heard that i have to get surgery...questions

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm new here and I jsut turned 16 years old. Just last week I

went to the orthodontist for a consultation and he told me that I

need to have orthognathic surgery next year or anytime after, unless

I'm still growing. I'm already scared about this process, and I

haven't even been to visit the oral surgeon yet...if I get it done

over the summer next year at the end of june, will I be normal again

by school when it starts in September? I don't want this surgery to

ruin my summer, but it sounds like it will with the very long

recovery time. I plan on looking for colleges next summer, and I

play the trumpet and as of now I'm afraid i wont be able to do

either of those things all summer before senior year...do you think

I could do any of those things in the summer, or should i wait until

after I graduate to have this done?

[Guest guest]

If you have your surgery in late June you should be fine when you

start school in September. The length of your recovery has a lot to

do with exactly what procedure(s) you are having done.

I had lower jaw surgery on June 9, and returned to work two weeks

later. I had a great July 4th weekend, going to picnics and parties

just like everyone else. I can't eat everything yet but you work

around that.

I imagine your trumpet playing will suffer somewhat - but I don't

know for sure.

Jay

> Hi, I'm new here and I jsut turned 16 years old. Just last week I

> went to the orthodontist for a consultation and he told me that I

> need to have orthognathic surgery next year or anytime after,

unless

> I'm still growing. I'm already scared about this process, and I

> haven't even been to visit the oral surgeon yet...if I get it done

> over the summer next year at the end of june, will I be normal

again

> by school when it starts in September? I don't want this surgery

to

> ruin my summer, but it sounds like it will with the very long

> recovery time. I plan on looking for colleges next summer, and I

> play the trumpet and as of now I'm afraid i wont be able to do

> either of those things all summer before senior year...do you

think

> I could do any of those things in the summer, or should i wait

until

> after I graduate to have this done?

[Guest guest]

I think that you should get your surgery before your senior year. I

just got my surgery right after my senior year and it sucks. I

worried about the surgery my entire senior year, it made life a

little more stressful along with the things seniors are already

stressing about. If you get the surgery done you will have plenty

of time to heal before schools starts.

> Hi, I'm new here and I jsut turned 16 years old. Just last week I

> went to the orthodontist for a consultation and he told me that I

> need to have orthognathic surgery next year or anytime after,

unless

> I'm still growing. I'm already scared about this process, and I

> haven't even been to visit the oral surgeon yet...if I get it done

> over the summer next year at the end of june, will I be normal

again

> by school when it starts in September? I don't want this surgery

to

> ruin my summer, but it sounds like it will with the very long

> recovery time. I plan on looking for colleges next summer, and I

> play the trumpet and as of now I'm afraid i wont be able to do

> either of those things all summer before senior year...do you

think

> I could do any of those things in the summer, or should i wait

until

> after I graduate to have this done?

[Guest guest]

Hi i'm a trombonist. I had upper jaw surgery & genioplasty (chin

operation) 9 weeks ago. My orhodontist has just given me the go-

ahead to start playing again. I'm going to leave it for a week or 2 -

still wearing braces & elastics. My main concern before th

operation was the potential loss of sensation in the lip, chin &

tongue. Fortunately I have full sensation in my toungue & almost all

the numbness in my chin & lips has gone. If you trll your

orthodontist & surgeon that you are a musician they should be able

to plan your treatment around your playing. I was able to play

professionally until about 3 days before the op. I'm hoping to be

playing again properly in 4 to 6 weeks. The operation is not nice

but I'm sure you will be surprised at the speed of your recovery.

The 1st week is really rather miserable. However after about 14 days

I was out & about socialising. Is it really all that bad if you have

a not so good summer? Having the operation may avoid problems in the

future. But obviously only you can decide what to do. If you do go

ahead & have to wear braces before surgery, you can buy lip

protectors from music stores. These go over your brace leaving a

smooth surface whilst playing your instrument - avoids getting sores

in your mouth. I hope this information was helpful & good luck!!!

