Re: fun with Resorbable plates and screws! to katya +everyone

[Guest guest]

Hi katya. Congrats on getting thru your surgewry you sound as tho

your making a great recovery, i hope the pain from the plates+screws

isnt too bad now.

I dont get to post here much as im V busy with uni at the mo, but i

just saw your post and had to reply. Cammie is indeed right i did

have dissolveable bplates and screws used in my surgery, and for my

surgeon i was " the guinea pig " . At first i was quite scared by the

fact that i was going to be the guinea pig incase things went wrong,

but at the same time i was amazed and suprised at how this hardware

could dissolve.

I had upper, lower and rpe 3 years ago to correct a severe class III

underbite. I have to agree with you i also noticed a strange

sensation as my hardware started to dissolve. I used to get aching

pains in the joints between my upper and lower jaws. Also i noticed

a couple of months after my surgery that i had these two small

protruding lumps under each eye. i questioned my ortho about it and

it turned out that they were screws. i couldnt beleive how far up

they were jsut at the inside corner of each eye jsut under the eye

ball. I was like " what???? why are there screws this far up? and

how did they get up there? arghhh " . but actually it was quite cool

as i like to be " different " and this certainly was a great point of

conversation! Now 3 years on there is still a dip where the screws

where under my eyes, but more noticeable is on my lower jaw where

they cut out a section of my jaw. i have these fairly large about

an inch dips or dents at the back of my jaw on each side. Which is

pretty cool as i can point out to those who didnt know me b4 my

surgery that i did have it done. My xrays looked real weird to as

it showed a huge smile with a set of teeth which sort of went up and

back down again at the end it looked so weird!

Overall ive been impressed from my experience with the dissolveable

paltes and screws! I didnt really have anything to complain about.

I also wasnt wired shut, just splinted and banded shut from

surgery. i had the splint for four days and it was removed on the

day i left hospital day 5! i was banded shut for about 3 months i

think, i cant remember now. I remember having a liquid diet what

seemed like FOREVER only to progress onto a mushy diet for a further

3 months. That was the worst, Worst part of my surgery! I hated not

being able to but it was worth it!

anyway apologises for rambling on, i jsut thought i would add my

little bit haha. Its nice to see some more brits joining the site,

there wasnt many back when i found it!

Good luck with your recovery!

Kind regards

Kat_UK.

..com, katja750 <no_reply@y...> wrote:

>

> Hi Cammie,

> Thanks for replying! Sorry for my rather delayed response..... I

> really don't know with what kind of frequency/infrequency the

plates

> and screws are used.... With 30 years experience in OMS, my

surgeon

> isn't new to the field with some kind of new-fangled technique! I

> don't know... he works in conjuction at a teaching hospital/med

> school highly focussed on research, so maybe that has something to

do

> with it. I consulted with him in 2003 and he mentioned that same

use

> of resorbable plates and screws... so at least he's been using

them 2

> years by the time I actually had my surgery!

>

> I know my pain was a little unusual... he said most people don't

> react to the hardware at all, but some might react to one of the

> pieces and of course I was one of them. Anyway, the pain is

basically

> gone... just a little swelling/internal inflammation remain. After

I

> posted, I called back and asked about how long it takes for them

to

> completely resorb... something like a year to year and a half for

the

> upper jaw's plates and screws to dissolve and be filled with bone,

> and then 1 1/2 to 2 years for the lower jaw's screws to go and be

> replaced with bone.

>

> That is very fortunate that you've had no problems with your

plates

> and screws since your surgery.... I've read some of the posts

here

> about the horrendous time some people have had with them. Overall,

I

> get the impression though that they aren't a problem. Thank

goodness!

>

> I'm going to make a note next time I see my OS to ask of

frequently

> these resorbables are used and what he knows about it.

>

> I used to work at a vet hospital and we'd have all kinds of pets

with

> problems with screws needing removal after the surgery spot being

> chewed by the dog and then the screw getting dislodged. So, of

course

> after finding out that MY hardware was resorbable, the vets were

> wondering why orthopedic surgeons in vet medicine didn't use the

> resorbables for animals too. It would make sense that they should!

Oh

> well, who knows?!?

> Katja

>

>

>

> > > Hi everyone,

> > > I saw my OS today for my 6 month post-op check up. Everything

is

> > > looking good according to my surgeon- my teeth and bite and

the

> > > position of everything. I have diminished/altered sensation in

my

> > > chin, lower lip, the left side of my tongue, and some random

> places

> > > in my mouth.... My surgeon is confident that all my feeling

> should

> > be

> > > restored ultimately, but that it could take up to a year or

more.

> > It

> > > does give me hope that I am at least not dead numb in those

> places

> > > and some feeling is slowly returning. Phew!!

> > >

> > > And, I thought this might be interesting just because I'm not

> > really

> > > aware of anyone else around here who has posted about these or

> has

> > > them or has had them. I guess they are unusual! So, I will be

the

> > > guinea pig for the group..... I have resorbable plates and

> screws.

