Sarpe surgery booked need advice on aftercare

[Jaydee83]

So finally after waiting months and months for a date it's finally happening next month I'm pretty anxious about the whole situation. Can anyone tell me what I'll need for after the surgery to make things more comfy?

[djspeece]

Send a PM to sirwired who knows all about surgical care. Best of luck to you.

[Jaydee83]

Thanks dj

[MoJo2685]

First there is a whole subthread for Oral Surgery on here that is full of useful advice.
But for SARPE aftercare I would say, be sure to have so many soup and smoothie recipes ready. The liquid diet is killer. Buy a waterpik if you don't already have one. Your device is going to be a massive trap for any and all food you eat, the waterpik is key to keeping it cleared out. For the first few days after surgery have a plan to binge watch a show you've already seen before. Because you are going to want some entertainment, but you are going to be falling in and out of sleep a lot so starting something new is kind of a waste. Ice packs that aren't super rigid for the first few days to help with swelling. Also vitamins are key for that.

I had Sarpe in 2016. Remember to smile in pictures even when you aren't feeling your most confident. Looking back when you are getting closer to the end of your whole experience its amazing to see how far you have come. And really not many people besides you think anything of it.

[Vega]

I had a subscription mouth wash that I had to use 4 days before the surgery and a week after. It does stain your teeth pretty bad, but keep using it, the first days brushing can be difficult.
I agree on the waterpik but be carefull with it the first few days. Just use it to carefully rinse your mouth, not directly on the device/wounds.
Ice and Arnica for swelling and bruising, I was bruised and swollen. Even more than after my double jaw.
Soft baby toothbrush, also for cleaning the device.

If you feel pain after you start the turning, take a painkiller 20 minutes before. It really helped me with the last turns.

Good luck! It really isn't that bad.

[APriv]

I'm 3 weeks post op from my SARPE. The side effects of it are more annoying than the actual surgery. I really only had pain for 2 days, then just when I woke up bc I was sleeping semi-elevated and my jaw would feel stiff from not moving. I still have my stitches (almost gone) so I'm mindful to not press down on the area between my nose and upper lip as it's still sensitive. Turning after the surgery was no problem. Once or twice I felt a little pressure on my morals where the expander is cemented in place, but that was it. Some pressure when I turned it 4x's (2x's a day for 2 days) prior to the surgery. Eating is a bit annoying at times, it takes me longer because things get stuck in the expander, things are in tiny little pieces or I'm not able to open my mouth as fully to eat. I wish I could fully yawn, I guess it's the bones healing (I'm done turning) and the expander that's restricting this. My speech sometimes still is a bit off, the word you sounds weird when I say it, but no one else seems to notice. And I totally agree about the pictures, I already regret not smiling fully for one on Sunday. Rock it! It's not that bad, won't last forever and can make you a stronger person!

Good luck!