June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

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snapdresser
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Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#31 Post by snapdresser »

Nozzelnut wrote:
snapdresser wrote:Nozzelnut, what's the deal with the catheter? I read on a guy's blog that he pulled it out himself on day 2? Is that normal? Lol
Talking about 2 different catheters. Catheter being a tube; it can be used on the end of a syringe or used to remove fluids, like urine, from the body. Guessing that the one he removed.

But the catheter we're talking about is the one on the end of syringes so you can get fluids and some sustenance in behind the molars, while jaws are banded together.
Ooohhhhhh! I gotcha :oops: Both are important, I understand lol
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1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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jaime
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Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#32 Post by jaime »

Speaking of catheters, has anyone else been told they'll be getting one for surgery? I've never had a catheter before and I'm a bit nervous. I've heard mixed reviews about them. Some say they pinch and are uncomfortable, others say they never felt it.

I am kind of glad I'm supposed to get one...a lot bloggers mention getting up to use the bathroom after surgery and vomiting. :shock:
SARPE: December 19, 2013
Expander out/TPA in: May 13th, 2014
Upper and lower braces: May 21, 2014
Lefort I + BSSO + sliding genioplasty: June 11, 2015
TPA out: December 17, 2015 (due to issues)
Braces off: November 28th, 2016!!!
My blog
My ArchWired thread (last updated November 29th, 2016)

snapdresser
Posts: 996
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#33 Post by snapdresser »

Lol never had one either, but I suspect we'll be too drugged up to care for the most part. I'm more concerned about complications/continued numbness/infection and stuff like that.
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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jaime
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Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#34 Post by jaime »

You are worried about far more reasonable things than I am. :lol: I'm least looking forward to the catheter, the crappy restricted diet, and the swelling. The rest I couldn't care less about!
SARPE: December 19, 2013
Expander out/TPA in: May 13th, 2014
Upper and lower braces: May 21, 2014
Lefort I + BSSO + sliding genioplasty: June 11, 2015
TPA out: December 17, 2015 (due to issues)
Braces off: November 28th, 2016!!!
My blog
My ArchWired thread (last updated November 29th, 2016)

snapdresser
Posts: 996
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#35 Post by snapdresser »

:lol: Welllll I meant the swelling in relation to an infection, so I think we're on the same page about that one :o The swelling goes down pretty fast for some people, it seems like, but I think other people (most people?) get a slight infection which makes the swelling last longer. I think. I'm no doctor, but that's kinda my understanding. The diet I can handle cuz it's short-term and losing weight means I get to put it back on again afterwards :D :D And we'll be under when they stick the catheter in, so no problems there for me! I'd hate to be awake for that tho :?
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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KaylaChristine
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Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 6:26 am
Location: USA

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#36 Post by KaylaChristine »

Finally a surgery date! My surgery is scheduled for June 15th at 9:30 a.m.!

My pre-op appointment at the hospital is June 9th.

I have one more appointment with my ortho for surgical hooks, 2 sets of molds (1 for her records, 1 for the splint), and new pictures of my bite and face. I'll have one more appointment with the surgeon beforehand as well. I don't have dates for these yet but they will call me once the surgeon and ortho speak again.


It all feels so real now lol.
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Braced on October 14, 2014.
Lefort I and vertical ramus osteotomy: June 15, 2015
Braces to be removed January 5, 2017.

snapdresser
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Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#37 Post by snapdresser »

Woooooooo!!!! Congrats KaylaChristine!!! June 15th! So the Monday after me and Jaime. Busy week for archwired folks! Hmmm... your pre-op is at the hospital? Maybe I should check out when mine is. I didn't think about that lol

Anyone here negotiate the procedure with their surgeon? If you want them to move the jaws slightly differently, you have any luck requesting it? I'm meeting with my surgeon next week and I bought a plastic surgery textbook so I will know the pertinent terms and angles, but I'm not sure it'll arrive in time... Either way, I think she's pulling the chin out a liiiittle too far.
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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jaime
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Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#38 Post by jaime »

Congrats KaylaChristina! Snapdresser and I will be your guinea pigs since we're the week before. I'll be sure to exaggerate the pain for you. j/k :-*

Snap, my surgeon has only shown me a pencil drawing/tracing he used along with my x-ray to show what I'll look like, but it looked fine to me. Hopefully your surgeon is receptive.

How did she show you the expected results, by the way? The drawing I was shown was very basic and as I said, done in pencil. I wish I could see a computer-generated photo.

