Week 2 Post-op double jaw surgery(my experience so far)

[JawGuy31]

Hi everyone

I'm 31 years old male and it's been 2 weeks since I had my double jaw surgery and I'd like to share my experience so far.

What I had?
UPPP: Palatoplasty and palatal advancement, Inferior Turbinectomy, Maxillomandibular Advancement (Lefort 1 advancement, Bilateral Sagital Split Mandibular Osteotomy).
Extraction of 4 wisdoms

Why I had?
Main reason: OSA (sleep apnea) and EXTREMELY LOUD snoring.
Second reason: For overbite and openbite\crossbite.
The looks are just a plus.

How did I prepare?
I had a lot of liposomal vitamin C 2 weeks before and still having, I already had the habit of drinking one squeezed lemon juice everyday. Had a good healthy diet with no much meat (but some) and lots of nutrients, quinoa etc.
I did check heaps of websites, blogs and youtube videos but I tried not to overthink it.

How was the surgery?

I must be some other sort of breed but I wasn't nervous at all. I actually found everything exciting and entertaining, I enjoyed how everyone was asking me questions, the hospital admission process, changing clothes and getting the first IV. I was just having fun with all of it and making jokes with nurses and the surgeon until the second I fell asleep. Judge me!
Surgery lasted for 4h and it took other 2 hours for me to wake up. I woke up with something in my throat and the surgeon just asked me to cough a little. They then explained my nose was "floating" and lose after my surgery hence they had to put a splinter to stabilize it. They think it was to do with a septoplasty I had 10 years ago.


How is the recovery so far?
I confess I expected it to be much worse. The most I can think of is being a bit boring. I felt no pain. If I tell you I felt any pain since the surgery I'd be lying to you, I had no pain at all. At most, some discomfort and tiredness but nothing like I was expecting it to be. I hope it stays like this for the rest of the recovery tho.. you never know what happens when feeling starts to come back.
Also, nausea was minor, just had once. Didn't vomit at all.

I have to tell one thing may have contributed a little(pictures aren't mine):

http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.28 ... OQ%3D%3D.2
http://hilotherapie.de/

The surgeon borrowed me this wundermachine so I could keep it for a week at home. You pretty much wear a mask and turn on the machine, it will keep the mask at 15 degrees (celsius) permanently, if too cold you can increase to 20 and so on. This is AWESOME. No need to worry about ice packs on anything like that, it does't burn you with the cold either. I kept that on almost 24/7, while sleeping or awake and helped much on relieving.

9 days after surgery I felt like I had all my energy back, I was drinking from a cup and threw most of my syringes in the bin only using one for the panadol.
First weekend after I was already driving, feels like normal life for except the fact I can't eat solid foods and my mouth is kinda shut with the rubber bands.
Sensation has been restored in most of my face except my chin, as expected. I do feel some tingly sensations starting from today which is a good sign.

Swelling was the thing I was mostly looking forward to get past. Now most of it sits in my upper jaw, around the nose. Can't wait to have full mobility on my lips again, speech is still a bit funny.

All in all, I'm SO happy because from what I read in the internet it sounded like it was something much worse! I guess it will be 2-4 weeks until I can start eating solid(er) foods again but to be honest I'm doing quite well with the shakes and broths. I see people here having horrible diets, I mean blending icecream and even blending PIZZA, are you crazy nuts? Do something healthy for your recovery for christ's sake.
For breaky I usually get multivitamins, some hypercaloric and whey protein shaked with organic muesli, honey, etc.
For lunch I stir a LOT of salad then blend it with sweet or normal potatos... black beans in another blend (personal preference) - add some seasoning even
Another caloric protein shake in between then dinner with kinda same as lunch - BOOM just happy as, I don't feel hungry at all - AT ALL.

What next?

Going to my two week appointment tomorrow. I will se if I need to fix my nose which would take 30min in a local antesthesy. Unfortunately the septum was shifted a little bit to the left but it's only cartilage.
As I said, looking forward to regain all my lip mobility and be able to speak better - and also to see how my new smile is.
Also curious to see when I can wear my braces to finish up my alignment.

Next monday: back to work.

Oh and the snore? COMPLETELY GONE! I'm so happy!

That's it folks, any questions just fire up

[eli27]

I'm 36 been in braces for 6 months, looking forward to double jaw surgery. Thanks for this info, it helps calm the anxiety.

[jaime]

Congratulations on making it through to the other side and already seeing positive results with your nerves, no snoring, etc. I do think some people seem to have an easier time with recovery than others, sounds like you got lucky but were also smart about eating healthily. But don't judge the blended junk food...treating yourself every now and then isn't a bad thing.

There have been some other questions about UPPP surgery on here lately so your experience will be very handy for those people!

I was actually pretty excited for my surgery, too. I think we are odd ducks indeed. I just wanted to get on with it and start enjoying the benefits.

[JawGuy31]

Thanks! True can't judge, everyone is different I just can't imagine how blended pizza can be treat

Looks like you are past one year, congrats to you too!

