Surgery to correct open-bite, overbite & gummy smile

[Guest guest]

Hello I just recently joined this community and have been looking

through pictures and old posts etc. so I figured I'd share and get

any advice or input on my upcoming surgery (which is on the 22nd!

only 8 more days)

I'm 16 and have had my braces on for six years. Originally they

didn't day I'd need surgery and not until 2 or 3 years ago did they

decide my over bite was not fixable with just braces. I'm going to

have upper jaw surgery at UCSF (I was wondering if anyone had it

there, Dr. Chigurupati will be doing the surgery) Although she told

me it will only be upper jaw surgery there is a slight chance she'll

need to do lower jaw surgery as well, but won't know until she's

actually doing the surgery.

The main things I'm nervous about for surgery include:

-Losing feeling in my lower lip/chin. How many here have permanently

lost feeling?

-Needing a blood transfusion. My doctor said it's rare to need one,

but possible, so again I'm wondering who did need one and how did

that go?

-The problem not being completely fixed or not staying fixed. I've

found a few people on here with cases like this which I didn't even

think of or know of before so I'm wondering if it's possible with

the type of surgery I'm getting and if so how likely is it? and in

what time frame can it happen (like 5 years after surgery could my

open-bite/gummy smile/overbite or all three come back)?

-My nose changing. How much will it change from my upper jaw being

moved?

-Breathing after surgery. The reason I have an open bite is because

I breath through my mouth, my nose is too small to get enough air

and I often feel like I'm suffocating when I try breathing through

it. I've also read about how your nose gets bloody and clogged after

surgery and most people are wired or banded shut, so how do you/did

you breath?

-Throwing up. Has anyone here done that while there mouth was

wired/banded shut? I read on someone's website that they did, but

they didn't go into much detail about it. I also know that I'll be

on some sort of medicine that takes away nausea so I most likely

won't throw up, but I'd still like to know.

-Going back to school. 3 weeks after surgery I go back to school. By

that time is the swelling and bruising gone for most people? Will I

be banded shut still? Will I have enough energy to be going to

school? My doctor said it was ok, but I talked to someone who went

to Kaiser and they had their surgery in late July and their doctor

said they wouldn't be able to start school (although her school

starts in the end of August, not the beginning of September, she

still had over 3 weeks and yet she won't be able to go back)

-My appearance. I used to be excited for it to change, because I

read orthognathic surgery normal improves appearance, but I've known

some people who liked it better before surgery etc. so I'm wondering

who felt their appearance was improved? and who felt their

appearance was worse after surgery?

That's all I can think of for now. I'd ask my doctor some of these

questions, but I already had my pre opp. appointment and the next

time I'll be seeing her is the day of my surgery. So to all who

offer any advice or share their experience with me thank you so

much, I really appreciate it.