Is anyone else NOT getting surgical hooks? My orthodontist seemed confused when I asked about it and said, "They don't really do that anymore." I was like well, obviously you don't read as many jaw surgery blogs as I do! :!:
SARPE: December 19, 2013
Expander out/TPA in: May 13th, 2014
Upper and lower braces: May 21, 2014
Lefort I + BSSO + sliding genioplasty: June 11, 2015
TPA out: December 17, 2015 (due to issues)
Braces off: November 28th, 2016!!!
My blog
My ArchWired thread (last updated November 29th, 2016)

snapdresser
Posts: 996
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#39 Post by snapdresser »

A pencil drawing?? Hmmm... My previous surgeon (who after my consult told me he didn't accept my insurance lol) had a computer program where he placed pointers on certain places and could manipulate the picture to show what my face will look like for different possible treatment plans. It's a little more complex than that, but it was awesome and I asked him if I could take pictures of his computer screen lol. Only worked in profile, I think, and it didn't reflect soft tissue movement, which is pretty key. Still, if you cover up the soft tissues with your finger you can get a pretty good idea of the results, I think. This guy was a BFD surgeon tho, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had pretty high-end stuff that most surgeons don't. I haven't received the new treatment plan from my new surgeon yet. I'm assuming she'll have something similar, but I don't know what her simulation capabilities are. She threw out the word "3D" the other day and I'm reeeeeally hoping that's what she's referring to! 3D sim of my face after the surgery?? Ooooooooooo :shock: :D

About the surgical hooks, that's a pretty interesting reaction from your ortho... I mean, what is he suggesting they do? Not use elastics? I think maybe he associated surgical hooks with wiring your jaws together, which they no longer really do unless it's a highly unstable procedure, or at least that's my understanding. Who knows, but... he needs to put that shizzle on before the surgery right? Lol
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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KaylaChristine
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 6:26 am
Location: USA

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#40 Post by KaylaChristine »

Thanks guys! I'm happy to officially join this thread :-*

Snapdresser. Yep the surgeon's assistant said it's at the hospital. I still need to have another appointment with my surgeon to get x-rays and measurements taken. Hopefully I'll get that set up soon. And I'm sure the surgeon would be open to discussing your input on procedure. I would address the chin issues with her--I mean you have to live with it, not her. I mentioned my concerns on having enough of a chin afterwards and my surgeon was like "Oh, we can change the chin if you like. Make it softer." LOL I was concerned about having no chin. I guess I didn't phrase it correctly, but clearly he thinks I'll be fine :P

Haha jaime, I was just thinking about you guys posting on how your recovery is going will probably make me more nervous. My surgeon hasn't shown me a rendering of my surgery yet, but I hope he does. My ortho did a computer generated one of my profile that was very rough--the soft tissues were distorted--at my initial consult. As for the surgical hooks---does your ortho plan on wiring you shut at all? I've read that some don't do that.

Oh, I see the ortho for surgical hooks, molds, & pictures on June 8th.
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Braced on October 14, 2014.
Lefort I and vertical ramus osteotomy: June 15, 2015
Braces to be removed January 5, 2017.

deathorglory
Posts: 117
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Location: Seattle, WA

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#41 Post by deathorglory »

I didn't even get to see a rendering of what I'd look like after surgery... But I look fine, I think. My jawline did change quite a bit (more square-ish now, but nothing too dramatic).

To answer earlier questions... I was told that I didn't need a catheter because my surgery wasn't supposed to be long enough for me to need one (only 2 hours). I did get an infection on the right side of my jaw (no discharge because we caught it pretty early) and that side's swelling did take quite a bit longer than the left side to get back down to normal (an extra 4-5 days). My muscle on that side is also taking longer to stretch out in terms of being able to open my mouth. When I asked the surgeon about it, he said because the infection was on that side, the muscle on that side probably has some residual edema which causes it to be a little more stiff. He did say to work aggressively on opening my mouth so that I can get back to a normal width, though, so I guess I shouldn't really be worried about tears in the muscle or anything.

I had my pre-op stuff all done in the surgeon's office, not at the hospital. All my molds were taken in house along with my x-rays. My hospital pre-admission stuff was actually just done over the phone. They basically tell you when you can eat until, etc. Also, I only got 3 surgical hooks put on my braces. I have hooks for elastics already on my brackets so my orthodontist just said that I only need a few hooks put on and we'd use the elastic hooks instead of adding more hooks on the wire itself. I did have an overbite, though (jaw moved about 7mm), so I'm not sure how they'd manage everything without surgical hooks for an underbite if that's what any of you guys have. (Also, I wasn't wired shut or anything, but my surgeon did tell me to wear my elastics for 20 out of 24 hours for the first week...basically I was allowed to eat and brush my teeth without bands).

SUPER LONG POST, sorry guys... One last thing though. I have a bunch of 100ml syringes that I bought because I thought I might not be able to eat soft stuff immediately......but I could. They're sealed and sterile and everything (bought off Amazon) and I've no use for them. Anyone want 'em? I'd be happy to ship 'em out to you guys, no charge :) Just PM me an address...first come first served!
Braces on March 7th, 2014
Lower Jaw Surgery (BSSO) March 30th, 2015

snapdresser
Posts: 996
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#42 Post by snapdresser »

deathorglory: SHOTGUN SYRINGES!!! I'll PM you :) Long post isn't a bad thing IMO. Lots of good info! That's really cool that you got to brush and eat without elastics straight away! I had kind of assumed I wouldn't be able to take them off for at least a week or two.

