Is it normal for outpatient lower jaw surgery?

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#16 Post by **dvdrdiscs** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 11:09 pm

That would make sense since I do recall seeing molding materials in his office when I went to see my surgeon in August. Did they do any computer imaging for you before surgery? Like a before/after picture to show what the outcome will be like?

#17 Post by **TwitBerry** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:38 am

There was no before/after imaging for me. If your doctors don't offer imaging, I believe that it is important that you have them explain your aesthetic outcome thoroughly, especially before the surgeon fabricates the splint.

#18 Post by **qwertz1** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 12:41 pm

TwitBerry wrote:There was no before/after imaging for me. If your doctors don't offer imaging, I believe that it is important that you have them explain your aesthetic outcome thoroughly, especially before the surgeon fabricates the splint.

does that really make sense? I have seen a before/after image, but has anyone here ever influenced his surgery after being shown an image, or after having the changes explained?

even though it is nice to see what the surgeons have in mind, it seems to me that they aren't sure enough of those predictions themselves that it would make sense to try to influence the outcome as a patient.

#19 Post by **TwitBerry** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:12 pm

I would have greatly benefitted from either digital imaging or just a discussion on the aesthetic outcome. Instead, I trusted that the orthos and surgeon were familiar enough with my features to make a good judgement call. After all, I was under their care for nearly 4 years pre-op. Post- surgery, my lower arch is pulled back too far relative to my now over-protruding chin. I never noticed that I had a strong chin to begin with. Simply reviewing my profile pictures with either the orthos or the surgeon would have caught the mistake. The chin position was glaringly obvious, only I didn't look at my photo records until after surgery. Too late for me.
So, my point is that it is important that there is a mutual understanding between the patient and the doctors regarding post-op aesthetics, whether through digital before & after imaging or with a simple review of still photos.

#20 Post by **dvdrdiscs** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:59 pm

I'm surprised you didn't get any digital predictions of the outcome. I thought it would be standard with any surgery that can alter one's facial feature. I definitely want and hope that my surgeon goes through thoroughly what the physical changes may be. To be quite honest, sure having a correct bite is great, but the aesthetics is 2nd to, if not of equal, importance as fixing the bite.

#21 Post by **TwitBerry** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:51 pm

Yes, aesthetics are equally important. After all, an unbalanced outcome can be just as debilitating (and devastating) as a chronic bite related problem.
That being said, my intention in my reply to qwertz1 was to err on the side of caution. Have an open dialog with the doctors involved. My situation, I believe, was far from the norm. I had some pretty unethical & inexperienced orthos and a surgeon who was either unwilling or unable to discuss with me the mistakes made in pre-op planning. And, since my move was so big (approx 1/2 inch), the change was far from subtle.
However, please don't worry about having the same experience. Again, I believe my case is unusual. I have heard of surgical patients within this system that have had fantastic outcomes. Many find the actual procedure fairly easy in terms of initial recovery. This was my experience. Just talk to your docs. Digital software predictions are not always accurate, so I would not be disappointed if this option is not offered. Still photos are helpful when discussing chin position, soft tissue changes, lip support, jaw shape changes, etc. Take notes during these discussions. Your ortho should take pre-op photo records. Bring these photos to your next pre-surgical consult. Feel free to ask me if you have any more questions or concerns.

#22 Post by **dvdrdiscs** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:08 pm

I really appreciate your input thus far. My appointment is exactly a month from today. If I have any further questions then, I will definitely seek your guidance.