"Book her in for hooks"

Message

#1 Post by **willowisp** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:37 am

Hi,

I am surgery ready and due to meet my surgeon in 3 weeks for final confirmation (yay!). At my last ortho appointment, when organising my next appointment (for 8 weeks time), I overheard the ortho say "book her in for hooks".

Now from what I've read on here, surgical hooks get put on about a week before the op (I'm having upper and lower to correct an underbite) so I should be thrilled as it would imply I'll be having my surgery in October sometime. But...

While I love the NHS it has left me with more than a little scepticism when it comes to waiting times so I'd just like to check some things with you lot before I start loading up with cool wraps.

1. are there any other kind of orthodontic hooks besides the surgical ones? (I already have the standard ones for my elastics and there are no plans to change their configuration)

2. how long have other NHS patients had their surgical hooks before surgery?

I may well think of other potential obstacles to getting excited just yet, but I'll run them through AW first

Thanks a lot

#2 Post by **Sammi** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:54 am

Hi Willowisp

Congrats on getting nearer to surgery.

I'm due to have my surgery late september, but I think my hooks are going on on the 19th (unless I have a surprise appointment with the ortho I don't know about yet, which is likely to be honest!) so I will let you know what happens at that appointment! I am a mix of NHS and private (private Ortho, NHS op) and can identify with your sceptical attitude towards the NHS. Your surgeon should hopefully be able to give you your surgery date at the final consultation - mine did (despite me thinking that it would never happen!!)

Good luck and fingers crossed you get your date soon and it all matches up!

Sammi.

#3 Post by **Esoteric** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:12 am

I've got my lower hooks in and I'm about 6 weeks from surgery right now (sept 21st). They aren't putting the upper hooks in until about a week away from surgery I think but I do have the strongest archwire in top and bottom right now. I'm actually ready for surgery now but due to other plans have to wait until the 21st.

#4 Post by **Sammi** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:25 am

Hi Esoteric (surgery buddy

)

glad to hear you have hooks on - I was beginning to think my ortho had lost the plot doing it a month before surgery

#5 Post by **changes09** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:00 pm

I am in the states, but I'll let you know what my doc's are doing. I am getting my hooks put on one week before surgery. And once my ortho said I was surgery ready I had a consult with my oral surgeon, and since I was ready he gave me a date right then and their. And yes, I'm pretty sure that surgical hooks are the only types of hooks.

#6 Post by **willowisp** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:23 am

Ok so it could be anything from 6 weeks to 1 week from getting the hooks on. Good. I can do that. Thanks for your help!