SARPE Surgery

[Hyrules]

I will tell you something about SARPE. It might seem big but when you get double jaw surgery it's seem like a walk in the park. Good t hing for your nose bleed it happen everyday for about 4 or 5 days for me. I'm a pretty lucky because i'm really tolerant to pain. Every single surgery I had in my mouth I never had any kind of pain. Name it : SARPE , Double Jaw , Wisdom Teeths, Normal teeth removal to make room. In a couple of months you'll look back at it and laugh.

[rosesrred1026]

Hi All! My SARPE surgery (and wisdom teeth removal) was last week Thursday the 16th. On the whole, it went very well! There was the very weird sensation of my maxilla moving around post-op, but I had no pain. The surgeon also told my mom there was minimal bleeding, and I didn't need to use gauze once I left the hospital in the afternoon. I was so surprised, because this had been the first surgery of my life (I'm a 22-year-old female), and I expected a lot more side effects. My nose bled lightly on and off for the first few days, but seems to have stopped. It didn't bother me too much because I knew what to expect. So far, the most annoying part for me has been the swelling and speech impediment. I'm very eager for that to go away.

Today, at my first post-op checkup, my orthodontist and oral surgeon were pleased with my progress. They were confident that I'd healed enough to begin expanding, so they cranked the first turn, and already I see a small space. I'm a bit nervous that I'll have a hard time doing it on my own tomorrow (my mom left earlier today - she was a lifesaver!), but I'm going to try my best. My orthodontist said to just come in if I'm having a hard time. I'll need to crank twice a day for the next 2 and a half weeks till I get to 5mm. Not looking forward to the gap, but it's a part of the process.

As long as I'm OK enough to get through an interview I have in a couple days, everything should be OK! Feel free to ask me any questions. The blended, nutritious food my mom made me the past 5 days has truly saved me. I'm 5'5'' and naturally thin (115lbs), so I really can't afford to lose weight. So far, I havent. *knocks on wood*

Keep the stories coming; I love the solidarity!

[manlymatt83]

Hi all,

I'm a 29 year old, in shape, single male. My teeth are straight and I have absolutely no issues with the way they look. However, my top jaw is smaller than my bottom jaw and I have a cross-bite . This causes my bite to JUST be my two front teeth! Literally, when I bite down, only my two front teeth touch, and I have to move my jaw back (which kind of hurts) to get a full bite. My orthodontist didn't expand me as a kid, I guess, and now the ortho I saw is recommending SARPE.

I've read all the comments and I just have one major question: I really like the way I look. I'm not the best looking guy in the world but I'm happy with my looks. Did anyone go through SARPE and be really unhappy with the changes in the end? I think I'd only need 7mm expansion. I'm hoping I wouldn't look too different afterwards because I'm not sure how I'd handle that.

Is there anyone who went through SARPE who in the end didn't notice any change at all in their appearance?? I've read some folks on here noticed their nose looked weird, etc. Did that eventually go back to normal?

Thanksm

-Matt

[goofylook]

manlymatt83, I was in the same boat as you, good looking teeth but bad bite and had braces as a kid (Ortho then didn't expand my jaw neither!). I m 28 single guy and in shape, so the decision to go through this was tough but now that I m already 5 months in, I tell ya it ain't bad at all. First, (and this is strictly my experience) my nose didn't change at all. Second, for me it was not noticeable at all that I needed a jaw expansion, however, after the expansion is done, I feel my mouth is a lot fuller and my face is a little wider which is a great look. The only thing left for me is to get the last 1mm of this gap closed and align my teeth and correct the bite - which hopefully should be done soon!!

On a side note, I thought having a messed up teeth and gap will mean no women for a while (you know being single and all), but I was dead wrong!! Either women digs this look or they just don't care about it. Either way I've had as much luck in that department after the surgery just like before it.

Hope this helps...

Cheers,
Goofy

[manlymatt83]

[quote="goofylook"]manlymatt83, I was in the same boat as you, good looking teeth but bad bite and had braces as a kid (Ortho then didn't expand my jaw neither!). I m 28 single guy and in shape, so the decision to go through this was tough but now that I m already 5 months in, I tell ya it ain't bad at all. First, (and this is strictly my experience) my nose didn't change at all. Second, for me it was not noticeable at all that I needed a jaw expansion, however, after the expansion is done, I feel my mouth is a lot fuller and my face is a little wider which is a great look. The only thing left for me is to get the last 1mm of this gap closed and align my teeth and correct the bite - which hopefully should be done soon!!

On a side note, I thought having a messed up teeth and gap will mean no women for a while (you know being single and all), but I was dead wrong!! Either women digs this look or they just don't care about it. Either way I've had as much luck in that department after the surgery just like before it.

Hope this helps...

Cheers,
Goofy[/quote]

Thanks for your reply! A few questions.

1) Have you really not noticed much of a change in your facial features? You say a wider face. Is it that noticeable? Would your close friends notice? I realize you like the change, but for someone who may not like the change, I could see that being bad I am not sure what I would think!

2) Has it really only been five months? That's a quick gap and no gap! How long is your entire process going to be? Did you choose to have the surgery in the Winter on purpose? Get it over with during the dreary months?

3) Did you get braces on after or before? Was Invisalign an option for you after surgery?

4) How much expansion did you get?

Thanks!