KaylaChristine: Is your surgeon planning on wiring you shut after the surgery?? I didn't think really anyone did that anymore! I'ma photoshop some pics after my surgery and post them on here so it looks way worse than it is :lol: I kid, I kid lol. SO. I bought an aesthetic plastic surgery textbook that hasn't arrived yet, but I've been able to preview and print out some of the pertinent pages. For your chin, it's not supposed to extend past a vertical line drawn straight down from your brow. I think some of us with chin issues now may tend to overcompensate with our surgery preferences. I'm trying to temper that feeling, myself. Aesthetic attractiveness for women does include a "softer" chin, so maybe a few mm behind that vertical line down from your brow. Your call, just sayin' :)

If anyone else wants some info from this plastic surgery text, let me know, I'm happy to share the wealth. It's pretty technical tho...
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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jaime
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Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#43 Post by jaime »

My ortho seemed to equate surgical hooks with being wired shut, even after I clarified that I meant for using elastics afterwards. He kept insisting they don't do that anymore. He said my surgeon will just use the hooks on my brackets "if anything." Seems very strange to me considering I'm having double jaw surgery and genioplasty. My ortho works with my surgeon exclusively so he must know my surgeon's preferences...it just seems so bizarre.

This is coming from the same ortho office where they have told me:
1. "A lot of people say jaw surgery is really no worse than wisdom teeth extraction." Really? You expect me to buy that? :gavel:
2. "Jaw surgery's not so bad... it's only bad the first week." :huh:
3. And from one of the ortho assistants: "SARPE? What's that? Have you noticed any difference from it?"

I have a feeling when I have my pre-op, my surgeon is going to ask where my hooks are.

Thanks for the info deathorglory!! Very nice of you to send your syringes!

KaylaChristine, don't be nervous! It'll be good you'll know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. :)
Last edited by jaime on Fri May 08, 2015 6:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
SARPE: December 19, 2013
Expander out/TPA in: May 13th, 2014
Upper and lower braces: May 21, 2014
Lefort I + BSSO + sliding genioplasty: June 11, 2015
TPA out: December 17, 2015 (due to issues)
Braces off: November 28th, 2016!!!
My blog
My ArchWired thread (last updated November 29th, 2016)

snapdresser
Posts: 996
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:31 am

Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#44 Post by snapdresser »

Ah, ok, I see what he's saying Jaime. Yeah, he's probably saying they can just put elastics on the braces brackets as is, that you don't need any additional hooks. His "if anything" comment is a little questionable, since they WILL have to do something! Maybe call your surgeon and ask them to confirm that your brackets are sufficient? If you're super worried about it, which it kinda sounds like you are :wink:

Ok, so I have something neat planned for after the surgery. Maybe it's stupid, but here goes: I got a special outfit to wear when this is all over. It's a very handsome outfit and when the swelling has completely gone down, I'm finally going to wear it. It'll kind of be a way to tell myself "Done. This is the finished product! You're in the clear!!! See how great you look!" I'm super excited about putting on that outfit and looking in the mirror that day :))) And it gives me a solid goal, rather than just the slow petering off of the swelling.
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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jaime
Posts: 867
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:00 am
Location: Southeastern Michigan
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Re: June/July Surgery Buddies

#45 Post by jaime »

That's pretty cool, Snap. I never thought of doing anything like that. Do you have somewhere special to wear your new outfit? It would be great if you had plans where you could show off your new self in front of friends or family or something like that. :)

I have special plans for the night before surgery. My surgery is in a town an hour from here, so my husband and I are going to stay in a hotel near the hospital the night before. There's a Keg near both the hotel and hospital. It's a Canadian restaurant chain known for their steaks. We're going to have a nice steak dinner as my "last" meal. It's an expensive restaurant but I'm looking forward to it. My husband and I live 90 minutes away from each other so even just having a pseudo-vacation night together in a hotel will be a treat. It also means we won't have to wake up at 4am and drive an hour to the hospital.

I agree with your translation of my ortho. My surgeon told me I will "likely" be banded shut at first, but then my ortho was like "No, they don't really do that." I have 10 days between my pre-op appointment and my surgery so I will have time to get hooks if that's what my surgeon wants. I'm not concerned...some of my treatment plan has differed from EVERY blogger and person on this board so I guess I shouldn't be surprised when it differs again. My ortho and surgeon keep me on my toes. I never know what to expect. :mrgreen:
SARPE: December 19, 2013
Expander out/TPA in: May 13th, 2014
Upper and lower braces: May 21, 2014
Lefort I + BSSO + sliding genioplasty: June 11, 2015
TPA out: December 17, 2015 (due to issues)
Braces off: November 28th, 2016!!!
My blog
My ArchWired thread (last updated November 29th, 2016)

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