $7,000 out of pocket for braces and miscellaneous odds and ends (MRI, mouth splint, etc.) It is an ongoing process which takes years to undergo, but I cannot wait to see what the new me will look like.

I've spent endless hours watching online videos made by people who have undergone the surgery, and read countless posts online about peoples' experiences (which is how I ended up on here.) The best thing ANYONE can do when evaluating this surgery is to INFORM yourself through as many channels as possible. Listen to and learn from others' experiences, good and bad, and weigh the risks with the potential outcomes. For me, there is no question. I plan on adding to the inventory of YouTube videos where people document their surgery, recovery, and final result. My YouTube username is WillAshland if you want to watch it around 03/2012.

Please do not be deterred by a "qualified dentist" who equates this surger with a car crash. My team of medical practitioners say otherwise, and so do the dozens of people who have undergone this procedure, who despite the pain, swelling, liquid diet, and slow recovery, swear that they would happily do this surgery again.

More to come, good luck to all who travel down a similar road.

Chris

Lea82

hi, i realise this post is quite old but i felt i needed to comment. I was under the orthedonist since i was 12. Just before i turned 18 i had train tracks put on which i knew would be on for 3 years and i knew i would need jaw realignment as my face was wonky and quite upsetting, i couldn't bite my front teeth together either. I had the surgery when i was 20 (nearly 21) and i can honestly say it was the best thing i ever done. Once the drugs wore off it was painful at times. But you get painkillers etc. Yes you do loose weight (which i loved) but it does go back on rather quick when you start eating again. For about 7 years i was so pleased with the results as i felt happy to smile and have a photo taken. But in the last year or so i have noticed it has gone back :-( i actually found this post because i was looking into how much it would cost to have done again as i am now very uncomfortable. I was told at the time there is a chance it could go back. But if i worn my retainers reguarly would maybe help it stay in place. I have worn them religiously ever other night for 10 years so i am disapointed. But it would really depend on whether your daughter is uncomfortable with her appearance and if it would help her dramatically! But be aware it could go back and it is a bit of kick in the teeth when that happens (excuse the pun). But it was the best thing i ever done and i want to have it done again so it can't be too traumatic?? Hope you get it sorted x