pain following SARPE

Message

#1 Post by **Charlene** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:29 am

I am scheduled for surgery on the 30th of January and am being a huge baby. I am very worried about pain post surgery. Is it horrific or tollerable??? I have had VERY little dental work done in the past and am quite honestly suffering just with the spacers in my back teeth. Also will I be on soft food for months following surgery?? The orthodontist is putting my braces on six weeks following the SARPE. Any help would be greatly appreciated .. I am quite possibly blowing it way out of proportion .. thanks guys .. and by the way this is a wonderful website ..

Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:49 am

Have you talked about any of this with your surgeon? Make sure he prescribes painkillers, and answers all your questions.

Mine prescribed me mild painkillers, which I took for 3 days and then stopped with no trouble. Other people have done fine with just ibruprofen. I had no pain from my Sarpe, but I did have the uncomfortable pressure from my palate being expanded--I take it you will have the RPE installed. That pressure may depend partly on your age, and thus how settled your mouth is.

Might want to search this forum with "sarpe" as well as check out Brandileigh35 weblog. She posts a fair amount on this forum.

#3 Post by **Charlene** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:15 pm

Thank you so much for your reply .. I have my appointment with the oral surgeon on the 17th .. I was just jumping the gun and trying to get some info prior to seeing him so I know what to ask .. I'm 35 and feel a little better knowing I shouldn't be writhing in pain for months

Thanks

#4 Post by **Charlene** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:16 pm

Thank you so much for your reply .. I have my appointment with the oral surgeon on the 17th .. I was just jumping the gun and trying to get some info prior to seeing him so I know what to ask .. I'm 35 and feel a little better knowing I shouldn't be writhing in pain for months

Thanks

#5 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:26 pm

Charlene,
If you have not done so please check out my blog. I detail my SARPE from beginning to end covering everyday. I had virtually no pain that could not be handled by ibuprofen. It was truthfully no where near as bad as I thought it would be. I did have a mild headache the whole 17 days I was expanding though.

Good luck!

Brandy

#6 Post by **science teacher** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:47 pm

I"m 35 and had SARPE 11/22/06. I stayed overnight at the hospital because I had an afternoon surgery. I had a prescription for Loratab and for antibiotic. I know that every surgeon is different, but mine made this surgery no big deal.

I ate mashed potatoes, peas and such the next day. I at a potato chip about 5 days after surgery and was pretty much back to regular food within a week. I also went back to teaching full time 5 days after surgery.
My OS told me do what ever I want, eat whatever I want just be careful.

He did tell me about 2 weeks after that I should take Advil about ever 6 hours around the clock for 3 or 4 days to finish getting the swelling down and to make sure I was getting good sleep.

Also I didn't have any pain with expanding and I never got a headache. It is best to expand in the evening tho.

Honestly this wan't too big of a deal for me. I"m getting my braces 1/15 so it is about 6 weeks after surgery.

kim

#7 Post by **Charlene** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:10 am

Thank you so much for your replies

.. I feel a lot better and now have some good questions to ask the Oral Surgeon on Wednesday. I am just so scared to have four teeth pulled and the SARPE done that I have made myself sick over it and I haven't even talked to him yet. Again thanks for the advice and I feel a lot better .. hopefully mine goes as well as yours !!!

#8 Post by **overseasmel** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:56 pm

Hey there!

Firstly, good luck with your surgery. The surgery itself is pretty quick and really was a surprisingly un-big deal.

My bad bit of news (and I don't mean to be a downer at all but I think it always helps to know the possibilities) is that I had really bad pain after surgery, particularly from about 12 hours afterwards until about day 5. I had the lowest level prescription painkillers (with 30mg codeine) and they just didn't do the job over those first few days. BUT please keep in mind I seem to always fare on the worst side of things after surgeries. I have snapped ligaments, been in a car accident, had things cut open in random countries without anaesthesia etc and I have been fine, but when it comes to surgery apparently my body objects, strongly!

So.... my hope for you is that you will be like just about everyone else and find you have minimal pain, BUT my warning is do make sure you have easy access to good support and good painkillers in case you need them. If you are particularly concerned, you could always get a prescription for something stronger than over-the-counter and then if you do feel its more than you can handle go get someone to fill it for you.

(Sorry, really not trying to be a meanie, just wish someone had told me!!!

)

#9 Post by **Charlene** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:08 am

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support .. I met with the Oral Surgeon yesterday and for some reason was under the impression that he would be cutting the roof of my mouth .. I couldn't have been more incorrect as he is going at it from the front and creating a "wing" effect with the bones of the front of my upper jaw. I'm not sure if this sounds much better to me but I like the idea of not having a wound to the roof of my mouth .. don't ask me why .. just seems better having the incisions under my top lip .. yikes .. surgery is scheduled for the 30th .. and now I just have to talk my insurance into paying ( hopefully ) Again guys thanks for your helpful insight into what I'm sure won't be as bad as I've made it out in my mind to be ..

#10 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:03 pm

Hey Charlene,
I thought the same thing. On my blog their are pics of the actual stiches and entry points. I believe the are in the March section as that is when my surgery was. My os said they used to do SARPE through the roof of the mouth but that that is where the palates blood supply is. It is a lot less invasive and painful doing it the way they do now, not to mention safer and quicker to heal. Plus they don't have to damage so many nerve endings doing it this way.

You will be fine! Your young, and it really is not a huge deal. On my blog also there are 4 other people who have blogs and have had SARPE if you want to check them out also. They are Amy, Graham, and Jennicole. Mia is also another SARPE survivor.

Brandy

#11 Post by **Charlene** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:26 am

Thank you for all yor help and experience .. Brandy your web page is amazing and extremely informative. I go in tomorrow @ 10am for my SARPE surgery and four extractions. They are also placing the RPA the morning of as my Orthodontist felt it would be ideal to have them both done at the same time. I am sure it will take some serious getting used to since reading how intrusive it is from fellow "survivors" .. wish me luck

I will be a the red lobster tonight eating everything on the menu .. I feel like a death row inmate having my last dinner before the big day

#12 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:18 pm

Good Lucky Charlene!
I will send some well wishes your way tomorrow! It will all be fine, you will see!

Here's to speedy healing!

Brandy