jawsurgeryforums.com
General Category => General Chat => Topic started by: chinnychinchin on July 22, 2015, 03:37:22 PM
-
Hello, I have an overbite w/ sleep apnea issue that I'm getting jaw surgery for with Dr. Gunson this upcoming Wednesday! My treatment plan will be a CCW-R with a small genio for facial balance. I've uploaded my treatment plan so you can see what it looks like:
http://imgur.com/a/ovVPs
I'll be updating this thread and/or blog with the latest updates to help other prospective patients. Thanks!
-
Hey man,
Thank you for posting this. It's really useful to me and I'm sure some of the others to see the plan and outcome of your surgery. I suspect I might need similar movements and plan to consult with A+G at some point.
-
Chinnychin,
How did it go? Hoping all is well and that you will be have a satisfactory result. any updates are appreciated !
-
Hey guys I'm alive! Now I know why they say no one makes it out alive from this surgery. This was real tough, especially the 72 hours after. You're gonna need someone to take care of you, I guarantee it. I've donated a kidney before and this surgery might be harder than that. Anyways, sorry I haven't been writing simply because I've been focusing on trying to do even the basics right.. like walking, drinking, etc.
Everything is swollen real bad so I can't really tell what changed other than looking like a hippo. Dr. Gunson said the surgery went really well although it took 2 hours longer than it should've been (originally 4 hours). Over the next few days hopefully I'll have some pics to show. Thanks!
-
Hey Congrats! I also had surgery with Dr. G.
Try to drink as much liquid calories as possible!
-
what is it that makes the recovery so bad? Is it just constant pain in the face? Congestion etc?
Looking forward to your before/after pics
Happy recovery!
-
Nice hope the recovery goes smoothly.
-
@ForeverDet Did you have surgery this week?
I had double jaw surgery so I had to re-train how to swallow, breathe, etc all the while you're completely congested, nauseated from all the blood trickling down your throat, and swelled up like a balloon. The pain isn't more the issue as it is simply just uncomfortable... painfully uncomfortable.
I had my first appointment with Dr. G and everything looks great. My bite was "perfect" in the operating room and although the joints are swollen now, they'll eventually settle into the perfect position. So it'll be another week of Ensure, clear liquids, and green kale juice before I'll be able to possibly go to a blended diet. Now that I'm back home, I'm looking forward to a better and more comfortable recovery process. Also, my nerves are starting to come back in full force. The tingling sensation and sensitivity of the teeth it causes unfortunately cannot be addressed by painkillers. Anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this as it's becoming unbearable. The surgeon's office recommended baby Orajel but it doesn't seem to have much have an effect.
Until next time!
-
Congrats. Wow must be tough, but hang in there. I'm sure after like the two week mark it's smooth sailing.
-
I just had my surgery this past Tuesday. What a pain tying to get ensure in my mouth with those syringes. I cant breath very well through my nose because of the clotting and I can't really open my mouth very much do to the bands. I have a coulpe of pill meds that I am going to have to figure out today. Someone please tell me that this will get better.
They ended up using grafts in my upper jaw to bring it forward and down while rotating my lower jaw clockwise and forward aswell. Hopefully I will be rid of sleep apnea any ways.
-
Didn't have it with Gunson and it on east coast at Strong Memorial in Rochester NY.
-
I just had my surgery this past Tuesday. What a pain tying to get ensure in my mouth with those syringes. I cant breath very well through my nose because of the clotting and I can't really open my mouth very much do to the bands. I have a coulpe of pill meds that I am going to have to figure out today. Someone please tell me that this will get better.
They ended up using grafts in my upper jaw to bring it forward and down while rotating my lower jaw clockwise and forward aswell. Hopefully I will be rid of sleep apnea any ways.
After the first week, it gets 10000x better. It actually gets a little bit worse after the first 72 hours. I never used a syringe--I was drinking from a cup by the time I was released. I think they want to see that you're getting enough fluids by the time they discharge you and the only way to do that is from a cup. I think you can totally use a cup, you just have to re-train your throat on how to do it again. It's extremely tough and worrisome that you might tear or break something when you first do it, but rest assured that the screws and plates have you secured.
I had a sleep apnea/tiny tiny airway before the surgery. I'm now able to breathe with just my nose. It's pretty awesome.
