Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Jo, nerve damage is the biggest concern for this procedure which is why the docs take great care not to damage it. during the cut and split the nerve is exposed and then teased out so it doesn't break. most problems occur when the nerve has to be stretched for advancement. since you're not being advanced you should have no issues with numbness. some people have no numbness to speak of while some take a year or more to get it back. doc told me chance of permanent damage was around 1%. ice for the first few days keeps the swelling down and after that heat can help the circulation and healing. eric > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Thanks, > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Jo, nerve damage is the biggest concern for this procedure which is why the docs take great care not to damage it. during the cut and split the nerve is exposed and then teased out so it doesn't break. most problems occur when the nerve has to be stretched for advancement. since you're not being advanced you should have no issues with numbness. some people have no numbness to speak of while some take a year or more to get it back. doc told me chance of permanent damage was around 1%. ice for the first few days keeps the swelling down and after that heat can help the circulation and healing. eric > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Thanks, > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 my surgeon has told me the odds are about 1 in 9 for permanent numbness in adults... it's non-existant in kids that are still growing.... > > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > > the swelling? Any other tips? > > > > Thanks, > > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 my surgeon has told me the odds are about 1 in 9 for permanent numbness in adults... it's non-existant in kids that are still growing.... > > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > > the swelling? Any other tips? > > > > Thanks, > > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? Numbness is a very real risk. There's various degrees of numbness, though. Some people experience profound numbness, or a complete loss of sensation carried by the affected nerve. That's probably about 1% of people. Some have minor partial numbness, or altered sensation, and those make up about 10% of patients. Most don't have any long- term numbness at all. I'm 18 months post-op and still have significant partial numbness on one side of my chin/lip and tongue. I'm still improving, but very slowly. I expect it'll be a few more years before I can say that it's as good as it's going to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? Numbness is a very real risk. There's various degrees of numbness, though. Some people experience profound numbness, or a complete loss of sensation carried by the affected nerve. That's probably about 1% of people. Some have minor partial numbness, or altered sensation, and those make up about 10% of patients. Most don't have any long- term numbness at all. I'm 18 months post-op and still have significant partial numbness on one side of my chin/lip and tongue. I'm still improving, but very slowly. I expect it'll be a few more years before I can say that it's as good as it's going to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 --- Hiya, I had upper and lower surgery done about 5 months ago now. I can honestly say hand on heart that i have hardly any numbness at all. The first couple of weeks after the operation my right side of my lip and chin were very numb and i was constantly dribbling food and drink without even knowing it. Now i have all feeling back. I realise that i have been very fortunate and i did have a fantastic surgeon. I was informed by him that approximately one in ten people loose some feeling permanent. Try to stay positive. I am sure your surgeon has done many of these surgeries before and knows what hes doing. In terms of ways to reduce swelling i had ice packs on constantly for the first few days and this does definetly help. I also found that regular hot baths also helped this process. I wish you every luck in yur surgery and if you have any questions feel free to ask. stace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 --- Hiya, I had upper and lower surgery done about 5 months ago now. I can honestly say hand on heart that i have hardly any numbness at all. The first couple of weeks after the operation my right side of my lip and chin were very numb and i was constantly dribbling food and drink without even knowing it. Now i have all feeling back. I realise that i have been very fortunate and i did have a fantastic surgeon. I was informed by him that approximately one in ten people loose some feeling permanent. Try to stay positive. I am sure your surgeon has done many of these surgeries before and knows what hes doing. In terms of ways to reduce swelling i had ice packs on constantly for the first few days and this does definetly help. I also found that regular hot baths also helped this process. I wish you every luck in yur surgery and if you have any questions feel free to ask. stace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Well I guess I'm part of the 1 in 9. I had lower jaw advancement and genioplasty ten years ago this fall and still have some residual numbness. It has slowly improved over the years, but very, very slowly. The sad thing is that I didn't get the full correction that I should have had as my surgeon did not move my upper jaw back, thus my lip incompetence went uncorrected. Plus the genioplasty was a joke, my chin was still so recessive it was almost embarrassing. I recently had a chin implant which has helped quite a bit and may consider redoing the jaw surgery to have lips that aren't a quarter inch open. My bite is good, but the rest of it stinks. > > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the > bottom > > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Numbness is a very real risk. There's various degrees of numbness, > though. Some people experience profound numbness, or a complete loss > of sensation carried by the affected nerve. That's probably about 1% > of people. Some have minor partial numbness, or altered sensation, > and those make up about 10% of patients. Most don't have any long- > term numbness at all. > > I'm 18 months post-op and still have significant partial numbness