SARPE Surgery

[luke88]

I was a bit worried that I'd have to have a SARPE, but talking to my ortho today, he said that I probably won't need to (and I jumped out of joy, sort of, because I really can't afford it) but I would need an expander thingy for my very narrow palate. Apparently I'm young enough or something for the expander to do the job without the surgery.

How does the expansion of the upper pallate affect the appearance of your face? I'm really curious if it does.

I've never known anyone to have an expander without the surgery as well.

I've recently had SARPE and for me it really didn't change my face except for the really bad swelling I received which I'm still suffering now 4 weeks post op. However, I have seen a great difference in my smile, it's a lot more rounder and more normal if you get what I mean.

[lueyfufu]

How does the expansion of the upper pallate affect the appearance of your face? I'm really curious if it does.

I've heard and read that it may make tiny changes in your appearance - slightly fuller top lip, slightly wider nose, slightly more defined cheekbones.

I'm guessing they're the kind of changes that make people think you look a little different in a non-specific sort of way. ("Did you get a haircut? A tan? New lipstick?")

[badbite]

My face has very subtle changes since SARPE. All very slight. All Good. My nose is just slighty wider, my smile is broader. My cheeks are fuller, but still look hollow and too thin. People keep asking me why I am so happy.

I went to the OS today. He loves, loves, loves, my results. He actually took pictures to keep is before and afters for his practice. He told me to stop worrying about the TPA and stop reading things on the internet! That made me feel good. Especaily since I am having some relapse and my cross bite is coming back (The ortho said since surgery that that could be fixed with braces).

luke88, Be patient. After the expander is out, it soon becomes a distant memory. You'll love your new mouth with so much room.

kimblebee, How are eyou? Are you feeling better?

How is everyone else? delag, crazyb, sauerkraut?

[crazybeautiful]

slightly fuller top lip, slightly wider nose, slightly more defined cheekbones.

Yes- I have those! It's subtle, but you will notice. As with badbite, my face is still a bit hollow, which hopefully won't be the case for too much longer when I get round to having my bimax.

Some of my teeth hurt now, and some don't. Then I need wax in one place but the next day another.....it shows my teeth are moving, so that's good, even if it is a little annoying

[sauerkraut]

I've got slightly more defined cheekbones as well, with small hollows under them which I never had before. It made me look ill, but I think it's improving since I've had braces.

I got my TPA thingie today - still not exactly sure what it's called in English, but it's a sort of U-shaped type wire across the palate. It is there to help prevent relapse. The ortho said it's "passive" so I assume from that that it's not actually doing anything but is there just in case. It's a bit of a nuisance as I'm getting food caught on the roof of my mouth again, but it's nowhere near as bulky as the expander was.

My ortho was pleased with my progress too. My front teeth which were overlapping have already uncrossed. And he said I was cleaning very well so I was glad about that.

Glad your ortho was able to reassure you, badbite! It sounds like he's really pleased with you!

Yep, I understand the feeling with the shifting wax, CB. My dentist did in fact manage to get the archwire a bit bent up when she pulled my tooth out and that rubbed terribly for a few days. I was glad to get the wire replaced today.

Elspeth, as I understand it you don't need surgery if your palate has not yet fused together. What the surgery does is break the join open again so the two halves can be pushed apart. Lucky you, if you don't need that

luke88 it sounds like you're doing really well. Good for you, eating what you want. It can be a bit of a chore, I know, but it really does get better and you do get used to it

[Elspeth]

Elspeth, as I understand it you don't need surgery if your palate has not yet fused together. What the surgery does is break the join open again so the two halves can be pushed apart. Lucky you, if you don't need that

Yes, my ortho said that at my age (19) its still possible to simply use an expander to widen the palate, but if I had come in 5 years then I would have needed a SARPE. That sounds really painful so I'm really glad now. x.x But I hope yours hasn't been too bad!

[Delag]

Hi Everyone! Sorry I have been gone - my cable guy fixed the TV but busted the internet.... I only have a minute but I had to tell y'all that I got the RPE out on Friday! I was a bit shocked as it had only been two months, but the gap wasn't closing fast enough to please my ortho, so out it went. I know - it doesn't make sense to me either. I didn't get a TPA either so now I get to be stressed about that too. It didn't hurt to get the RPE taken out...ok, the parts that were wired into my gums hurt quite a bit, but no one else has that so no worries.

My palate feels so high I can't figure out how to swallow Last thing (I am so late) Doc won't know for another couple of months if I need the other surgery, but he suspects I will. Bummer.

[crazybeautiful]

My palate feels so high I can't figure out how to swallow Last thing (I am so late) Doc won't know for another couple of months if I need the other surgery, but he suspects I will. Bummer.

congrats on the RPE removal- and only 2 months too, I'd be jealous right now if I still had mine in

My palate felt extremely weird the first few days too. It seemed wrong to me that it went as high up as it did ...odd how we adapt to things

Sorry to hear about another surgery, but if it will give you the best results possible then it'll all work out in the end- and you won't be as nervous second time around, so that's always good

Keep us posted when you can!

[kimblebee]

Hi everyone!

I'm 12 days post op and feeling pretty good! The swelling has gone down dramatically and the bruising is pretty much gone. I started turning my appliance one turn a day last Monday. My oral surgeon checked things on Thursday and suggested to skip one day and give my mouth a rest. I'm 29 years old so he's wanting to make the movement gradual. He's very pleased with how things are going though and I'm incredibly excited to keep going!