> > > They are my surgeon's preference. Anyway, last Friday, I

noticed

> > that

> > > the left side of my face has been a little swollen (externally

> and

> > > internally) and tender in places. I've had some throbs here

and

> > > there, pain and aching at other times, and general

discomfort....

> I

> > > guessed it was due to the plates starting to do " their thing " .

My

> > OS

> > > confirmed that right around 6 months they will start to

resorb...

> > > they first soften and turn into something like a jelly, and my

> body

> > > takes over and finishes them off.... he said usually it's just

> one

> > of

> > > the plates, if any, that can cause some minor swelling and

> > discomfort

> > > if my body really goes to town on it! Apparently I am one of

the

> > > lucky ones (ha ha) and have a bothersome plate, but

fortunately

> my

> > > swelling isn't noticeable to anyone that doesn't know me well.

I

> > > guess some people experience a lot of swelling due to this. He

> said

> > > it should only last a week or two. So, I guess all my plates

> and

> > > screws will be gone soon. I think that is so crazy and weird

and

> > > cool! Ultimately, the bone fills in everything and years from

> now,

> > > when all that is left of me is a skull and 2 femurs, forensic

> > > scientists won't be able to tell I had this surgery. Wild,

huh? I

> > > guess that also happens with those who end up having their

> hardware

> > > removed. From what I understand, the resorbable plates and

screws

> > are

> > > made of a certain compound where one element breaks down

first,

> and

> > > then others go. I have instructions to not poke around in my

> mouth

> > so

> > > that the material is left alone and undisturbed as it is so

soft

> > now.

> > > In the meantime, my OS recommened that I take some aleve or

advil

> > to

> > > help with the inflammation (just like after surgery). I've

been

> > > occaisionally icing my jaw too. Glad I still have my jaw wrap!

> > >

> > > My upper jaw was very slow to heal, but is solid now thank

> > goodness.

> > > I have been cleared to resume life as normal.... no

restrictions.

> > > That includes getting my teeth cleaned finally!! They were

black

> > from

> > > incessant drinking of very black tea in Russia for a month!

> They're

> > > better now, but I'm anxious to get rid of the few remaining

> > stains!!

> > > I think I'll wait until everything is resorbed before I go

> > though....

> > > this is going to require me to get up the courage too. I hate

> when

> > > they aren't gentle enough. And is anyone else's lower lip as

> crazy

> > as

> > > mine is about some sensations or different things touching

> it??...

> > > ooooh can you imagine the horrible spinning head on the

polisher

> > > hitting against the lip accidentally?! Yikes! I hate it when

I'm

> in

> > > bed a the sheet touches my lip. For some reason I can't stand

> > certain

> > > sensations.... Now that I have full clearance, I'm hoping to

> start

> > > swimming again... I wonder if that will be weird with my

> sinuses...

> > I

> > > am much more aware of them now. (I am sure I could have gone

> > swimming

> > > much earlier on in my recovery, but I never asked or wanted to

> > until

> > > recently. My sinuses have been interesting since my sx).

> > >

> > > I've also been having some minor pain and discomfort sometimes

> when

> > > eating and talking in my left joint. I asked my OS about it

> today,

> > he

> > > said that due to all the ortho work moving my teeth over and

the

> > > pressure the bands are putting on the muscles in the area, the

> > joints

> > > are very sensitive and probably have some adema (your standard

> > > swelling and inflammation). I kind of guessed it was that, so

I

> > feel

> > > relieved that my guess was right and this is only a temporary

> > > problem. I was sort of feeling concerned.

> > >

> > > As a side note, on my exact 6 month anniversary, I celebrated

by

> > > having my first postop steak dinner! It was a very tasty

filet

> > and

> > > I very much enjoyed it! AND I was able to eat it just fine!! I

> > think

> > > I would be able to eat pretty much anything at this point if I

> > wasn't

> > > still having ortho adjustments that make my teeth sore and

> tender.

> > I

> > > can't wait until I'm done with ortho and my teeth are perfect

> along

> > > with my new perfect jaws.... (perfect for me, probably not

> > > objectively perfect or amazing or anything!)

> > >

> > > My OS wants to see me at 1 year post op, and when my braces

are

> > taken

> > > off. But, I highly doubt they will be off before my 1 year

date.

> I

> > am

> > > hoping for around that time though, so we'll see!

> > >

> > > Oh, and ortho has been doing a good job slowly but surely

getting

> > my

> > > canted bite corrected. It was minor to begin with, but

noticeable

> > to

> > > me and my family & boyfriend.

> > >

> > > Well, that's my official update. Hope it wasn't too boring,

> > > especially the stuff about the resorbables! I'm off to take

> two

> > > aleve.... thanks for reading! Oh, and one last thing, I love

my

> > > surgeon!!!

> > > Katja

>