Yay for second opinions!!!

Message

#1 Post by **loveyourself** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:54 am

My Oral Surgeon just called me to let me know what he thought I needed done to fix my open bite, underbite, small upper arch and recessed chin. My first surgeon that I have been seeing since Feb. thought I needed two surgeries. One to widen my small upper arch by 10mm which I am assuming would mean an expander and then after my upper arch had moved enough lower jaw advancement to fix my underbite/recessed chin. I ended up getting a second opinion both because I wanted to make sure that two surgeries were really needed and because he was blowing me off (It took him a month and a half after I was deemed surgery ready by my ortho to even tell me that much and then he would not speak to me directly about it but had my orthodontist tell me). So my second opinion doctor said that I would need 1 surgery with 4-5mm of movement in my upper arch and he can do the lower jaw advancement at the same time. What a difference a second opinion can make!! If you are unsure get a second opinion, I'm sure glad I did

Happy New Year everybody!

#2 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:19 pm

So you're not having expansion surgery then? I'm sure I just read a thread where you said you were! I'm going mad I guess

Glad you don't need both surgeries. If your upper jaw is very narrow though, I think expansion is the best way to go. Especially if we're talking about 10mm worth of space needed

#3 Post by **chicago29** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:25 pm

loveyourself,

I am **NOT** trying to scare you or drive you mad or anything, but I think you need a 3rd opinion.

The reason I say this because there is SUCH A DIFFERENCE between those two treatment plans I think you need another one to sort them out.

10mm is A LOT of expansion, which sounds to me that you need expanding in order to achieve a functional and stable result.

How exactly is the 2nd surgery going to achieve expansion? Is the 2nd OS saying expansion isn't necessary in your case, or do they plan to expand you during the LeFort 1? A word of caution if the latter is the case. I have read in multiple medical journals (which I found by Googling) that expansion during LeFort 1 surgery is the least stable procedure in orthognathic surgery, with up to a 30% relapse and failure rate. That is why most people have a SARPE expansion, and then upper surgery as a follow on.

PLEASE understand once again that I'm not trying to drive you crazy. I love this message board and I would never have done surgery myself had I not found it, and I would never do anything to knowlingly make somebody question something that I know takes so much guts to undertake. I feel we all owe each other honest opinions, and I'm sharing my opinion that I feel it would be in your best interests to seek out 1 more before you commit to anything.

You very well may find out 1 surgery works, and I really hope that is the case. Trust me, I tried to get from 2 surgeries to 1, and was told that it just couldn't be done, so I know it is very hard to consider having to go through everything twice.

Best of luck, and please keep us posted, won't you?

Regards
Chicago29

#4 Post by **loveyourself** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:40 am

@crazybeautiful, my first surgeon did think I needed 10 mm of expansion. The new one does not think I need that much. You are not going mad

@Chicago29 that is actually very good advice. I questioned why the diagnoses was so different with my new surgeon and he said that my oral surgeon in Columbus from what he could tell used old molds that were taken before my teeth were done moving ( I did give him the mold my old oral surgeon had). My ortho pulled my bottom teeth out a lot and my teeth moved a bunch since he deemed me surgery ready. That is still a HUGE difference! I don't even know if my insurance would go for another opinion but maybe with that big of a difference they would let me. I will look into it

thanks! I will keep everybody updated!

#5 Post by **loveyourself** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:43 am

Oh yes, one more thing @chicago29, I actually don't know what exactly my new surgeon plans on doing. I was so thrilled with the news of one surgery that I didn't ask all of the questions I should have. I went completely blank! I am going to call on Monday and get more details, I'll post on here what I find out!

#6 Post by **chicago29** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:48 am

Great to hear, loveyourself. I can imagine what it was like to hear "one surgery"...I would have left the room doing cartwheels

Anyway please let us know what you find out next week, and best of luck to you.

-Chicago29

#7 Post by **queenofoverbite** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:18 pm

I was told at age 12 by a doctor I needed orthognathic surgery. My poop mom was obviously alarmed at this "crazy" doctor wanting to break her childs jaw and got a second opinion.

The second orthodontist was much cheaper (for a reason...) and did not think that I needed jaw surgery. I had braces for 5 years. Then had them off for 1. Now, they're back on for a year and a half for jaw surgery afterwards, which I guess I needed afterall.

So, I wasted 5 years and about $6,000 on my first round of braces. I couldnt feel more frustrated!

The more opinions you get, the better. Better be safe than sorry.

#8 Post by **loveyourself** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:32 pm

Wow, that stinks queenofoverbite. I am glad you are getting it fixed now. I had braces when I was younger too and my orhtho who was also very cheap for a reason didn't think I needed anything but braces on my front teeth only either. I agree that the more opinions the better and it is amazing how different those opinions can be too!

#9 Post by **queenofoverbite** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:38 pm

Yeah, you certainly get what you pay for.

Also, I meant to say my "poor" mom not "poop".
Woopsie

#10 Post by **loveyourself** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 4:42 pm

Yes, agreed, you do get what you pay for! LOL! That is what I assumed you meant