SARPE Surgery

[tfritschy]

Visit my blog! It has recent updates and everything you need to know about SARPE! Just google Taylor's SARPE Experience!

[tfritschy]

Hi Boriqua,

Look at my blog it may help you a lot! Just google Taylor's SARPE Experience!

[Soph26]

Hi all, congrats to those who have just had their SARPE surgery! I had mine 3 days ago and am feeling OK at the moment. I'm a bit afraid of what it would feel like if I let these pain meds wear off though!

I had the expander implanted during the surgery. It's screwed/bolted in on either side. Massive advantage is the expander is really high up in my mouth, not much space between it and the roof of my mouth at all, so I don't think my speech will be that affected (when I say cartain words at the moment I can feel pressure tugging under my nose somewhere but I'm assuming this will go away as I heal). Disadvantages are that the screws holding the expander in place hurt and I have dried blood on the roof of my mouth around where the screws went in which I can't get off (it's a bit too tender to go poking around up there just yet).

I had the operation in the Netherlands (think I mentioned on a previous post that I'm a Brit living overseas) so it was interesting communicating across the language barrier! But all the nurses and doctors were so great and I was allowed to go home 3-4 hours after surgery.

First night was OK but despite constant ice pack use after surgery and when I woke up my face has swollen so much! It's enormous. Should have expected it, I got a taster of just how much I swell up after my wisdom teeth got taken out. And now, day 3, it's even bigger! My surgeon said today would be the worst day so here's hoping I'll be looking closer to normal soon.

The worse bit of the whole thing was having to drag myself out of bed yesterday (the day following surgery!) to go back to the hospital for x-rays to check the expander is screwed in correctly. Surgeon said it all looked great, hooray! I don't have to go back till Tuesday, 6 days after surgery to start expanding. Does this sound late? I'm worried my palate would have healed back by then!

All in all, it's much better than I thought it would be. I know it's going to take a while until I feel normal again (I had to switch off Masterchef today because of food envy) and the swelling, at least on me, is pretty disheartening. But I defintely wouldn't let the surgery put you off if you're contemplating it.

Right, off to eat some soup (it's already getting old!)

Sophie

[johnluxir]

Hi Sophie,

I had the surgery on the 21 May in Brussels with the same type of expander (surgi-tec) which is screwed directly into the palette.

It's normal to start expansion after 6 days. My expansion lasted for 3 weeks for 8mm (with the last 2 weeks only one trun a day because I had an infection at the place where the screws go in)

My wife helped with the turning of the expander. It wasn't much fun for either of us but I'm glad it's over now. It wasn't too painful (except when I had the infection) but it was quite difficult mentally.

After the expansion my ortho glued in a fake tooth to fill the gap. This makes talking much easier and looks better than having a gap (though I'm not too worred about how it looks for the moment). I will get braces on the top in August and the ortho will make the fake tooth smaller as the gap closes.

I got the surgery because I have TMJ. Next year I will have double Jaw surgery to fix my bite (once the teeth have been straightened).

Eating is still a bit of a challenge. I can manage pasta and, potatoes and vegtables quite ok but have to cut them up very small. I still can't really chew properly. Everything goes down a bit better with a nice cup of tea!

Hope the expansion is going well for you.

John

[cspom87]

Whilst expanding has anyone experienced one side looking wider than the other? Im sure this is the case for me right now.. I know its not the finished product and i have a week or so togo yet but just wondered! Have a little gap now too which seems so strange to me as my two front teeth have crossed over for so long!!

C x

[Soph26]

John, I'm so pleased someone has the same expander as me! Until yesterday it was really easy to turn mine. I think now that I was just winding on the slack after the operation because it then got really stiff and I REALLY felt it when I turned (It actually felt like I was moving bones apart). Then, hey presto, the gap I was waiting for appeared almost immediately. Bit worried since this only happened a full 12 days after surgery, enough time for some serious healing to start. The turning this morning was incredibly stiff and there was a lot of pressure (which subsided in 5-10 minutes). I'm doing one turn in the morning and one in the evening to spread them out. Let's hope my palate doesn't have to re-break! The gap surely is a good sign that the palate is moving apart so I'm not too worried.

