Decided to go ahead!

Message

#1 Post by **kelly J** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:01 am

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum after making the big decision yesterday to go ahead with braces and lower jaw surgery. Felt excited yesterday but after flicking through this site I'm now scared! I'm being treated at wexham park hospital, in Slough. Anyone who is going through or gone through this treatment i would love to hear from you.

My surgeon has also discussed upper jaw surgery - raising the jaw so I show less gum when I smile....anyone know much on this?

I was also terrified to hear of liquid food for weeks - how many exactly!

Thanks all
K xx

#2 Post by **ThinK** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:40 am

Don't worry about it. I am having surgery next Wednesday and they said I will only be banded shut for a week.

#3 Post by **zou** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:22 am

Kelly J.

Welcome to the forum. It's okay to be apprehensive, but don't be scared. A ton of folks have gone through this and while there is always the possibility of complications (Phil is our poster boy for that) and there are some tough days, the end result is worth it (Phil is also our poster boy for this belief).

I had both upper and lower surgery and in my case they actually moved the front of the upper down to show more teeth and the back up. I must say that the upper jaw surgery was the least painful of the whole thing for me. If you are going to be doing the lower, and money is not really a deciding factor, I'd say go for it and do the whole thing. If you don't you may kick yourself later because the bottom will be fixed and you'll end up fixating on what is wrong with the top.

Also, while there is much complaining about the liquid diet (and I have be a chief complainer about it) it is not the death of you and it is doable with the right equipment and foods. This place is filled with ideas and tips.

I have been wired completely shut for over six weeks and while there has been some weight loss, 15 pounds, that occured mostly at the biggining and it has stabalized. It can get boring, but it should not be the reason you do or do not do any surgery. Most folks are not wired as long as I was (but that was a surgical choice I made) and some are only banded to various degress.

Keep asking questions and best of luck.

#4 Post by **badbite** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:44 am

kelly J,

Are you braced yet? I just had my SARPE and will be getting braced hopefully by March. I am hoping the have only upper jaw surgery by next summer. I won't know until we are closer if I need the bottom done. I have a class III.

#5 Post by **ZaraNataly** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:34 pm

Hi,
I went to the dentist today and he told me what i already knew.. I need jaw surgery, lower jaw surgery! I was so concerned because I'm a college student and my parents dnt have the resources to py for my surgery but he reassured me that there's always a way to make the payments... is it really expensive??? I also got my braces on my lower teeth and it hurts so much! I wish I could eat, im so hungry!!!

Good luck on your surgery.

#6 Post by **ZaraNataly** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:35 pm

I live in south Texas..my braces were about 3,000dls total. i hae no idea about how much the surgeyr will cost. I need it for my recessive jaw.

#7 Post by **kelly J** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:47 am

Thank you all for your support. I'm having my teeth done on the UK NHS so cost is not an issue as it's all paid for. Definately going ahead - braces go on on the 22nd Feb!

Pleased to hear that the upper jaw is not so painful - and whilst I'm going ahead and doing it I might as well do the whole lot!

Thanks again - will keep you posted when I start treatment..

#8 Post by **Kerry** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:53 am

so far im only having BSSO my ortho things this is all i will need as my top lip and jaw seem ok and in the right place.

braces this friday for me !!!! and im felling excited to get started but cant wait for it to be over lol

#9 Post by **phil** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:22 pm

zou wrote:Kelly J.

Welcome to the forum. It's okay to be apprehensive, but don't be scared. A ton of folks have gone through this and while there is always the possibility of complications (Phil is our poster boy for that) and there are some tough days, the end result is worth it (Phil is also our poster boy for this belief).

zou,

I would like to qualify what you said about me. No offense, but I never like anyone to put words in my mouth.

Yes, there always is the possibility of complications.

If I were to do it over again, I would have never had the second surgery to correct the first. In the end, the result MIGHT be fine, but the psychological toll has been astronomical, and I am a strong person. I've been through some really tough things in my life, but this has nearly done me in. It is only due to my good friends and my strong religious beliefs that I am alive today.

If you are considering orthognathic surgery, you MUST know that it is not absolute science. No surgeon can completely predict any outcome. You must gather as much information as you possibly can, weigh the pros and cons, and then make an informed decision. But, do NOT make it lightly. I didn't make mine lightly, and I never dreamed in a million years that everything that happened to me could and would. At this point, I don't care how things turn out, I'm just glad to be alive. Everything probably will be OK this time, but even if it weren't, I have learned my life lesson, and know that my life does not revolve around a Class I molar relationship!

There are those on this board that may try to dismiss my comments, and say that I represent a very small percentage. Well, that's true, until the percentage becomes YOU. Then, you may see the world from a different perspective.

