Metal Mouth Message Board

For those of you who had BSSO and complete feeling returned to your chin, about how long was that after surgery?

I am at 4 weeks post op and have had numbness and constant activity in my chin since day 2. I can feel pressure on my chin, but the creepy crawly feeling and numbness has not subsided at all.

I am looking to find some sort of average time. I can't seem to find anything on Google about this!!!

Punakmouth:

I am at 3 weeks post op and still has numbness in my chin. I have read numerous posts online and all of them say that on an average it takes 40 - 90 days before complete feeling returns in the chin. For you, nothing to worry about! I have also heard from experiences on youtube that some people took around an year to get complete sensation.

Thanks Raj! I've seen that it can take up to a year.

Many people that say "up to one year" never gain full feeling back.... They are hoping....I'm wondering if the majority of people who gain full sensation back gain it back within 3 months...or 5 months...etc.

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but many people never get 100% normal feeling back. Some folks have altered sensations (e.g. burning sensations or that creepy crawly feeling you referenced), some have a small area of numbness, some return to normal 100% (though based on what I've read on this forum, that seems to be the minority of cases; it seems to me that most folks have some permanent change in sensation in their chin after BSSO).

When I came to after the surgery, my surgeon poked my lips and chin and the area of my chin that still has reduced feeling felt completely numb at that time. Over the following months, I developed a tingling in my lower lip when I touched my cheek. The numbness got marginally better over maybe 3-6 months. The tingling only went away after more than a year. As you can see, there's no strict "your nerves are as regenerated as they'll get after X months" rule. If you're one of the lucky few whose chin will return to normal, I suspect that you may know it as soon as you wake up after the surgery, when your surgeon pokes your lips and chin after you come to. If you're experiencing numbness at that time, I'd say there's a good chance that you'll have some permanent altered sensation or numbness, even if slight. You'll just have to ride it out and see what you end up with. Nothing you can do about it anyways, unfortunately

Snapdresser:

Wow! That is really scary!! On similar note, my both lips sensation returned at start of week 3. My surgeon said that it was way sooner than he expected. Although, it had downside. Since, sensation returned so early, all those hooks piercing (at least thats what I felt) into my lips when I try to eat or brush was a nightmare!!
On positive side, what is coming afterwards will out weight these few painful days.

Punakmouth:

Are you able to smile completely? I can smile only halfway. I am already 24 days post op. As of today, I can open mouth up to 2 fingers.

Snapdresser - I have my splint on until tomorrow (day 31) so it is hard to say how wide I can open my mouth. Right now it seems like it would be about 1 1/2 fingers? I can't smile all the way yet either. I can still feel the stitches pulling, especially in the upper lip, right under my nose. I can also feel the stitches pulling on the bottom, in the far back of my mouth when I try to smile. My smile is getting better though!! (I had lefort 1 (3), BSSO, and sliding genio, so lots of stitches.....

I have been able to feel my entire upper lip and 1/2 my bottom lip since the end of week one. My upper pallet and all my gums were numb, but here at day 30 my pallet is 100 percent and I can feel about 1/2 my gums in my mouth.

As far as the chin goes, it does seem like the feeling is returning from the outside in. I can feel an object poke my chin everywhere, just less intense in the pure middle. When I run my nail across it (rather sharp) I can't feel anything for the center inch.

I am just really hoping that this forum is sort of biased towards those with issues after surgery. I think a lot of people that are still thinking about their surgery 1 year out are those with residual issues. If completely healed, it seems like they wouldn't be responding to posts anymore.......

I’m 5 months post-op double jaw surgery.
After 3 months my chin was ‘back’. But to this day still some numbness in my lips. I became a more frequent napkin- user because i can’t feel it when there’s something on my lips.
Mouth opening is also back to normal, that took about 4 months.

Punakmouth wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:12 am Snapdresser - I have my splint on until tomorrow (day 31) so it is hard to say how wide I can open my mouth. Right now it seems like it would be about 1 1/2 fingers? I can't smile all the way yet either. I can still feel the stitches pulling, especially in the upper lip, right under my nose. I can also feel the stitches pulling on the bottom, in the far back of my mouth when I try to smile. My smile is getting better though!! (I had lefort 1 (3), BSSO, and sliding genio, so lots of stitches.....