-
@ForeverDet Did you have surgery this week?
No, I had it done 2 years ago. I just remember when I lost 13 pounds in one week, I still had some fat left on me but I was getting skeletal.
-
My nerves are on fire! I've regained full sensation of my upper lip and the sides and bottom of my chin. However, my bottom lip and triangular area of my chin are still completely numb. I'm hopeful that it'll return cause the surrounding area has been tingling fiercely with a "pins and needles" feeling but still concerned that it's *still* completely numb. It comes in waves and has been killing me lately and keeping me up at night. Pain meds don't do crap for this type of "pain" so I've just been riding it out.
The swelling has also gone down significantly. I've been taking bromelain, tumeric, and quercetin supplements as well in hopes of speeding up the process. Also been doing my best at drinking at least a gallon of liquids a day. This liquid diet seems to be doing wonders for my skin and hair. I got a masticating juicer and have been starting my mornings with a kale/celery/cucumber/ginger/apple concoction.
I'm going back to Santa Barbara this Tuesday to see the good doctor again. It's my "2 week" appointment and it seems like most patients get cleared for a blended diet at this point. Hopefully I'll be blending my way to happiness when I'm back :) Not sure how much I longer I can drink this Ensure stuff.
-
Good luck at follow up chinnychin.
If you have ongoing nerve pain, you should see if you could get your hands on some tramadol. It's a weak opioid but often works great specifically for neuropathic (nerve pain). Can cause nausea in some.
Can't wait to see the results.
-
It's quite spectacular how much the jaw stiffens up when it's not used. At my follow up appointment, my elastics were taken off for the first time in 2 weeks and after about ten minutes of exercising them, I finally got them wide enough to fit a small toothbrush head. Brushing them was an amazing feeling and great milestone. I'm to take off the elastics now three times a day and exercise my jaw for 5-10 minutes each time. The hardest part about taking off these elastics is dealing with the frontal ones. Dr. Gunson essentially screwed two hooks into my upper and lower jaw as attachment points during surgery. They're still not completely healed and bleed quite a bit when trying to maneuver the elastics around them. And they look like they're from a scene in one of the Saw movies.
Overall everything is healing well and the bite fits perfectly. And it's a great feeling to have a normal airway now--before surgery, I had trouble breathing through my nose only whereas today, I can close my mouth and breathe with no problems. Than you dantheman for the tramadol suggestion. However, I was prescribed Amitriptyline for the neuropathic pain I've been experiencing. But most importantly I'm now on a blended diet... the possibilities are endless.
-
Got some x-rays! Let me know if you guys would like to see the other ones.
Pre-op:
(http://i.imgur.com/syBCLPp.png)
Post-op:
(http://i.imgur.com/pt9Cjp8.png)
I'm officially a metalhead.
-
Me too, thanks for the effort chinnychin, much appreciated.\
-
Here's the rest :) Hope it helps
Before - Nerve Study
(http://i.imgur.com/nWIsM7Bl.png)
After - Nerve Study
(http://i.imgur.com/h8sNmpbl.png)
Before - Sagittal
(http://i.imgur.com/qMMiru1l.png)
After - Sagittal
(http://i.imgur.com/VOkctX5l.png)
Below are the ceph studies. Notice how tiny my airway was before and how large it is after.
Before - Ceph Study
(http://i.imgur.com/MLvJqw1l.png)
After - Ceph Study
(http://i.imgur.com/4Agx6oDl.png)
Before - Top Ceph Study
(http://i.imgur.com/1k2kD9Cl.png)
After - Top Ceph Study
(http://i.imgur.com/cWozhzGl.png)
-
Thanks man!
How is your sleep? Any significant difference with that huge airway improvement?
-
A resounding hell yes! I'm still recovering so I'm not sure how my sleep has improved, but I'm now able to breathe much better, especially through my nose while my mouth is closed.
I mentioned it I think earlier, but I was never able to breathe through my nose completely. I've always had to supplement with some mouth breathing. I also did a sleep study because there have been a few times where I have woken up out of breath. The study revealed that my oxygen levels were below normal during REM resulting in my heart having to work harder (I think the lowest the oxygen level got was around 70%). Furthermore, I can tell my sleep was never effective since I tend to doze off while driving, etc. and just feeling tired generally. These issues I sort of just accepted until I started looking into jaw surgery for my recessed chin. I'm glad the surgery was able to address a lot of the underlying issues I had including jaw clicking, TMJ pain, and my teeth being worn down since my bite was terrible and my back molars never touched.
