Breathing after jaw surgery

[JimmyTheGent]

Just how difficult is it to breath after double jaw surgery?  When you wake up and your teeth are banded together are you basically sucking in air through the spaces between your back molars??  If your lips are swollen together completely numb and your nose is stuffed how do you breath???  I saw a girl on Youtube who had nasal plugs up both nostrils to ensure she could breath through her nose, is this something that can be asked for?  Are the plugs commonly used?  I asked the oral surgeons on AllExperts.com about the nasal plugs and they knew what they were but they didnt tell me anything about how often they are used.  What would happen if you just cant breath sufficiently would they have to do a tracheostomy?

[Lazlo]

your lips aren't swollen together lol i could breath perfectly well through both nostrils and mouth it was as if nothing happened.

[Lynnwood]

Thanks for that Lazlo, I was wondering about that too. Could you comment about your jaw being wired shut?  Exactly how bad is that?  I'm afraid I will panic, or need Xanax to get through it.

[Lazlo]

Thanks for that Lazlo, I was wondering about that too. Could you comment about your jaw being wired shut?  Exactly how bad is that?  I'm afraid I will panic, or need Xanax to get through it.

no surgeon these days wires the jaw shut it'll be fine dude trust me it's a walk in the park.

[JimmyTheGent]

I was told my jaw would be shut for a month, maybe 6 weeks. He said there's 2 ways to do it, depending on insurance. Either braces and rubber bands, or... (Can't remember)

Jaws are usually banded shut with something other than wire but to my knowledge the jaws are still banded shut which in my opinion would make it hard to breath if you have a stuffy nose.   If perhaps the surgeon puts something in between the teeth before banding it shut there might be more space to allow air to flow past the teeth.  Lazlo how much could you open your teeth after surgery in the event you had to puke and to breath?

[Lazlo]

Jaws are usually banded shut with something other than wire but to my knowledge the jaws are still banded shut which in my opinion would make it hard to breath if you have a stuffy nose.   If perhaps the surgeon puts something in between the teeth before banding it shut there might be more space to allow air to flow past the teeth.  Lazlo how much could you open your teeth after surgery in the event you had to puke and to breath?

tons

[Lynnwood]

Wow that's a fantastic answer Lazlo!  If I move forward it will be double BiMax Advancement. Even a half inch would make me less apprehensive! Is a more than a half inch possible? I mean, when I bite down, a half inch barely leaves any space between my front teeth. Maybe a millimeter...

[JimmyTheGent]

tons

Is there a thin splint between your teeth or do they rubber band them together with nothing in between your teeth?

[LyraM45]

I was wired shut after my first surgery (no splint) and banded with a splint after the second.  You'll have times that you feel like you can't breathe, especially if you had upper jaw surgery and you're all stuffed up, but you're getting air in.  I feel like more times than not, it starts to get more like a panic attack than anything else.  Just try to stay calm and not think about it.  I had a rough go of it for my revision because I was a LOT more swollen and I also came down with a chest cold the night before surgery, so I was super congested and would have had a hard time breathing anyway without the jaw work on top of it.  I definitely had some rough moments the first 3 days.  I sat in lots of hot showers and put my face with towels covering me over a bowl of water to allow steam to open up my nose.  Your surgeon will probably give you something like affrin, but try not to use it constantly as it will eventually have a rebound effect and make you stuffy instead of clearing you up.

[Lynnwood]

I just talked to Dr Bobek today after I got the 360 degree image done. I asked about this. He said that his preference is to have the jaw closed tight for a minimum 2 weeks. That means no space. He was very clear. I think it can be removed between 2-4 weeks then you can start eating soft food at about 30 days. Soft as in mashed potatoes or pudding, etc.

He said sometimes there are issues with people feeling they can't breathe, and that is dealt with at that time. If necessary the jaw is released early. It's very important to keep your nose clear.

He said the main reason for keeping the jaw shut is to keep your bite correct. He's going to line it up  and it needs time to bond. If you need to release the jaw before 2 weeks you are risking a bad bite.

There are home exercises, and a couple PT sessions if needed.

I think I will ask for a couple emergency Xanax! (EDIT: sheesh, I hope they make it in liquid...)

All that said I think different surgeons call their own shots based on each case, and there is no one specific length of time.

[David_D]

Being wired shut, I didn't find difficulty breathing through my mouth.  I also was taking valium at regular intervals for perhaps a couple weeks.  I still recall crushing it up and mixing it with cranberry juice.  I had a pretty relaxing recovery.

[ditterbo]

Being wired shut, I didn't find difficulty breathing through my mouth.  I also was taking valium at regular intervals for perhaps a couple weeks.  I still recall crushing it up and mixing it with cranberry juice.  I had a pretty relaxing recovery.

Wikipedia'd valium.  Didn't know it's clinically useful for CAUSING memory loss?? Ironically though you recall crushing it up with cranberry juice.    Kidding aside, that sounds like a great idea to take post bimax.   

[stupidjaws]

i think a moderate improvement is possible if the surgery is performed correctly