> Hi, I'm new here and I jsut turned 16 years old. Just last week I

> went to the orthodontist for a consultation and he told me that I

> need to have orthognathic surgery next year or anytime after,

unless

> I'm still growing. I'm already scared about this process, and I

> haven't even been to visit the oral surgeon yet...if I get it done

> over the summer next year at the end of june, will I be normal

again

> by school when it starts in September? I don't want this surgery

to

> ruin my summer, but it sounds like it will with the very long

> recovery time. I plan on looking for colleges next summer, and I

> play the trumpet and as of now I'm afraid i wont be able to do

> either of those things all summer before senior year...do you

think

> I could do any of those things in the summer, or should i wait

until

> after I graduate to have this done?

[Guest guest]

May I suggest that you talk, at some length, with both your ortho and

your surgeon about what could happen to your embouchure?

I know of one person here who had surgery that did not turn out so

well for him, and he believes it did indeed affect his trumpet

playing. I'm not trying to scare you, nor say that it WILL happen

that way for you. But it's a consideration your docs should know

about.

You should also know that scheduling in these matters is pretty much

a guesstimate. My ortho was right on the money when he predicted the

length of time I'd be in braces. That is not always the case. Nor are

predictions for surgery dates always accurate.

When I first saw my surgeon (in March 2001) he told me that the

earliest he thought I might be ready would be the following

Christmas, but that it would be likely to be a longer wait. I

actually had the surgery the following June (June 2002), when I was

about 16 months into braces. I believe the outer limit the surgeon

had suggested (not meaning the surgery couldn't be done later, of

course, just that the longest he thought it would take to prepare my

mouth) was 18 months.

Just remember that nothing is written in stone -- and that you

definitely do not want to have surgery before your teeth are ready!

Cammie

> Hi, I'm new here and I jsut turned 16 years old. Just last week I

> went to the orthodontist for a consultation and he told me that I

> need to have orthognathic surgery next year or anytime after,

unless

> I'm still growing. I'm already scared about this process, and I

> haven't even been to visit the oral surgeon yet...if I get it done

> over the summer next year at the end of june, will I be normal

again

> by school when it starts in September? I don't want this surgery

to

> ruin my summer, but it sounds like it will with the very long

> recovery time. I plan on looking for colleges next summer, and I

> play the trumpet and as of now I'm afraid i wont be able to do

> either of those things all summer before senior year...do you think

> I could do any of those things in the summer, or should i wait

until

> after I graduate to have this done?

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry to hear that operation may have had detrimental effect on

your friend's trumpet playing. However, surely if the teeth have a

good fit it should be easier to obtain a good if not better

embouchure than pre-surgery.

> > Hi, I'm new here and I jsut turned 16 years old. Just last week

I

> > went to the orthodontist for a consultation and he told me that

I

> > need to have orthognathic surgery next year or anytime after,

> unless

> > I'm still growing. I'm already scared about this process, and I

> > haven't even been to visit the oral surgeon yet...if I get it

done

> > over the summer next year at the end of june, will I be normal

> again

> > by school when it starts in September? I don't want this

surgery

> to

> > ruin my summer, but it sounds like it will with the very long

> > recovery time. I plan on looking for colleges next summer, and

I

> > play the trumpet and as of now I'm afraid i wont be able to do

> > either of those things all summer before senior year...do you

think

> > I could do any of those things in the summer, or should i wait

> until

> > after I graduate to have this done?

[Guest guest]

I agree -- that's how it should work out. And I reckon he does, too,

big time. He's a super nice fellow I know only through his posts on

these sites.

He's Andy, MSU student (although I can't remember the typography

precisely any more) -- and you can read his posts in an archive

search if you wish.

I think he is not happy with the resulting numbness, the bite he got,

or the pain he still feels. It can be a major sadness, although I

think he's a swell person, and should not feel that he's lost the one

thing that distinguished him from others -- playing the trumpet

really well -- as I have posted to him. He's a good guy, and I hope

he's happier, and/or has found a solution to the troubles.

Things just do not, alas, always go the way they should. And I do

believe in letting the patients know the risks, and advising the docs

of your concerns.

Cammie

> I'm sorry to hear that operation may have had detrimental effect on

> your friend's trumpet playing. However, surely if the teeth have a

> good fit it should be easier to obtain a good if not better

> embouchure than pre-surgery.

>