Re: question about mandibular advancement surgery---for Kristi

[Guest guest]

" Kristi Lucas <hotwvablueyes2002@y...> " <hotwvablueyes2002@y...>

wrote:

>My surgeon siad one of my side effects would be numbness of th chin

>and lower jaw and it would probably only last a little while 6

>months at the most but i had surgery in feb. of 2002 and it is now

>dec. 2002 and it is still totally numb as the day i came out of

>surgery. Has anyone else had this problem if so how long did it

>last for you or did it come back at all? But,overall i am very

>happy with the surgery the results were just wonderful i now not

>only have strait teeth i have a chin in which i did not notice that

>i didn't have one before but i am very pleased and would do it again

>if ihad to and recommend it to anyone who is contemplating it.

Hi, Kristi. Sorry to hear that you're still dealing with considerable

numbness. Yes, that's aggravating. My daughter had upper, lower, and

genioplasty (chin) in mid-May of this year, so she's somewhat behind

you in recovery. She is still experiencing quite a bit of numbness,

even though the assisting surgeon commented after her surgery that

they had plainly seen the nerve of the lower jaw and were very

careful with it. In my daughter's case, she is having some sensation

return, but it is not " normal. " She senses pressure a bit but can't

always tell exactly what area is being touched. She sometimes feels

it in another area--strange. She also can feel cold. Occasionally,

she feels little stabbing pains or itchiness. She still has a long

way to go.

From what I understand, the numbness seems to be more pronounced for

the class II (overbite) patients, especially those that have the

genioplasty. It has something to do with the lower jaw being moved

forward. I guess the nerve would have to " stretch. " The chin is

another thing, and that can stay numb for a long time. The class III

patients (underbite) have their lower jaw moved back, so it seems

less traumatic to the area. It can take a very long time for the

nerves to regenerate. I think many patients are left with " altered

sensation. " They do have a return of feeling but it is different and

doesn't have the same sensitivity. My daughter can feel pressure in

most areas but does not feel food or drool on her lip or chin. I

think she thought she was just as numb as after surgery until we

started " testing " her. She closes her eyes, and I touch certain areas

with the pointy end of a pen. (I have a pen that ran out of ink, so

it's perfect.) She can tell where I'm touching quite a bit of the

time, but sometimes when I touch her chin, she thinks it's her lip.

Some places on her chin make her think I'm touching higher up towards

her cheek.

I hope that you get sensation back, if not all, at least in part. Try

testing yourself. If nothing else, it sort of stimulates the numb

areas a bit. Try exercising the facial muscles for increased

circulation. You have a great attitude about your surgery and seem to

be looking at all the positives in spite of the drawbacks--that's

great, and that's about all you can do. My daughter feels the same as

you do about it all. Best wishes for continued recovery during the

coming year! Sue in MI

[Guest guest]

> Does the numbness mean you can't feel a kiss?

Unfortunatly it can. This is a very sad problem with numbness of the

lip area. I am not very comfortblewhen it comes to kissing, I hate to

say it. I never know what my bottom lip is doing, and I only feel

half the kiss. Surgeons will tell you that premanent numbness is

rare. But, to me, the proof is in the pudding. It seem that most

people I talk to do have some residual numbness or at the very least

altered sensations, although it is rare that it's a very profound

loss.

Nerve damage is just another risk/factor that you have to weigh in. I

think, though that most people (who need it) are better off with the

procedure and glad they had it.

Katt