Surgery with Arnett/Gunson scheduled, no insurance. : (

[CaliforniaKid]

Hey CaliforniaKid,

Can I send you a pm?

yes.

[dayeangphurr]

Okay, thanks. I just sent it.

[roxie2519]

Thats way too expenssive

[CaliforniaKid]

Thats way too expenssive

twice the typical surgical fee w/o insurance. but think about it - this is your face. why gamble? im glad i waited because i found a surgeon who totally made sense. i could have had the surgery done four years ago but with a surgeon i wasn't comfortable with. even though it was cheaper $$$ wise.

it all depends on the person. if your sole goal is a decent bite, you probably shouldn't travel a huge distance for surgery. i cant be the only one considering gunson/arnett remain one of the topic surgeons in california even though they are the most expensive.

[cvn]

I only went to Arnett after two failed surgeries, 14 years in braces, and 18 crowns. If I could do it all over again and my parents would have known better 18 years ago, I would have gone to them the first time around and saved a few hundred thousand dollars and a lot of pain and suffering. As it is for me, their fees are a drop in the bucket as to my whole expenses over all this. You get what you pay for, in my experience. I'm sure there are probably other surgeons up to their caliber out there, but they are few and far between and probably not covered either.

[Summertimeolive]

From what I've found anybody who does orthognathic surgery with any regularity and is highly skilled does NOT contract with medical insurance (arnett, wolford, etc.). The ones who are trained for it and are in-network are trained OMFS's but do primarily wisdom teeth and implant with a few jaw surgeries in between.

Thoughts? I'm OK with not seeing Arnett so long as the surgeon I find is skilled. We're talking about $40,000 here!

Zach

Hi Zach,
I don't think that statement is necessarily true. My OS has been around for quite some time (he's probably about ready to retire) and while he does do wisdom teeth, he specializes in major reconstructive maxillofacial surgery and that's clearly where his passion lies. People travel from all over (World) to have him perform their surgeries.... which is why I felt so comfortable having him do mine. He helped develop the first university sponsored curriculum in orthognathic surgery for the departments of orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery at Northwestern University here in Chicago a loooong time ago. Every person I've come across who knows him always makes statements like "wow, have you seen the work he has done?" He's known in Chicagoland as one of the "best in the biz" for quite complicated jaw procedures and happens to be in-network with several insurance providers including mine. His costs would have been quite steep, comparable to this Dr. Arnett.

So, I guess what I am getting at is that there are many top-notch surgeons out there specializing in orthognathic surgery, who are in-network. They may be far and few inbetween... but they are out there. Do some research, and you may be able to find a fantastic surgeon who will accept your insurance. It's not worth it to compromise and get a poor outcome for going with a non-experienced surgeon, but on the other hand, (in my opinion), it's not worth it to fork out SO much money when surgeons comparable to Arnett/Gunson are out there and do accept insurance.

Good luck!

hey awags, can you please tell me who that surgeon in the chicagoland area is ? I've met with Gunson, I am considering him but the costs are cosmic. I have met with one surgeon in Chicagoland but would be open to one more consult before making a final decision

Thanks

[crislopes]

Hey cvn, have you had surgery with them already?

Im coming for an appointment with Dr. Arnett on 4th of April, traveling from abroad just to see him after two orthognathic surgeries also. I wish I had known about them before too. I would have payed happily. I have a few questions if someone could be so kind to help:

How much do you think they charge for a redo? Is it usually more expensive than a first surgery? Including hospital fees, anesthesia, plates, screws and everything, how much should I expect to pay if they say I do need another surgery?

Im booked with Dr. Arnett. Will Dr. Gunson be there too? From what I hear here on this forum he is great too.

After all I've already been through, Im hoping to hear that my problem can be fixed with braces only. Lets see. Fingers crossed!!

One thing Im very unhappy about is the way my nose now becomes broad when I smile. The last surgeon put a nylon stitch on the basis of my nose to make it stay in place but it only lasted about a year.

