Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

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Maestro
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu May 03, 2018 11:48 am

Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#1 Post by Maestro »

Hi all.

I was braced at the end of December and in my initial braces plan it was said I'd be going in for Orthognathic Surgery about a year out from being braced.

I was wondering anyone's advice on time off work for the surgery. I'm a music teacher and I'm hoping to line it up with winter break and maybe an extra week in there.

Will three weeks be enough for a job that requires much talking??

Thanks :)

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

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#2 Post by snapdresser »

Your swelling should be down enough after 3 weeks that you don't look like a car accident victim anymore, but it may still be difficulty for you to talk a lot, especially if you have on a lot of elastics. It was hard for me to get much projection out of my voice until my elastics were completely off, and it was especially hard when I had about a dozen elastics keeping my teeth clamped together. After about 3 weeks you're going to feel more than ready to get out and about, though. Good luck!
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
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PierreDeFermat
Posts: 114
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:02 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#3 Post by PierreDeFermat »

I'm only 5 days post-op but I had a lot of movement and soft-tissue work (including UPPP), which means I'm still in the hospital and feeling like crap.

I imagine in another 2-4 days I'll be able to head home, but my situation has been incredibly "heavy" and I'm just trying to get by day by day...

It's getting there, but it's taking forever...

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

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#4 Post by snapdresser »

PierreDeFermat wrote: Thu May 03, 2018 1:26 pm I'm only 5 days post-op but I had a lot of movement and soft-tissue work (including UPPP),
For sleep apnea, I'm assuming? Did your surgery jockey hard for the UPPP? I tried to stay away from it based on what I'd been told by my physician (possible issues with swallowing, no soda for life, fluids up through the nose; he was probably overstating the risks) and I was glad my surgeon only mentioned it casually and didn't push it.
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
Image

PierreDeFermat
Posts: 114
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:02 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#5 Post by PierreDeFermat »

Yes, I had the orthognathic surgery for severe obstructive sleep apnea/mandibular hypoplasia.

My surgeon didn't even mention the UPPP to me until I had seen my insurance requests for it and by then I figured he was doing it to get as much airway clearance as possible.

UPPP on its own pretty useless but combined with bimax the results can be quite dramatic.

I wish I had known if was a choice though...

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

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#6 Post by snapdresser »

Eh, there's probably no perfect answer. Now since I didn't get it I'll wonder what difference it could have made :?
No braces
1-piece LeFort I + BSSO + Sliding Genio on 10 JUNE 2015!
Partial hardware removal 14 SEP 2018
Image

xjoe28
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:15 am

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#7 Post by xjoe28 »

At 3 weeks post double jaw I was not ready to return to work. Closer to 6 weeks to be honest.

PierreDeFermat
Posts: 114
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:02 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#8 Post by PierreDeFermat »

Results can very dramatically from one person to the next, and I'm not surprised it has taken some 3 weeks while others 6.

As a general rule of thumb, the more complex your case, the more time it's going to take to recover. Unfortunately, speaking is one of the last things you will regain because elastics are typically kept in for 4-6 weeks post-op.

alwaysabc
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 2:01 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#9 Post by alwaysabc »

Hi Maestro

I would say you will probably want more than 3 weeks; my surgeon said it takes about a month to regain your energy levels, sometimes more. It was about 4 weeks for me, and I found speech tiring and hard sometimes. It will depend on your particular surgery. If you work full-time and return after 3 weeks you might find it difficult, is there an option to build up a return-to-work?

FragrantAardvark
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 2:28 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#10 Post by FragrantAardvark »

This will sound jaded but what do your benefits allow?

I had lower & initially planned 2 weeks, after speaking with my boss took 4. I really appreciated it, the surgery/recovery was much harder than I expected.

bimax101
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 7:21 am

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#11 Post by bimax101 »

I was told by the team, typically 2 weeks should be enough for someone to go back to work provided it was not a physically strenuous job. Personally I think that sound way to ambitious.

tommm31
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 6:21 am

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#12 Post by tommm31 »

[quote=bimax101 post_id=502143 time=1526227476 user_id=31876]
I was told by the team, typically 2 weeks should be enough for someone to go back to work provided it was not a physically strenuous job. Personally I think that sound way to ambitious.
[/quote]

I am getting the bimax done in France and I was told the same thing: two weeks. It seems to be the general optimistic response. The answer is probably anything starting at 2-3 weeks upwards depending on each case. You can only do your best to help your recovery but then you´ll have to accept the timeline of your own body not to risk any complications. Good Luck!

raj
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun May 27, 2018 5:26 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#13 Post by raj »

I was told that it would take at least 2 weeks before I could start working again. But after 2 weeks, I was nowhere near prepared, mentally and physically. Fortunately, my manager allowed me to work from home for next 2 weeks. Starting week 5, I joined office. Everybody recovers at different pace. Listen to your body! If you feel ready, then give it a shot. If you have work from home option, then this is the right time to use it.

MoJo2685
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun May 06, 2018 8:25 pm

Re: Time off for Orthognathic Surgery

#14 Post by MoJo2685 »

It depends on exactly what surgery you have and also how you heal. I had bsso on my lower jaw and rhinoplasty. I was out for 4 weeks because I was very lucky to be allowed that. I may have been able to go back physically at 3 weeks but would have just been very tired by the end of the day. As a music teacher I imagine speaking well/annunciation is a big part of your job. That said 4 weeks is probably smart.

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