Jaw surgery sound scary

[Cowtown]

Hi

I'm considering jaw surgery. You all make it sounds soo painful, scary, etc.. From the general consensus, it sounds like there's more cons than pros. What I worry most is permanent nerve damage. Are there anybody who has had 90% plus nerve recovery? I know the BSSO is a greater chance of nerve damage. Could anyone share there experience of nerve recovery and the technique used to break your jaw?

Thank You

[PJ]

The most important thing about getting this surgery, is in my opinion, getting a surgeon you feel you can trust. You need to ask a lot of questions too. My biggest fear about having the surgery (I had Lefort 1 and BSSO) was being wired shut. I went with a surgeon who didn't do that, and who didn't leave me tightly banded either. I was lucky, in that, with my surgery, a splint was unnecessary, which I would imagine makes for a less comfortable recovery, but all those on here who had the splint seem to have dealt with it well.

From my own experience, I can tell you that any worries I had were unfounded. I was able to speak as soon as I woke up. I did not feel nauseated--except when the nurse gave me purple Diamatapp. By that evening I was able to get up and use the bathroom and take walks around the nurses station. I was released the next morning and got in a car for an 8 hour ride home. Was there some pain? Some, but it was mostly discomfort. Did I have a few bad days that first week? Yep, but nothing that couldn't be dealt with.

Depending on the surgery you have, and the surgeon you go with, your experience could be better or worse, but I think if you have done your research, and you ask the right questions, and your surgeon's office gives you all the information you request, you'll feel a lot better about what you might be getting yourself into.

I'm at 3 months post op and still have some numbness/tingling, but nothing major. My surgeon warned me that I could lose feeling in my lower lip permanently, but that is worst case scenario. I had almost all feeling in my lower lip when I woke up--only the right corner was numb. My upper lip and cheeks/nose were numb for about 6 weeks, but that is all back now. About all I have left is one numb spot on my chin. No big deal--I hardly notice it.

As far as how they break your jaw--I imagine they use a bone saw, but I am not sure. I know that you can find film coverage of an actual surgery on You Tube, if you have the stomach for it.

Good luck with your decision.

[marycotter5678]

I haven't had the surgery yet but I talked to my OS about the pain aspect. He told me that most of his patients, after they wake up don't feel pain but instead feel weird and uncomfortable. He said I will be too numb to feel real pain.

Personally, I am not really worried about the pain because I am trusting in what he says plus I'll be asleep durign the whole 'sawing my jaw apart' thing =/ thank god!!!
What I am worried about is freaking out when I'm wired shut and not able to talk, eat, etc... I am also worried about breathing properly and throwing up while wired as I have heard of that on this board =/

[archangel689]

Yeah the only thing scary about it is having a scary surgeon. I read about my surgeon and met a kid that's friends with my brother that had the same surgeon, and I read about the procedure.

It seems that even if a surgeon does one method, say rigid fixation, there are also techniques that differ in doing that rigid fixation. For instance I read a description online that say the surgeon saws the mandible until hitting blood, which allows him to know he's hit the nerve canal. I told the surgeon this description and he laughed and said, hell no, there is no guess work here, when I split the bone I'm staring at the exposed nerve the whole time....

[Emaciated]

You all make it sounds soo painful, scary, etc.. From the general consensus, it sounds like there's more cons than pros

It IS painful and scary, but I disagree with you. I think you'll find that the overwhelming majority of patients are happy they did it and do not regret getting the surgery, even with some speed bumps along the way. (Far more pros than cons). In most cases the surgery has changed peoples' lives for the best. People come to this forum, understandably, to harp on their anxieties, fears, anticipations, and complications during recovery because they're looking for comfort and answers. Keep in mind the most of the post-ops posting here are recently operated on, are likely still healing, are possibly questioning their motives, possibly still depressed, and likely impatient with their results. (I mean that completely respectfully BTW, I was the same way and am speaking from experience). Far fewer come here to post about the positives, but there are plenty. I've been reading this forum daily for years and I can confidently tell you that from I've read here, and the PMs I've shared with other members, the majority of people are thrilled with their results, even with remaining nerve damage.

If its helpful, you're welcome to read about my experience here. You can see photos and read in detail what procedures I had done.
http://www.thisisjustwrong.com

Since you asked, I have permanent nerve damage in a small area in my chin resulting from the sliding-genioplasty I had. The majority of people who have a sliding genio experience permanent nerve damage in the same spot I have, however minimal. I barely feel it, but its there. I can only tell its numb when I shave. I have complete mobility control even with the numbness and would do the surgery again in a heart-beat even knowing I would end up numb in my chin.

