Jaw Surgery?

[Sunny]

Every best wish for a speedy recovery Shasbob!

Jaw surgery is limiting to you for a few weeks after surgery, but if you follow all instructions carefully and do your best to get your buising out and swelling down, things will improve quickly.

Sorry that you're having to have your jaw 'wired'. That's not done with most jaw surgery now, instead elastic bands are used. A few ortho's still prefer wiring, but they're mostly over it. No matter what, your jaw needs to be kept reasonably stable for a few weeks to enable the best healing environment.

Good luck and I look forward to reading about how it goes for you!

[Tara19]

hey shabob - how about a blog to track your progress. My already went though it, but I think it would help out around here.

[18daystobrace]

Originally Posted by Shasbob

K guys.... Wed., 3/19/08 is my day for surgery, upper & lower. We're going down to UCSF Tues., supposed to be home on Thurs. 3/21. I'll let you know how it went as soon as I can. I supposed I'll be sleeping a lot 1st few days, but I'll get back I all goes well, & I'm here.

Shasbob in CA

Let me know how many days until you can speak. Painful? Mouth shut for how many days? etc. The wait is over for you! Congratulations!!

[mike5824]

I just had my $35,000 Underbite surgery done for free. I was responsible for paying for the hospital stay after surgery and for my Braces but still haven’t gotten 1 bill yet.

I had the Upper jaw moved forward & the Lower jaw moved back to fix a bad underbite after I wore the braces for about 2 years to first align the teeth better.


I always had a bad smile especially if I smiled big so I asked Orthodontists and they all told me I NEED surgery to get braces.
BRACES = $5,000+
SURGERY = $35,000+
So I prayed for about 4-5 years while thinking God would provide the $40,000. Then my wisdom teeth needed to be pulled and the Oral surgeon who did it asked me if I ever considered surgery for my Underbite and told me that his brother, also an Oral Surgeon, does those surgeries for free because it would be done in front of students so they can learn how its done and he has done lots of those surgeries and specializes in them. But I needed to talk to him and then get braces on until my teeth were straight. So I put braces on in 1 week from Drs. Selky & Reily in Grayslake, IL, USA.

When my teeth were straight I met with the surgeon and we set a surgery date and, as I am typing this, its been 4 months after surgery. I have no numbeness or any complications. I get my braces off in 2 weeks and then I’m all done.

ALL I CAN REALLY SAY IS THAT IT WAS REALLY WORTH THE INCONVENIENCE!

[Zoso]

Originally Posted by Sunny

Sorry that you're having to have your jaw 'wired'. That's not done with most jaw surgery now, instead elastic bands are used. A few ortho's still prefer wiring, but they're mostly over it. No matter what, your jaw needs to be kept reasonably stable for a few weeks to enable the best healing environment.

Rubber bands do not replace wiring the jaws shut. It is the advent of rigid internal fixation that has meant this is possible for most (not all) procedures) for most (not all) patients. Small plates and screws (usually made from titanium - a very lightweight metal) are used to hold the different sections of the bone together correctly whilst they heal. And, unless they subsequently cause problems (which does occasionally happen) these plates and screws are left permanently in place - a second procedure is only required to remove them should they become loose, or should infection develop around them, and this is fairly unusual.

Rubber bands do have a role to play for many (but not all) patients in the weeks immediately post-op, but that is more about helping guide the jaw muscles to their new positions. These elastics are generally rather light (lower forces) and are not there to hold the bony sections in place.

Additionally some patients may also find that their doc likes to keep a splint in place for some period - sometimes even weeks - post-op. This is something that varies from one OMS to another, and even from one patient to another at the same OMS.

Shasbob - I hope your surgery went well, and that you are coming along nicely with recovery now. Coming up on 5 weeks wired now, I think? I bet you're just itching to get those wires out! Best wishes for that.

By the way - may I ask if your lower jaw was brought forward, or was it set back? Just wondering if you were wired due to the particular procedure your OS chose to use, and thought perhaps it was a set-back done by IVRO instead of BSSO.

[Shasbob]

Thank YOU! My recover is coming along greatly, though I can't help but complain about the numbness left in my chin. I do have all my chin muscles working, just the lower gums, lip & chin areas are still numb. I do have little tinges of pain, tingling & itching periodically, and I know that's to be expected. Signs of "healing"... yea! I did get my rubber bands removed this past Wed. 4/23, and couldn't wait for the surg. hooks to be removed too...thanx to my ortho. he had schedule to do the next day, 4/24.. yea again! Now I just have to get used to eating till this all wears off.

As for the 2nd question(s), my jaw was closing slightly to the left, I'm thinking from years of TMJ, plus I was blessed w/my father's family upper (smaller) & mother's family lower (wider), slightly throwing everything off there too... sooo, my OMS decided after working w/my impressions, he would 1st center my midline, move the jaw up slighly & tweek it so my upper/lower align together. Guess I was pretty messed up all my life & the orthodontists in the 70's just didn't have the technology they have today. I just knew there was alway something wrong, just couldn't pinpoint it. Another thing, I've only had 1 headache since my surg., & that's because the north wind was blowing that day. I'm hoping & praying this surgery too has alleviated the headache issues I've had for years. I've always thought it was my allergy issues. Time will tell.

Okay, I've blabbed on enough. Anythine else? Just ask, I'm here to help anyone I can.
Shasbob

[Zoso]

You're absolutely right! That tingling, itching, and pain is almost certainly an indicator that the IAN is recovering from the surgery, and hopefully you'll see a good deal of that feeling return to normal. Be patient as it can take a long time - sometimes many months - but it should certainly start to recede over the coming weeks.

The news about your headaches is most encouraging - possible perhaps that your jaw issues were often the cause?