I go see the doctor again tomorrow to check on my progress. He said we have a big gap to create so I'm worried about how long it's going to take with only turning the key once a day. With skipping yesterday I found I really felt the movement when we did it today. Hopefully that's not a bad thing. It didn't hurt but I could definitely feel it.

I'm drinking a lot of protein shakes and feeling satisfied but my stomach is all off. I.E. going to the bathroom regularly has become a problem. Sorry if that's too much information. I've been adding Fibre One to my shakes and purchased another product called Chia Pro from my health store which I'm hoping will help in that area. My doctor is saying I have to stay on the liquid diet for 12 weeks. I have already lost 21 lbs. I was 166 the day after surgery and this morning I was 145. Crazy.

Thank you for thinking of me. I will post more after my appointment tomorrow. By the way. How long after SARPE/expansion do you usually wait until the hirax comes out?

[luke88]

How long did it take for every ones gap to close after they stopped expanding?

[Delag]

Luke - I am two months post op and still have a small gap. That is why the ortho took the rpe out early - the gap was still pretty big and not moving much.

Kimblebee- how did it go at the doctor today? Don't worry, some days you really feel the movement, others you don't. Just between us....good old fashoned Metamucil (sp?) does the trick - just make sure you drink it with a big glass of water and then follow with another glass of water. As to the weight loss, start adding some extra goodies to your shakes like wheat germ and peanut butter or even Nutella. My fave was frozen bananna, chocolate, milk, peanut butter, wheat germ, soy powder and ice. You could also grind oatmeal very fine and add that or cook it up for a change.

Sauerkraut - Sorry to hear you got a TPA after all. That means there is probably one in my future as well. At least it isn't as bad as the RPE!

Lueyfufu -I think my upper lip looks a bit thinner. My cheek on the side that was expanded looks fuller...more like the other cheek at least. I don't see any change in the nose, but I had an alar stitch. My smile does look bigger - there is no exta space between my teeth and the corners of my mouth anymore.

I know I missed a bunch.....I have to go back a few pages to catch up with everything I missed

[badbite]

Luke, My gap took ten weeks to close after I stopped turning. Even then, the crowns of my teeth were crossed, crooked, and there was space between them near the roots. I have had my top braces for 5 weeks and they are causing the gap to get bigger (correcting the roots). I have about 2 mm gap right now. My gap at its largest was about 8 mm.

[lueyfufu]

How long after SARPE/expansion do you usually wait until the hirax comes out?

My ortho said I'll have to wear mine for a total of three months. He said people who do expansion without surgery usually have to wear it for six months or longer.

[badbite]

Luke I measured my gap. 4 mm near the roots, almost 2 mm at the tip of the crowns. I had heard others that their gap closed in a few weeks though.

[JessicaJo]

Hi everyone

I had my surgery one week ago and thought I would share my experience so far for anyone who may have to have this done in the future.

I checked into the hospital around 10 a.m. with my surgery scheduled for noon. They had problems getting so one from the lab to take my blood so I was delayed about an hour (had to make sure I wasn’t pregnant I guess). The nurses commented about how calm I was. At this point I was. I had been nervous about the surgery being cancelled more than anything, not the actual surgery. Anyways, I remember them strapping me down and saying goodnight and the next thing I know I’m opening my eyes in the recovery room. I don’t remember too much until they brought me to my room. They brought me food but I had no interest in it what so ever. My doctor had given me the choice of going home or staying the night but he suggested that I spend the night and I’m glad I did.

The first night was the worse for me. All the blood you end up drinking. I was a little nausea and they gave me something for that – only throw up once and by that time I really didn’t care. They couldn’t stop me nose from bleeding and they even brought the doctor on call to take a look. Sitting upright help. I got up a lot that night and just walked the halls.

The next morning my os came in for a few minutes and said everything went well and that I was free to go home. While I waited for my ride, they gave me some last minute meds and I left. We stopped at my ortho as I had a wire poking me in the back (I’ve had braces for the last 10 months). She fixed the wire and than turned the expander twice. She couldn’t believe how well I looked. She wanted me to start turning between 2- 4 times a day.

The next few days I swelled more but there was very little bruising. The worse thing for me was that I couldn’t breathe through my nose and my mouth was very dry. I slept a lot the first few days but I stopped taking the pain meds after the first day. That helped with nausea and I really didn’t have too much pain.

I only took the day of my surgery and the next day off of work and than had the weekend to recuperate. I work from home so I felt find working on Monday. I barely talk at this point, but I could respond to emails and so forth. By Wednesday I was speaking much clearer and now I sound like I have a slight cold.

I’m on a soft food diet and that has been okay. I’ve already lost 10 lbs – I just keep thinking that it’s the easiest diet I’ve been on. I do have a hard time getting enough calories but each day gets better (mashed potatoes has been my comfort food). I’ve had a follow up visit with my os and he said everything looks great. I saw my ortho yesterday and she fixed the wires that were cut during the surgery and put a powerchain between my two front teeth so my gap doesn’t get any bigger. Yes I have a gap (not too big), but right now I think it’s kinda cute and it’s confirmation that things are working. I only have 12 more turns to go for a total of 28.

I feel very fortunate that things have gone as well as they have. I thank everyone who have posted their experiences as this gave me the courage to do this. This website has been so extremely helpful. I have upper and lower jaw surgery in other 6 months or so and I’m hopeful that everything goes well again.