on > one side of my chin/lip and tongue. I'm still improving, but very > slowly. I expect it'll be a few more years before I can say that > it's as good as it's going to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Well I guess I'm part of the 1 in 9. I had lower jaw advancement and genioplasty ten years ago this fall and still have some residual numbness. It has slowly improved over the years, but very, very slowly. The sad thing is that I didn't get the full correction that I should have had as my surgeon did not move my upper jaw back, thus my lip incompetence went uncorrected. Plus the genioplasty was a joke, my chin was still so recessive it was almost embarrassing. I recently had a chin implant which has helped quite a bit and may consider redoing the jaw surgery to have lips that aren't a quarter inch open. My bite is good, but the rest of it stinks. > > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the > bottom > > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Numbness is a very real risk. There's various degrees of numbness, > though. Some people experience profound numbness, or a complete loss > of sensation carried by the affected nerve. That's probably about 1% > of people. Some have minor partial numbness, or altered sensation, > and those make up about 10% of patients. Most don't have any long- > term numbness at all. > > I'm 18 months post-op and still have significant partial numbness on > one side of my chin/lip and tongue. I'm still improving, but very > slowly. I expect it'll be a few more years before I can say that > it's as good as it's going to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Hey Jo, I am 5 weeks post-op and had upper brought forward slightly and shortened(to correct gummy smile and help correct assymetry), bottom jaw moved slightly to the left and some nasal work done. Sounds like you will be going through similar work! Re the numbness, at this time, I still have a sklightly numb chin, but I am getting " tingles " there, so it's coming back, and a small portion of my bottom lip is still coming back to life. My friend had a small bit of numbness in her chin for 5 months...so d n't worry if it takes awhile after the surgery-it's normal. I have only heard of a small number who actually had permanent numbness. As long as you have a good surgeon, you should be ok...they have to tell you all the " might happens " though! Ice packs MANDATORY for the first week-and whatever you do sleep elevated1 on 2-3 pillows-I actually slept in a recliner!:)it really helps keep swellign down quickly, then switch to heat packs or a heating pad. Thw ice only helps for about a week. After that the heat will help get rid of swelling, bruising and ease any ache you have from using the jaw in it's new position. Mine hurts if I talk alot or sometimes after eating. Suggest protein powder in whatever you can, carnation instant breakfasts-alone or in milkshakes, and try to get as amny calories in as possible-cause eating will be an effort at first. Just remember each day really does get a bit better-eating, talking,all gets easier. Also, don't be alarmed at your appearance-it will take 2 weeks to get rid of major swelling and residual could last months. Good luck to you! Connie > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Thanks, > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Hey Jo, I am 5 weeks post-op and had upper brought forward slightly and shortened(to correct gummy smile and help correct assymetry), bottom jaw moved slightly to the left and some nasal work done. Sounds like you will be going through similar work! Re the numbness, at this time, I still have a sklightly numb chin, but I am getting " tingles " there, so it's coming back, and a small portion of my bottom lip is still coming back to life. My friend had a small bit of numbness in her chin for 5 months...so d n't worry if it takes awhile after the surgery-it's normal. I have only heard of a small number who actually had permanent numbness. As long as you have a good surgeon, you should be ok...they have to tell you all the " might happens " though! Ice packs MANDATORY for the first week-and whatever you do sleep elevated1 on 2-3 pillows-I actually slept in a recliner!:)it really helps keep swellign down quickly, then switch to heat packs or a heating pad. Thw ice only helps for about a week. After that the heat will help get rid of swelling, bruising and ease any ache you have from using the jaw in it's new position. Mine hurts if I talk alot or sometimes after eating. Suggest protein powder in whatever you can, carnation instant breakfasts-alone or in milkshakes, and try to get as amny calories in as possible-cause eating will be an effort at first. Just remember each day really does get a bit better-eating, talking,all gets easier. Also, don't be alarmed at your appearance-it will take 2 weeks to get rid of major swelling and residual could last months. Good luck to you! Connie > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Thanks, > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 Hi Jo, Good luck on your surgery. I had my lower jaw moved back and genioplasty done 2 years ago. I still have numbness in my lower left chin and gums. It embarrassing when you have food on your chin and you don't even know it. I got into the habit of wiping my chin alot when I eat. Put lots of ice post surgery to keep swelling down. Take care, Randy > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Thanks, > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 Hi Jo, Good luck on your surgery. I had my lower jaw moved back and genioplasty done 2 years ago. I still have numbness in my lower left chin and gums. It embarrassing when you have food on your chin and you don't even know it. I got into the habit of wiping my chin alot when I eat. Put lots of ice post surgery to keep swelling down. Take care, Randy > I'm having double jaw surgery in a week (top jaw brought forward > slightly, bottom jaw slightly to the right, very nervous) and my > surgeon informed me that during the operation a nerve in the bottom > jaw will be exposed, and sometimes this leads to permanent > numbness. Has this happened to anyone? Just wondering how common > this is. Also, is putting ice on the jaw the best way to decrease > the swelling? Any other tips? > > Thanks, > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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