Cspom87, I know what you mean about the crossed over teeth. It's so strange looking in the mirror and seeing a gap. I had hoped my crossed over tooth would straighten out and sit by the side of the other straight one but all that seems to be happening is it's moving away and out, so it's still at an angle in my gum. I would say one side looks slightly wider than the other but I think it's just the angle of my teeth making it look like it is.

Another question, did anyone get an almost muscle spasm-type feeling over their incisors? I get this when I try to smile really wide or yawn. I'm hoping it's just pressure exerted on those teeth from the ones next to it. It doesn't exactly hurt, but it's uncomfortable.

[johnluxir]

Yeah it should feel like that when you expand. You can feel the pressure in your head. I always got pain about a minute afterwards and then it just felt quite awkward for about 2 hours.

I don't know how you managed to turn it on your own. I had to get my wife to do it. It took about 3 turns of that little spanner to get a new colour. We did twice a week of the first week and then once a week for 2 more weeks (as I had a bit of an infection in my gum and truning was sore). Ended up with an 8mm gap.

I wouldn't worry about your bones healilng that quickly. I think it takes up to 90 days to heal.

My teeth are still a little numb(50 days since surgery) and therefore I still cant really chew food. Also the bite is now completely off but braces will fix that in time. One side of my upper lip was quite numb up until about a week ago but its almost back to normal now.

[johnluxir]

Sorry I meant once a Day!!

[Soph26]

So good to know I'm now on track. My fiancé turned it right up until yesterday, twice a day. But while he was out yesterday I sneakily tried turning it a couple of times more myself because I knew something wasn't right (it was all too easy) and that's when I noticed the difference, I got lots of pressure and it was difficult to turn. Today I had to leave it a few minutes between the half turns in order to get to the new colour. It's just too uncomfortable doing it all at once.

Good to know about the infection. I've now upped my swilling with salt water!

[nutty one]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone could help me. I have had braces on top and bottom jaw for over 12 months and am due to have the SARPE op in October. How long would I expect to be off work after this op?
Appreciate your thoughts

[Soph26]

Yesterday was two weeks post surgery and that was the perfect amount of time to take off work for me. I'm working from home for the rest of this week and feel pretty much back to normal (apart from the Medieval teeth I've now got!). The thing that's stopping me going back into the office is having to speak to everyone and explain how it went. My mouth gets tired if I have to talk a lot!

[Anastasia8]

Soph and John, I'm getting the same type of expander in Brussels next week. It's so reassuring to know that you managed to survive the ordeal, well done both of you!

Did you have a general anaesthetic or was it done under local, my hospital is a bit rubbish with minor little details like that

[johnluxir]

Hi Anastasia,

I had it done in Erasme in Brussels (as there aren't many options for this surgery in Luxembourg)

Surprised you haven't had everything explained. I had all of it explained to me beforehand

It's a general anaesthetic (I assume you are an adult and need to have your palette split)

I was in hospital for 2 nights after it.

Off work for 4 weeks 2-3 would have been ok but I talk on the phone and do meetings all day so I needed a bit more time..

Best of luck with it

You will be fine

[Anastasia8]

Thanks for the encouragement, John.

Wow, you stayed in hospital for 2 nights! I'm being kicked out a few hours after surgery I think.

I'm having it done at UZ Hospital Brussels, the max fax department is new and disorganised to say the least, hence me scrabbling around here for information.

Roll on Wednesday!

[johnluxir]

Wow. I guess they must be quite cautious at Erasme. I was in the recovery room for 24 hours.

Maybe they don't have to do as much during your op.

Think mine took almost 3 hours.

Did you see the aenestologist yet? If they put you to sleep you usually have to do a pre operative appointment with one.