Re: Terminology question regarding surgery

[Guest guest]

-Hello Lanie - Yes, I'm guilty for being freaked out over a LeFort! I

was just told on Tuesday that I will need to have a LeFort and a BSSO;

I knew I would need a BSSO (Bilateral Sagittal Split (Ramus) Osteotomy)

because I have an underbite, but the LeFort procedure took me by

surprise. A LeFort is a Maxillary Osteotomy named after the guy who

invented it; they essentially separate your maxilla or upper jaw from

your skull and either move it forward(advancement) or move it sideways.

Sometimes when they advance it, they also drop it forward or lift it

upward in front. I will be getting mine lowered because my Surgeon says

that my upper teeth aren't visible when I smile. The BSSO is the most

common mandibular procedure and the lower jaw can either be moved

forward (Mandibular Advancement) or set back, like what I will be

having. The procedure you will be having on your lower jaw is one that

can only be used to set back your mandible. The reason it is plural is

because the surgery is done on both sides of the jaw. It sounds like

you and I will be having the same types of procedures - do you have an

underbite too? When are you having your surgery? Mine will be sometime

next summer. I get my braces in on July 26th and August 9th; brackets

and spacers on July 26th and spacers out/archwires on/bands on/power

chains in on August 9th. Hope all that helps. ~~~~ Diane-- In

orthognathicsurgerysupport , " E.D. " <lanie@b...> wrote:

> I hear people talking about LeForts and here it is in my note I have

> regarding the doctor for the physical that I am scheduled to have

> a " LeFort 1 Maxillary Osteotomy to advance the upper jaw and

Bilateral

> Intraoral Vertical Ramus Osteotomies of the Mandible to retrude the

> lower jaw " . Now, what's a LeFort? It seems like everyone's freaked

> out by them...! And why is it Osteotomies--you know, plural--instead

> of one on the upper? Yikes, this creeps me out...

>

>

> Lanie

[Guest guest]

My surgery is set for August 3rd. I had braces from 12-15 and got

them of since they were like, " You're too young, we'd need to do the

surgery, " so I got them again in 2004 when I was 18. I'm 19. I

have the underbite and midface hypoplasia; so the doctor explained

to me they're setting back the lower jaw, and bringing front the

upper a bit and tweaking the angle of my upper jaw since the midline

of my upper jaw does not meet the midline of my lower jaw. My teeth

aren't perfectly straight, either, so I have to have braces on for

like, six months afterwards.

I will definitely talk about how my surgery went so you can prepare

for yours! It's cool we're having the same thing done, makes me

feel like I'm not the only person in the universe going through

this.

Lanie

> > I hear people talking about LeForts and here it is in my note I

have

> > regarding the doctor for the physical that I am scheduled to

have

> > a " LeFort 1 Maxillary Osteotomy to advance the upper jaw and

> Bilateral

> > Intraoral Vertical Ramus Osteotomies of the Mandible to retrude

the

> > lower jaw " . Now, what's a LeFort? It seems like everyone's

freaked

> > out by them...! And why is it Osteotomies--you know, plural--

instead

> > of one on the upper? Yikes, this creeps me out...

> >

> >

> > Lanie

[Guest guest]

Lanie - My 2nd OMS Consult is also set for August 3rd; that's when he

will show me what I will look like after I have my surgery next

summer. I hope he will give me a copy of the before's and after's -

it will help keep me motivated and help my morale as I wait for my

teeth to move in the braces. I'm 47, by the way. I'm trying hard to

accept the fact that I will probably have to let my Surgeon perform

the LeFort after all. We will keep in touch right up to and right

after your surgery. Everything will be fine - I keep telling myself

that when I find myself getting scared, and it works! Take care and

have a nice weekend! ~~~~ Diane

> > > I hear people talking about LeForts and here it is in my note I

> have

> > > regarding the doctor for the physical that I am scheduled to

> have

> > > a " LeFort 1 Maxillary Osteotomy to advance the upper jaw and

> > Bilateral

> > > Intraoral Vertical Ramus Osteotomies of the Mandible to retrude

> the

> > > lower jaw " . Now, what's a LeFort? It seems like everyone's

> freaked

> > > out by them...! And why is it Osteotomies--you know, plural--

> instead

> > > of one on the upper? Yikes, this creeps me out...

> > >

> > >

> > > Lanie