Re: thinking about having the surgery

[Guest guest]

Hi Sylvia, I'm 41 and am 11 days post-op. I hadn't heard anything

about the difference betwen wiring or not wiring and how it relates

to numbness (I'll have to ask my OS about that one). I am

completely numb on my bottom lip and chin. I was completely

unprepared for this part of the recovery process. The feeling

supposedly comes back, but it could take years. I've read that the

length of numbness depends on your age and how far forward they have

to move your jaw (more than 7 mm greatly increases chance of nerve

damage).

Anyway, since I am just out of surgery, I can't say yet whether this

has all been worth it or not. If the numbness goes away I'll be

jumping for joy! If it doesn't, then this surgery was possibly a

big mistake. I am prepared to have some permanent numbness, both my

sister and another friend have had this done, and they have numb

portions on their chin and cheek that have never recovered. My

sister had been wired for a week, my friend had been wired for 5

weeks, I have not been wired at all.

Pam

> I just went to see an oral surgeon and he felt orghognathic

surgery

> would be helpful for my problems I having with my jaw. He said I

must

> wear braces first then my jar would have to be broken. He told me

I

> could have it wired closed for 6 weeks or he could not wire it

closed

> it. The second way with no wires he said there was a 1 in 30

chance I

> could have numbess in the chin or lips. If I went for the wires

there

> is a 1 in 1000 chance this could happen. I am 50 years old and

wiring

> my mouth together for 6 weeks would not allow me to work at my

job. I

> need my voice as I am a teacher. Please give me some feed back on

both

> ways. How painful is the recovery? Anyone who did not have there

jaw

> wired together please repond to me and let me know if you have

numbess,

> how long you were out of work. Are you satisfied with your result.

Are

> you able to eat during the recovery? Anyone who has done it with

their

> jaws wired shut, please give me some feedback also. Also, are

there

> other websites I can find out more information about the

procedure.

> Thank you. Sylvia

[Guest guest]

Hi Sylvia,

The others here who are post-op will be better able to answer your

questions, but as my surgery is this week, I'm almost there myself and

have done tons of research and asking questions, so I feel pretty

prepared and sure that I am correct in my answer.

From what everyone has said, including my doctor, having your mouth

wired or banded does not mean that you are unable to talk. You just

have to talk with your teeth together. A little inconvenient, and

difficult to yell or sing, probably, but it sounds like you should be

able to answer phones and talk as normal.

I *can* tell you that six weeks flies a lot faster that you might

think. I was told six weeks ago that I was ready for surgery, and now

here I am about to go have it done! It really seems like two or three

weeks ago they cleared me. I'm hoping for the six weeks wired

(actually I'll be banded) to fly just as quickly.

Also, if you are a teacher, don't you get summers off? Or at least

some time in the summer? Even if your teeth are ready for surgery in

December, I don't think there's any major rush or reason you couldn't

just keep the braces on to hold your teeth in the right spot until

summer, then have the surgery over summer when you're out of school.

Or maybe you could put off having the braces put on until the timing

ends up so that your teeth will be ready for a summer surgery. Just a

thought...

Good luck with your decision!

~