[CaliforniaKid]

How much do you think they charge for a redo? Is it usually more expensive than a first surgery? Including hospital fees, anesthesia, plates, screws and everything, how much should I expect to pay if they say I do need another surgery?

Im booked with Dr. Arnett. Will Dr. Gunson be there too? From what I hear here on this forum he is great too.

*Not sure how much a redo surgery costs. All depends on your insurance and while arnett/gunson are out of network their insurance rep (natalie) is a shark when it comes to dealing with insurance companies so im told.

*after your consultation, you might be given a rough estimate of how much your surgery will cost. hospital fees are not included in your pre-surgical deposit, that is something you must arrange on your own at goleta hospital. all materials used - titanium, grafts, blood donations (about $300-600) will be enumerated later on.

*be aware that the status of your surgery can change. i was told to be prepared that gunson/arnett may tweak their original diagnosis, or maybe even do a completely different approach. they won't tell you until the week of the surgery, which IMO sucks. you'll be told to keep + or - 5,000k in case this happens. im not sure if insurance will cover something like this.

*as far as your nose/features are concerned, they will address everything. looks is something that they obviously specialize in which is why they charge premium.

if you are paying out of pocket, you get a discount. not a great one, but still a discount. i consulted with 5 surgeons before arnett/gunson and with insurance the cost was typically close to 25k. my surgery with arnett/gunson will be ~50-60k w/o insurance, including hospital fees etc.

*if your consult is with arnett, arnett will be your primary doctor. i was told gunson/arnett run issues between each other, but lena says they think alike. i only saw one of them and the other wasn't in the building.

write down all the questions, even trivial ones. don't worry about being vain. explain everything. consult is 3-4 hours long! after your consult you probably won't be able to interact with gunson/arnett until the week of the surgery. any further medical questions will be fielded by lena and your ortho.

[cvn]

Hey cvn, have you had surgery with them already?

Im coming for an appointment with Dr. Arnett on 4th of April, traveling from abroad just to see him after two orthognathic surgeries also. I wish I had known about them before too. I would have payed happily. I have a few questions if someone could be so kind to help:

How much do you think they charge for a redo? Is it usually more expensive than a first surgery? Including hospital fees, anesthesia, plates, screws and everything, how much should I expect to pay if they say I do need another surgery?

Im booked with Dr. Arnett. Will Dr. Gunson be there too? From what I hear here on this forum he is great too.

After all I've already been through, Im hoping to hear that my problem can be fixed with braces only. Lets see. Fingers crossed!!

One thing Im very unhappy about is the way my nose now becomes broad when I smile. The last surgeon put a nylon stitch on the basis of my nose to make it stay in place but it only lasted about a year.

I'm almost two years out from my surgery with Dr Arnett. My jaw is still stable, which is pretty much a miracle. I hopefully (finally...) get the braces off this month. They were very conservative with how long I had the braces, but definitely better than redoing the surgery.

My surgery did cost quite a bit more than the first time quotes people give, but I would imagine a lot of that also depends on the individual case as well. I hope it works out for you. I know how frustrating this process can be, but that first consult with Arnett was a light at the end of the tunnel for me, so hopefully you will feel the same. Best of luck to you!

[crislopes]

Hi Californiakid, thank you so much for all the answers! really helpful

Cvn, if you don't mind telling, what went wrong with your first surgeries? Your surgery with Arnett, Gunson, would you say sorted everything? Two years in braces seems a really long time. But maybe this was the problem for me. My bite was not good after surgery but the ortho removed my braces just 4 months after surgery

[cvn]

Hi Californiakid, thank you so much for all the answers! really helpful

Cvn, if you don't mind telling, what went wrong with your first surgeries? Your surgery with Arnett, Gunson, would you say sorted everything? Two years in braces seems a really long time. But maybe this was the problem for me. My bite was not good after surgery but the ortho removed my braces just 4 months after surgery

The original surgeon just didn't do a good job. I think he was in over his head.

They left my braces on so long because I have high risk joints, so they wanted me in bands at night for a long time. I actually still wear the bands at night. I believe 16 weeks is what they do for more typical patients though, if I'm remembering their literature correctly. My bite has been stable since the surgery, so I can't complain. I'd rather be stuck with braces for a bit longer in order to be safe.