Motor-control vid if it makes you feel any better:
http://thisisjustwrong.com/mobility/Mobility.htm

Good luck to you in your decision.

[AF104]

Lets look at the cons of not having surgery: future development of sleep apnea(with the possibility of stroke, heart attack, and death), degradation of the tmjs, a lesser quality of life, etc. The benefits far outweigh the risks! The nerve that is injured during BSSO is a sensory nerve. You'll maintain full control of your lip even if that nerve doesn't recover.

[pvnguyen1]

When I woke up, I felt everywhere right away although I am still numb right now after almost 4 weeks. I had lower jaw surgery and genioplasty. My surgeon is a Kaiser surgeon, he does this procedure 200 times a year for about 20 years.

[Hope Leann]

Okay so....im 15 being a teen age girl isn't easy anyways. but about 2 months ago i dislocated my jaw. it kept happening over and over again after the first time. so my Oral Surgeon wired my jaw shut with loops for 6 weeks 2 days ago i got my wires off and i was so happy. but while i was at school yesterday my jaw dislocated again. my oral surgeon put my wires back on until i have my surgey in about a month. im really scared and i don't know what to expect....can anyone give me any tips? :/

[Bullfighter]

Okay so....im 15 being a teen age girl isn't easy anyways. but about 2 months ago i dislocated my jaw. it kept happening over and over again after the first time. so my Oral Surgeon wired my jaw shut with loops for 6 weeks 2 days ago i got my wires off and i was so happy. but while i was at school yesterday my jaw dislocated again. my oral surgeon put my wires back on until i have my surgey in about a month. im really scared and i don't know what to expect....can anyone give me any tips? :/

I had a BSSO in early 2010, so I'm almost 3 years out. I had little posts on my braces that the surgeon used to fix four rubber bands, two per side, to stabilize my jaw during healing, but internal fixation (screws and plates) kept everything in alignment and I found healing to be relatively easy. Also, I had an open bite and slight overjet, and my bite now is perfect.

Things to consider:

1. You go to sleep, you wake up, it's done. I had no pain that I can remember. Zero.
2. Liquid diet sounds awful, but I live alone and got through it fine with a lot of juice, a blender and a recipe book for blended drinks (mixed with Ensure). I didn't lose much weight, and within three weeks I was eating very soft foods like egg salad, pasta, etc. Because I wasn't working out or doing much of anything physical, I wasn't all that hungry, but I was bored and preparing blender recipes was something to do.
3. The part that is sort of scary is that your jaw won't open very far when you're recovering. The muscles kind of lock up ("spasm") from being held in one position, and it takes time for the range of motion to return. I remember measuring how many fingers I could insert between my teeth. Initially it was barely two. It took three months or so to get back to normal, but it did.
4. You're going to have noticeable swelling for at least a week or two, and bruising. Plan to spend time at home for 2 weeks if you can, because you'll look beat up. As a middle aged guy I just accepted it, but as a 15 year old girl I guess it might be traumatic seeing yourself with bruising for a few weeks.
5. My surgeon said that with BSSO some degree of nerve damage is almost inevitable. I probably did have better than 90% recovery. I have a small numb spot under my chin and another one inside my mouth on the right hand, lower side, as well as a minor impaired spot on my left lower lip. I do notice it every day, so I won't dismiss it as irrelevant. But in my case the aesthetic and functional difference in my lower jaw is also something I notice all the time, and it does feel great to look in the mirror and seeing my teeth actually line up properly. Factor in that I probably would have worn through my back teeth before I was 50 and I'm glad I did this.

If you read all the posts here, you'll be ready. The best part is that immediately after you wake up, your teeth are "magically" lined up perfectly and your bite is magazine-perfect. The not-so-great part is the swelling, blood in your mouth, not being able to clean your teeth for a bit, and being swollen like chipmunk. Three years on, I've almost forgotten about the first week after (which is pretty ugly but wasn't painful) and mostly think about how much better my jaw works and my face looks.

Just know that you might have a few numb spots and accept that in advance. If you're doing it just for cosmetic reasons, I'd say don't, but if your jaws are fully developed and you have a bad bite, this is a good investment in healthy teeth for many decades, given that you're so young. I probably waited longer than I should have (I was in my 40s) because I didn't get timely advice from my dentist.

[geestar]

Bullfighter and others, does the long-term numbness affect your speech in any way? This is my biggest fear as a I work as an actor and obviously perfect voice is essential to me.

[Bullfighter]

Bullfighter and others, does the long-term numbness affect your speech in any way? This is my biggest fear as a I work as an actor and obviously perfect voice is essential to me.

No effects here.

[LyraM45]

I agree! After reading blogs and seeing posts in different places I am not sure I want to get this done! :\