I'm sure orthognathic surgery improves the lives of many people. A majority of cases turn out fine without any or only minimal complications. Please, please, PLEASE know that YOUR case DOES have the chance of being the one case in a million that doesn't turn out OK. You have to be willing to accept that risk.

There, I've said it. COME ON, EVERYBODY--TRY TO SHOOT ME DOWN!

#10 Post by **phil** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:59 pm

Meryaten,

Yes, I will affirm that at no time during my surgery and hospital stay was my PHYSICAL well-being compromised.

As to the outcome of my case at this point, I am afraid to be optimistic, given what I've been through. My surgeon says "things look fine," but of course makes no statements in regards to bone consolidation. There is a reason for that: "HE DOESN'T KNOW!" Neither would any other surgeon. As I said before, it is not absolute science. Only time will tell whether or not things turned out ok. Even with time, one can't be certain. The other case of nonunion that my orthodontist dealt with this year didn't show up until ONE YEAR after surgery, when the patient bit down on heaven knows what, and broke a plate. Only then did they discover that the bone had not healed.

The point I was trying to make is that cases DO go awry, and if anyone ELECTS to undergo orthognathic surgery, they must accept the possibility that THEIR case ends up in the 1-3% of cases like mine that fail. The other point that I want to reinforce is that such a stressful situation can make a psychologically strong person (like myself) buckle under pressure. Again, I am no wimp!

I'll make as many posts as are necessary to make my points clear.

#11 Post by **phil** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:40 pm

Meryaten,

The 3% is based on the percentage of cases that resulted in nonunion in the careers of my surgeon, orthodontist, and the surgeon with whom I consulted for a second opinion, all of whom have been working for more than twenty years (long enough to provide a decent sampling, statistically speaking).

I have never seen a figure in print, but I don't think anyone I've worked with would say that I'm too far off the mark with that figure. So, take it for what it's worth.

Perhaps we should ask the orthodontist from North Carolina who posts on AW his opinion.

#12 Post by **phil** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:11 am

Meryaten,

Thanks for the link to that data. 1% it is. Perhaps MY data is skewed by not quite as large a sampling!

#13 Post by **Kerry** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:45 am

opps hyjacked thread lol

I think it is good to hear both good and bad side obviously there could be complications but our surgeon Miss Mills has been doing this for a very long time so I have absolute faith everything is going to be fine.

Obviously its good to hear everybody side of the story whether it be good or bad and hopefully people can make there own judgments eh.

anyway back to the subject

#14 Post by **kelly J** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:30 am

Kerry wrote:opps hyjacked thread lol

I think it is good to hear both good and bad side obviously there could be complications but our surgeon Miss Mills has been doing this for a very long time so I have absolute faith everything is going to be fine.

Obviously its good to hear everybody side of the story whether it be good or bad and hopefully people can make there own judgments eh.

anyway back to the subject

Yes Miss Mills is fantastic and I feel very confident in her hands. Kerry and I are having almost the same treatment by the same team - very conforted by this as well. 3 1/2 weeks to braces - wish it was earlier, now I've made the decision I want to get started!

#15 Post by **Steph-in-WI** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:41 pm

I was specifically told by my OS that I have a 1% chance of condylar resorption (not sure where he got that statistic from either), which is often referred to as relapse (I think relapse is a common word used for complications after orthognathic surgery, but can be broken down into many causes such as resorption, non-union, etc.). My specific reason for being high risk is because I have a deteriorating condyle and my TMJ joints are unstable. When condylar resorption occurs, the condyle essentially "melts" away, a process which can occur very quickly, and is left without a "head" to fit correctly into the fossa (the ball and socket joint where your condyle connects to your skull).

Condylar resoprtion primarily occurs in females, although rarely does occur in males. Once it occurs, the treatment is relatively controversial, although I believe I know who I would go to should it happen to me -- there are very few medical professionals out there I would actually trust to operate on my joints.

With that said, I am taking all precautions possible prior to my surgery to stabilize my joints. I also suffer from severe migraines, TMJ pain and chronic discomfort. Since my condyle is already deteriorating, I have the risk of condylar resorption even without orthognathic surgery. So the surgery could help it by balancing my jaw, thus alleviating pressure on my TMJ joint. Or the movement could stress the joint more, triggering resorption. At this point, for me, the risk is relatively low compared to the reward, although 1% is a bit frightening of a statistic overall. In hindsight, we can always look back and wish we had made a different decision. Since I don't have the benefit of hindsight at this time, I can only learn as much as I can to educate myself on the risks and rewards and make a determination that I feel is in the interest of my long-term health.

Phil, I have been following your story and truly sympathize with all you have gone through. I can't imagine how disruptive this has been to your daily life, as well as the emotional toll this has taken on you. I think it is important that everyone knows the risks, albeit small, in order to make an appropriate and educated decision as to whether this surgery is for them or not.

Sorry for the additional highjack ... now back to your regularly scheduled program