[Heavyweight]

I'm considering jaw surgery for an overbite, asymmetry, and gummy smile, purely for cosmetic issues. I met with a local surgeon and he recommended lower jaw surgery to fix my overbite. He acknowledged that I have mild asymmetry and a gummy smile, but he didn't think these were worth correcting because they would require upper jaw surgery. I told him I was 100% okay with upper surgery, but I get the impression that he is all but refusing to do it.

Do you guys think it's worth making the trek to Arnett and Gunson, since they have a reputation for being particularly aggression and exceptionally skilled? I live on the east coast of the U.S. so it will cost a bit, but I figure the cost of travel is nothing compared to the cost of surgery.

[Summertimeolive]

Crislopes >>>>>
-Dr.Arnett is head of the practice, he founded and established almost everything. Dr.Gunson might be there, but you will probably just meet with Dr.Arnett, you can ask them in advance if they will both be present !

-I hope your case will be simple, and because you have the surgery twice it might be a little tricky, but they are the 'go-to' guys when anyone needs a redo or if something goes wrong! I think you are in good hands from what I have heard.

-Redo's are never cheap, I know their regular surgery fees for first timers are about 45-55, for redos I've heard 70k+ depending on your case.

Tell them waht your priorities are, what matters to you most and least and see if you can both come to a desired result that you agree upon!

Best of luck with your consult keep us updated

Hey cvn, have you had surgery with them already?

Im coming for an appointment with Dr. Arnett on 4th of April, traveling from abroad just to see him after two orthognathic surgeries also. I wish I had known about them before too. I would have payed happily. I have a few questions if someone could be so kind to help:

How much do you think they charge for a redo? Is it usually more expensive than a first surgery? Including hospital fees, anesthesia, plates, screws and everything, how much should I expect to pay if they say I do need another surgery?

Im booked with Dr. Arnett. Will Dr. Gunson be there too? From what I hear here on this forum he is great too.

After all I've already been through, Im hoping to hear that my problem can be fixed with braces only. Lets see. Fingers crossed!!

One thing Im very unhappy about is the way my nose now becomes broad when I smile. The last surgeon put a nylon stitch on the basis of my nose to make it stay in place but it only lasted about a year.

[Summertimeolive]

I'm considering jaw surgery for an overbite, asymmetry, and gummy smile, purely for cosmetic issues. I met with a local surgeon and he recommended lower jaw surgery to fix my overbite. He acknowledged that I have mild asymmetry and a gummy smile, but he didn't think these were worth correcting because they would require upper jaw surgery. I told him I was 100% okay with upper surgery, but I get the impression that he is all but refusing to do it.

Do you guys think it's worth making the trek to Arnett and Gunson, since they have a reputation for being particularly aggression and exceptionally skilled? I live on the east coast of the U.S. so it will cost a bit, but I figure the cost of travel is nothing compared to the cost of surgery.

Hi heavyweight.... it sounds like these issues bother you. I also have a gummy smile, and overbite that bother me, so Im looking to get that corrected. I would recommend meeting with a few surgeons before pulling the trigger and going with the one you feel most comfortable with, and a surgeon that is empathetic and cares about your needs.
I met with Gunson recently, and while he provided a great deal of info and seemed very knowledgeable Im not sure if I will move fwd with him or not. He proposed a rather large jaw advancement in my case that I feel is somewhat too much, so till I have that clarified I cant move fwd.

He is without doubt one of the most competent surgeons, if you can afford him go with him, he is the one of the best. A consult cant hurt, it can only give you options and a better understanding of what you can do next.
I hope this helps

[maxhammer]

Facial hair helps hide asymmetry. If you can grow some do that. Most people are asymmetrical and nobody notices. The gummy smile, unfortunately, is harder to conceal. I believe doctors can remove some gum to show more tooth. I think it helps with mild cases. Maybe research that. My personal opinion: don't do jaw surgery purely for cosmetic reasons. If there's a functional purpose you can at least justify it if something goes wrong.