I have been able to feel my entire upper lip and 1/2 my bottom lip since the end of week one. My upper pallet and all my gums were numb, but here at day 30 my pallet is 100 percent and I can feel about 1/2 my gums in my mouth.

As far as the chin goes, it does seem like the feeling is returning from the outside in. I can feel an object poke my chin everywhere, just less intense in the pure middle. When I run my nail across it (rather sharp) I can't feel anything for the center inch.

I am just really hoping that this forum is sort of biased towards those with issues after surgery. I think a lot of people that are still thinking about their surgery 1 year out are those with residual issues. If completely healed, it seems like they wouldn't be responding to posts anymore.......

The upper lip and palate usually come back 100%, at least according to my surgeon. The lower lip and the chin, however, are much more likely to suffer permanent nerve damage in the form of numbness, partial numbness, or other altered sensation. You may have some reduces sensation in the middle of your chin permanently. I certainly hope not, but it would be considered pretty normal, and frankly if that's your worst side effect, then your surgeon was a raging success

This forum may be skewed towards people with residual issues, especially in the cases of people who hate their results who sometimes stay active on here trying to find resolution, but most people simply drop off when they stop seeing changes in their recovery, whether it's because they're back to 100% or not. I'm not sure I've seen anyone on this forum who says their recovery went perfectly and they have zero residual numbness or altered sensation and their bite is perfect. My bite is perfect and my altered sensation went away, so I consider myself one of the very lucky ones that I merely had a small area of reduced sensation in my chin.

Today was my 6 week check up. I have altered sensation (numb plus pins & needles) everywhere in my lower lip and chin area. I can feel it if you touch me there, but it feels strange. There isn't a minute that goes by that my lip and chin aren't freaking out, regenerating the nerves. My doctor said this means I will get 100% feeling back, as there are no dead spots. Crossing fingers!

He gave me a whole speech about how much more difficult this surgery is after 40 and how the risks go up dramatically for nerve damage. I'm glad I got in under the wire at 39. LOL.

But.....I am hoping the pins and needles do their job and finish up soon! The party in my chin needs to go!

Hi Punkamouth

I am a few months further along than you, I have some sensation back but definitely not all and these days it has slowed down to degrees. But some days it doesn't even register that I don't have feeling if that makes sense? I still have a tingly sensation in some areas but only if I touch my chin. My inner lips are both normal, but only my outer upper lip has full feeling. I regained full feeling in my gums and palate after about 2.5 months post-op.

My surgeon is v confident that I will regain full feeling as my nerves weren't damaged. At the moment I feel even if I don't, the trade-off in the improvement of my bite and jaw makes it less significant.

Wishing you a smooth recovery!

Thank you alwaysabc! Hoping you continue to gain sensation as well.

The tingling is good! For others who may read this, it seems like the tingling lasts varying amounts, but the itching tends to occur right before sensation returns.... Could just be me, but there seems to be a sequence on my face nerves working their magic. Burning, tingling, then sharp pains, then itching. Then I can feel something.... sensation, but reduced sensation. Then more of the sequence and then more sensation returns. Strange.

I’m at almost four months post-op and feeling has started returning to the underside of my chin. Everything between the tip of my chin and my lower lip is still pretty much completely numb.

I’m not too concerned at this point, but I do hope this isn’t permanent. I don’t really notice the numbness anymore but it’s hard to smile for pictures when I have no idea what position my lower lip is in

I'm currently at 8 weeks post op and I can feel like about 85-90% in the right side of my chin, but the left side is like 30% I would say. My lip has less felling than the chin, and again much more in the right side.
I'm really hoping I will regain full felling.
My surgeon said it takes up to a year but it's really different from person to person.
Also arounds 4-6 weeks I had what felt like constant burning, almost pain in my chin. But now I don't have it anymore.

I had given up on ever regaining all feeling in my chin but it did come back. It took about 7 years.

I'm one year post-op and would say I have 80 to 90% return sensation. The left is a little number than the right and still have a little in the area around my mouth and nose.

When the feeling started coming back it makes you itch and scratch. However; it's still numb. The sensation is the nerves regenerating.

Thankfully the numbness improved after about a month because I remember drooling on my boss's desk at the two week mark LOL!! Thankfully she has a sense of humor.
Karla