Surgery Scheduled!!!

[tdhenson86]

I'm so excited! I've been in braces for almost 16 months and my orthodontist gave me the go ahead to schedule my double jaw orthognathic surgery for November. I have my pre-surgical consultation date (October 14) and my surgery date (November 10) with Dr. Sean Edwards from University of Michigan. I will have been in braces for about 18 months when I have surgery. I'm a little bummed about missing Thanksgiving dinner, but this has been a long time coming. Hopefully, I'll be recovered enough that Christmas dinner is in my cards.

As far as my mouth goes, my teeth are much straighter, but my bite clearly needs help. Literally, only two of my teeth barely touch each other right now when I bite down (the far left top of one barely touches the far right side of the other). So, I'm looking forward to actually being able to bite things correctly. I have apnea. The doctor thinks I have a very good chance of the surgery curing that too. I'll be having double jaw orthognathic surgery with a sliding genioplasty. I'm thinking of doing a blog of my progress. Does anyone else have experience with that?

I have a couple of questions:
1) What can I expect as far as my final appointment with my orthodontist before surgery? They're placing the hooks at my next appointment September 26. Will I likely have another adjustment before surgery in November? Or, do they let my mouth settle down before surgery?
2) Can anyone else who has had double jaw orthognathic surgery let me know what recovery was like for you? When were you able to begin eating soft foods and do you think I'll be able to eat turkey by Christmas (6 1/2 weeks after surgery)?
3. My job requires talking. When can I expect to be back to talking fairly normally?

Thanks!
Tim

[kathy609]

my final appointment with my ortho, she added surgical hooks and my surgeon advised her not to move any more teeth or tighten because in the couple last visit before your surgery your surgeon makes the models of your teeth so he knows what to work with during surgery.

I had a lower jaw reduction and a genioplasty my mouth and tonguess were so swollen I wasn't able to close my.mouth for like a week. at 2 weeks I was eating soft foods like mashed potatoes, soups, milkshakes, I even would eat pasta without chewing of course. I'd mash it with my tongue and the roof of my mouth. I was able to talk somewhat clearly at 2 weeks.

my 6 week checkup with my surgeon he gave me the green light to eat a hamburger, you'll be able to chew but not bite into a piece of steak or anything that would require huge bites. I hope I helped if you need anymore information I'd love to help

[kpw818]

Just wanted to say yay and we are fall surgery buddies! Mine will be 10/18.

I think you will be okay for most things at Christmas with a 11/10 surgery date. I'll let you know how I feel at 5 weeks (Thanksgiving for me)

[sirwired]

You are unlikely to see your ortho for another appointment once the hooks are put in place. At this point, you'll be on the thickest, stiffest, wire the ortho has, which isn't compatible with movement anyway, so there's nothing to adjust.

[littlebird]

I got my heavy duty surgical wire and hooks on 9/1, no more orthodontic adjustments until after the surgery (9/12). Make sure you have plenty of wax after you get your hooks on, they rub quite a bit!

[pantlover]

Yay, fellow fall surgery buddies! I'm going to my last ortho appointment tomorrow actually for my final surgical records and surgical hooks in preparation for surgery on 10/20. won't see the ortho again until ~6 weeks after surgery!

[littlebird]

Hi Pantlover, good luck tomorrow! Tomorrow is a big day for me, as well, as it is my final appointment with my surgeon to try out the splint and for him to answer my last minute questions. I'm feeling quite a bit overwhelmed but also excited.

I'm so glad to have some late summer/fall surgery buddies--I hadn't come across anyone else until this thread!

[longmidfaced]

I wish you an uneventful surgery and recovery. Good luck !!!

[tdhenson86]

my final appointment with my ortho, she added surgical hooks and my surgeon advised her not to move any more teeth or tighten because in the couple last visit before your surgery your surgeon makes the models of your teeth so he knows what to work with during surgery.

I had a lower jaw reduction and a genioplasty my mouth and tonguess were so swollen I wasn't able to close my.mouth for like a week. at 2 weeks I was eating soft foods like mashed potatoes, soups, milkshakes, I even would eat pasta without chewing of course. I'd mash it with my tongue and the roof of my mouth. I was able to talk somewhat clearly at 2 weeks.

my 6 week checkup with my surgeon he gave me the green light to eat a hamburger, you'll be able to chew but not bite into a piece of steak or anything that would require huge bites. I hope I helped if you need anymore information I'd love to help

Thank you for sharing your experience! I wonder how much worse it might be for me since I'm having both jaws and the genioplasty. I guess time will tell. I appreciate someone else's experience who has been through it before. That's encouraging!

[tdhenson86]

Just wanted to say yay and we are fall surgery buddies! Mine will be 10/18.

I think you will be okay for most things at Christmas with a 11/10 surgery date. I'll let you know how I feel at 5 weeks (Thanksgiving for me)

I don't know if I should be excited for both of us or saying "Good thing we aren't going into this alone"? Ha ha ha!!! Seriously, though, it's good to know others going through the process and since you'll be a few weeks ahead of me, you can let me know how it went. If you don't mind me asking, are you having one jaw? Both? Genioplasty?

[tdhenson86]

You are unlikely to see your ortho for another appointment once the hooks are put in place. At this point, you'll be on the thickest, stiffest, wire the ortho has, which isn't compatible with movement anyway, so there's nothing to adjust.

So, at my next adjustment, I shouldn't expect there to be any movement of my teeth between then and surgery? Did I read that correctly?

[tdhenson86]

I got my heavy duty surgical wire and hooks on 9/1, no more orthodontic adjustments until after the surgery (9/12). Make sure you have plenty of wax after you get your hooks on, they rub quite a bit!

Thanks for the advice! I wouldn't have thought to get more wax since I never needed it when I got the brackets, but the hooks are pretty big from what I understand. So, it makes sense that they're more irritating.

[tdhenson86]

Yay, fellow fall surgery buddies! I'm going to my last ortho appointment tomorrow actually for my final surgical records and surgical hooks in preparation for surgery on 10/20. won't see the ortho again until ~6 weeks after surgery!

Woo hoo!!! Glad to know we are not alone! I have an adjustment with my orthodontist on 9/26, pre-surgery work up with the surgeon on 10/14 (I guess it was explained that this is when they do the final scans, etc.), and surgery on 11/10. Did you have something similar?

[tdhenson86]

Hi Pantlover, good luck tomorrow! Tomorrow is a big day for me, as well, as it is my final appointment with my surgeon to try out the splint and for him to answer my last minute questions. I'm feeling quite a bit overwhelmed but also excited.

I'm so glad to have some late summer/fall surgery buddies--I hadn't come across anyone else until this thread!

Do you mind if I ask what you had done? Upper, lower, both? Genioplasty or not? How long has it been since surgery? What's your recovery timeline been like? (Sorry for all the questions)

[tdhenson86]

I wish you an uneventful surgery and recovery. Good luck !!!

Thank you!!!