[CandyApple]

Jawguy In enjoyed your break down of your surgery so far. Sounds like you are doing quite well. I'm just a tad past 2 weeks from Bsso also and the nagging lip mobility is my biggest complaint. I feel like people can't understand me when I talk. I hope one full ROM is back that will fix the problem. My lip is still numb but I feel improvement each day.

[wantsleep]

Good post, I'm so happy for you!

I'm a year older than you and I'm only at the beginning to get braces stage. After 2 years, CPAP still rarely provides me much restful sleep despite keeping my AHI down. And even if it were successful, I'd think twice about being chained my whole life to a clumsy workaround that doesn't always work to such a seriously life destroying and threatening problem that's structural in nature.

Honestly, at least in my case, having to get braces and enduring at least 1-2 years more years of sleep deprivation seems like the worst part about getting double jaw surgery. If paying a few thousand to have my face broken, rearranged, then enduring a few months of inconvenience means regaining my life, that seems like the best bargain ever to me.

Couple questions. When did you start to feel like you were sleeping better than baseline? Did you start waking up refreshed after 9 days or just that you felt recovered from surgery or both? Feels like normal life, as in it feels like your apnea has largely disappeared? How many days did you have to sleep on an incline? How are you sleeping so far right now? Please keep us posted. Hope to hear more good news from you!

[wantsleep]

Also how did you choose your oral surgeon? Thanks! Can't wait for more updates.

[CandyApple]

How are things going you should be around 4 weeks now?

[JawGuy31]

Hi candyapple and wellsleep
Sorry I missed your replies and ended up opening a new thread!
Should admin delete the one I created?

Overall still great and I am so happy! feels almost like normal life for me except the chine numbness and front teeth weakness.. still can't chew anything hard.
I can still feel a bit of puffiness in my upper jaw, doctor says it wont be before February until it settles down and also my upper jay muscles regenerate... but I think for other people I am already looking normal as anyone.

Answering questions:

[quote]When did you start to feel like you were sleeping better than baseline? Did you start waking up refreshed after 9 days or just that you felt recovered from surgery or both? [/quote]
Pretty the first good night of sleep, about the 5th night post surgery I already noticed I wasn't snoring anymore which was the great indicator that my sleep has improved. Seriously my snoring was something for the Guinness Books and it completely disappeared. From the second week I could definitely notice how I was waking up well rested, it seriously improved. I think a bit of both but now its healed and my sleep is real!

[quote]Feels like normal life, as in it feels like your apnea has largely disappeared? How many days did you have to sleep on an incline? How are you sleeping so far right now? Please keep us posted. Hope to hear more good news from you![/quote]
Honestly from the second week I was feeling like normal life except the swelling... right now I can go past my day without thinking I had a surgery unless I focus on my numbness, mild swelling or chewing. I'm pretty sure apnea is totally gone but I will have another sleep study in Feb. I feel really rested when I wake up except for when I go to sleep waaaay too late (I shouldn't)

[quote]Also how did you choose your oral surgeon? Thanks! Can't wait for more updates.[/quote]
I think it was in another forum, I asked about for one member from the same city as mine and I went to the reviews, done my basic research, he seemed reliable and I'm happy with his work.

[quote]Honestly, at least in my case, having to get braces and enduring at least 1-2 years more years of sleep deprivation seems like the worst part about getting double jaw surgery. If paying a few thousand to have my face broken, rearranged, then enduring a few months of inconvenience means regaining my life, that seems like the best bargain ever to me. [/quote]

Dude, it's totally worth it, trust me! Eliminate any of the bad vibes leading up to surgery and do like me, go for the surgery like you were going for a car license test. All the inconvenience for me was pretty much lame so easy it was. I had kidney stones a month before the surgery I'd totally have 5 other surgeries and not have another kidney stone crisis.

[quote]Jawguy In enjoyed your break down of your surgery so far. Sounds like you are doing quite well. I'm just a tad past 2 weeks from Bsso also and the nagging lip mobility is my biggest complaint. I feel like people can't understand me when I talk. I hope one full ROM is back that will fix the problem. My lip is still numb but I feel improvement each day.[/quote]
I am sure by now you can talk much easier! Are the hooks gone?

My newly created thread in case the other gets deleted:

So it's been 3 months since my double jaw surgery to correct open\overbite
here is what it was viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51073

I have two questions I wonder someone with the experience can opine:

1. The feeling on my chin has just started to come back but still quite numb - I can only feel my beard tickling when I pass my hand - I guess I only have to be patient for a bit more? Was expecting to come back faster. Still so weird

2. Chewing with my front teeth still sore, feels weak. Yesterday I went to bite just an inocent popsicle and I coudln't, can't really bit chocolates unless they are really soft. Is this normal for 3 months? Is the pain in my front teeth to do with the surgery or just the fact the I never really used my front teeth before? It feels weird and I'm scared of biting to hard. It is still quite far away to my next doctor appointment too.

Thanks heaps