Prepping-excited

[angelstrings]

I have an appointment lined up with my ortho in October where they'll be taking xrays. Would an xray show asymmetries or issues with my tmj? What information are they preparing to send the OS? In what instance would they need a CT?

Thank you

[Huggypillow]

I have an appointment lined up with my ortho in October where they'll be taking xrays. Would an xray show asymmetries or issues with my tmj? What information are they preparing to send the OS? In what instance would they need a CT?

Thank you

Hi and welcome,
xrays show the teeth and jaw and roots of the teeth. tmj wont show up on xrays the os will see the position of your jaw. a ct scan of the head would be used to see the position of nose and cheekbone for a more comprhensive view of the mandibal and maxilla. ( upper and lower jaw) and to check the nasal cavity.

normal x rays are common for your consult. other tests/xrays might be ordered by the os depending on what area he wants a better view.

all the best for your appointment, most of us on the board have been through the xray/records phase, youll be fine.

the wait is hard and makes us anxious but were here on the board to give you support.

[angelstrings]

Thanks for the explanation Huggypillow. I agree, the waiting seems to be the hardest part!

[angelstrings]

Well, I'm one step closer to getting my sliding genioplasty. I went back to the ortho yesterday to get some referrals. I have decided to see 2 Maxillofacial surgeons here in town. On the 13th, I'm going in for an iCone scan, something that shows all tissues and positions of bone in the skull. The ortho is charging me 250, while the surgeon would charge 600. I don't quite get the difference, but I haven't asked yet either.

The ortho said I wouldn't need that much advancement at all, maybe 3-4 mm at most. I asked him if this particular surgeon had a gentle hand..I don't want to come out looking like Jay Lenno, or like I have a big, fake bannana chin glued onto my face. He assured me this surgeon does great work. God only knows...

So, when I go to meet this guy, what should I include on my checklist of questions? Here's what I have put together already:

1) How many of your patients develope infections due to the surgery?
2) May I see pictures of patients you have operated on?
3) How many SG's do you do yearly?
4) Do I have enough bone with which to perform successful SG?
5) How many times have patients asked you to perform a revision?
6)Do you feel comfortable performing SG on me?
7)If I become infected, will insurance cover my hospitalization/revision work?
8]Will you take measurements of my face to better help determine the degree of advancement that will best fit my face?
9) Will the plates and screws always remain in, or will the bone grow back together and I can have them removed one day?
10)How many SG have you performed on females? (Men tend toward a longer, more prominent chin. I'm a girl so I don't want to look like a man)
11)Have you ever seen that SG gave someone a double chin? How can I be sure this won't happen to me?
12)Are you going to be lengthening my chin? Do not shorten it!
13)Are you going to have to use fillers or a graft?
14)Will you be able to affect the shape of the chin? Will it be squarish (like it is now, which is what I don't want more of) or can you make it more tapered and in line with the rest of my jaw?
15)From looking at the iCone scan, do you forsee step-offs being an issue?

What other questions should I be asking? Please help me to think outside the box friends. I wonder if I should ask where he attended school/received training to do this? What are the most up-to-date procedures/materials in use? I don't know, I'm having a hard time coming up with questions to ask. Any takers?

Thanks.Again

[angelstrings]

Tomorrow I am going in to have the i-CAT scan done. I am so excited, but a little nervous too. I am kind of dreading getting in there and finding out my jaws are assymetrical. I know they are, I just don't know if it'll be something they/we decide to fix. Oh boy, I don't know what kind of can of worms I am opening, but I have a feeling it's a biggie. After all the years of waiting, I'm about to get to the bottom. Big day!!!

[Hollywood Todd]

Good set of questions! I'll probably ask some of those myself. Your doctor doesn't happen to be located in LA, does he?

I think one of the most important questions I'd ask is: what are the chances there will be severe and/or lasting nerve damage in my lips, chin and mouth area? I know lots of people who've had the surgery on this forum have addressed this, as it seems pretty common. If nothing else it will be a good indicator of the honesty of your surgeon. If he says it's extremely unlikely you'll experience any nerve damage he's probably gunning for your wallet.

[angelstrings]

yeh, I hear ya. I have 2 consults set up here in AK. Both are said to be really good. I think it must be right. I mean, this place is so SMALL that if these docs were in the habit of producing a bad result, word would get out in a heartbeat. They have to be good.

So, I got to see the preliminary results of the scan. It was just Xrays. Everything looked normal! The mandibles were not asymmetrical like I thought they'd be. And, my chin bone is pretty big! Weird, I mean, I don't get it. I was expecting to see a flat surface to the chin area of the mandible, but no...So now I'm confused and don't get it. How can my bite be fine, the chin bone there, and still my lower face is slightly recessed? Maybe that's it, "slightly." I wonder if the surgeon will even do this for me now. Guess I'll find out more on the 24th in the first of my consultations.

What an adventure!!!! And I will be asking the million dollar question (((nerve damage))).
Will keep yall posted

[Hollywood Todd]

Good luck!