[goofylook]

manlymatt83, see my answers:

1) Have you really not noticed much of a change in your facial features? You say a wider face. Is it that noticeable? Would your close friends notice? I realize you like the change, but for someone who may not like the change, I could see that being bad I am not sure what I would think!
The wider face is not noticeable. None of my friends commented on it (and they comment on everything, and I mean everything lol). The major change I notice when I open my mouth and look at the upper arch in the mirror it's noticeably wider - which I think looks more normal (better in my opinion).

2) Has it really only been five months? That's a quick gap and no gap!
Yes. The gap is now at ~2.5mm which is not bad at all
How long is your entire process going to be?
~15 months
Did you choose to have the surgery in the Winter on purpose? Get it over with during the dreary months?
Yes. I m usually not very active during the winter - Catch up on movies and shows. However, don't delay too long. I should've had this done last year but I didn't and all I can think about now is if I had done last year I would've been done by now!! Oh well!!!

3) Did you get braces on after or before? Was Invisalign an option for you after surgery?
After the expansion was done, I got my braces on. Before the surgery I had my RPE (expander) put in. In my case Invisalign was not an option, my understanding it usually isn't in SARPE cases

4) How much expansion did you get?
~9.5mm

[Vantwins]

Hi all!

I also turned my key 4x/day...although I was with a surgeon and ortho who I now think are totally negligent, so maybe I'm not a good example.

Had my 3rd and final gum grafting today. Feeling okay and glad to be done with it. I've had my upper braces on for awhile and will get my lower braces on in 6 weeks when the gum grafting is healed.

My gap is almost closed FINALLY after friggin 6+ months since my SARPE. Can't wait to wake up one morning and have those front teeth touch again.

Looks like my double jaw surgery will be in Jan 2014. Not looking forward to it, but I'll be glad to get it over with.

Hope everyone is feeling well!
Vanessa

[john123]

It's been awhile since I've been here. Still on my grind to get this thing covered. If worse comes to worst, I'll just go out of pocket to pay for it. Typically speaking, how much would an outpatient sarpe surgery cost? Any ideas?

[Vantwins]

I got a bill from the hospital for 15,000. The dr's office is appealing insurance's denial. I should check up on the status of that actually!

Vanessa

[katsface]

I'm still trying to get the hospital to send in the correct codes so my insurance will cover the hospital bill (which was pre-approved by the way).

The hospital bill alone for me is over $28,000 for outpatient. That doesn't include the surgeon's fee which would have been between 2-4 thousand w/o insurance, and the anesthesiologist bill which probably would have been another couple thousand.

I talked to an assistant in my orthos office who has a SARPE done a few years ago and told her about my struggle to get the hospital bill covered, and she questioned whether I meant $2,800 or $28,000. For real. I really mean $28,000 for an OUTPATIENT procedure. I didn't even get a complimentary bath robe or room service.

[goofylook]

Wow katsface!!! thats alot.. Did you go to some 7-star facility lol.. My surgery which was done in a surgery center with full anesthesia cost me ~$11,000 for surgery center + anesthesiologist and another ~6,000 for Oral Surgeon (this included the SARPE + 4 Wisdom teeth) my dental insurance covered the bulk of the wisdom teeth cost. I only had to pay couple of hundred for those..

I m not sure why the hospital is charging you THAT much..!!

I too had to fight the insurance company very hard to get them to cover a good portion of the surgery.

Cheers,
Goofy

[katsface]

Here are two hypotheses on why they're saying it costs so much.

1. They're using the wrong code at the hospital, and are billing for a procedure that actually costs much more than my SARPE should cost.

-or-

2. Since insurance companies and hospitals usually work out "allowable amounts" with each other for certain procedures, and my "allowable amount" is 0 right now (again because of inaccurate codes...) the charge that's shown on my EOB is for the full amount the hospital would charge if I had no insurance. If this is the problem, the hospital might reduce the bill based on my insurance company's allowable amount to something that's closer to what everyone else is reporting.

Do either of those make sense? I guess it doesn't matter at this point... I just need to get the hospital to send in the dern codes!

[katsface]

I just checked my claim online, and it looks like they finally got the paperwork fixed.

I get really confused with this stuff, so please bare with me. Here's how the new numbers break down:

Provider Charges (what the hospital charges for the service?) - $28,869
Network Savings (The hospital was "in network") - $23,359
Allowable amount - $5,510
Amount paid by my insurance (70% of the charged cost, as per my plan)-$3,857
"You May Owe" - $1,653

I have no idea where that extra $23,359 goes. Evaporate into the ether?

Anyway, I'm glad I'm a step closer to having the first surgery completely out of my hair.

Oh! And, my teeth are almost back together!!! I'll post pics as soon as they actually touch each other

[goofylook]

This makes alot more sense. The hospital charged you basically $5,510. The big number $28,869 is there to force people into getting insurance. The hospital will charge you that in case you don't have insurance, the $5,510 is the negotiated rate with your insurance.

My hospital charged me $7,910.

[Vantwins]

Hi! Just checking in! My gap is SO close to closed, finally, 7+ months after SARPE. I told my husband we are getting cake and having a party when it finally closes! I'm getting my bottom braces on on 7/15 (got my tops on, then needed gum grafting before I could get the bottom ones on). Ortho is thinking I may be ready for the double jaw surgery in January.
Vanessa