-
Has Gunson discussed the gap between your chin and mandible with you?
-
wow thanks for these pics. so interesting!
Sometimes when going to sleep i feel like i have a hard time breathing as well, cant wait to get my airways increased lol.
How much advancement did you have? Was it the max that gunson could do for you?
-
Wow, you sure did gain some airway volume! That has to feel better.
I'm curious, what is the screw right above your top teeth?
It's a mounting point for one of my elastics. The screw will eventually get removed.
wow thanks for these pics. so interesting!
Sometimes when going to sleep i feel like i have a hard time breathing as well, cant wait to get my airways increased lol.
How much advancement did you have? Was it the max that gunson could do for you?
It was the max advancement due to the plane of my jaw. I'm not sure how much advancement it is but I'll ask Gunson the next time I see him.
-
Has Gunson discussed the gap between your chin and mandible with you?
Hey Serra what gap are your referring to? You mean the area between the jaw on each side and where chin was sliced to be moved forward? They call that the step-off deformity which only occurs with excess advancement. Otherwise the space isn't usually visible on the jaw line. Plus I would imagine Arnett/Gunson would fill that area in via HA paste if it was going to be visible externally.
-
Has Gunson discussed the gap between your chin and mandible with you?
Nope, should I be concerned? And I can't really tell from my profile.
-
Also wanted to mention I had a ferocious outbreak of acne about 3-4 weeks after the surgery. It seems to be dissipating but it was unlike any acne I've ever experienced. Supposedly it was due to the anti-swelling medication I was on during the surgery + iodine wash on my face.
-
Nope, should I be concerned? And I can't really tell from my profile.
Was the objective to make your chin longer?
I had the same thing in my first surgery and it was disfiguring because it was so long
-
Was the objective to make your chin longer?
I had the same thing in my first surgery and it was disfiguring because it was so long
The object was to fix my worsening sleep apnea issue, fix my bite, and fix my recessed chin and get better facial balance for free.
Saw the good doc today and learned that my lower jaw was extended by 14.5 mm while upper jaw was 5 mm. Hope that helps.
-
I suspect I will have similar movement and procedure recommendations. I look forward to seeing the final results! Chinnychin, are your teeth class II? I can't really tell the molar overlap.
-
You looked like you had a good frame to work with from the start so, the outcome has a larger chance of you looking more balanced/"good". Your airway looks better too.
Yep my airway size improved by 5x, absolutely no issues breathing now :)
I suspect I will have similar movement and procedure recommendations. I look forward to seeing the final results! Chinnychin, are your teeth class II? I can't really tell the molar overlap.
Yep it was class II but not as severe since I've had braces when I was younger where they tried to correct my overbite. Thanks, glad I could help :)
-
What is that hook looking thing between your chin hardware and your braces?
Plus that's HA paste in your step-offs, right?
-
Looks good
Are you gonna upload some before/after (non xray) pics soon?
-
What is that hook looking thing between your chin hardware and your braces?
Plus that's HA paste in your step-offs, right?
The hook is a rubberband attachment point for the one that goes across the front of my teeth. That's a good question about the HA paste, I'm not sure. I think you're right and it's still fit in the gap from the BSSO. That area has started to fill out recently where I used to be able to make out the step-off in the mirror and now I can't.
Looks good
Are you gonna upload some before/after (non xray) pics soon?
I hope to once my swelling goes down a little more, stay tuned, thanks :)
-
The hook is a rubberband attachment point for the one that goes across the front of my teeth. That's a good question about the HA paste, I'm not sure. I think you're right and it's still fit in the gap from the BSSO. That area has started to fill out recently where I used to be able to make out the step-off in the mirror and now I can't.
I hope to once my swelling goes down a little more, stay tuned, thanks :)
I don't understand what the purpose for the hook is. When is it being removed? Are you getting your chin hardware removed?
-
I don't understand what the purpose for the hook is. When is it being removed? Are you getting your chin hardware removed?
This image should help illustrate what it's for
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/4t53985vc28v8wk/2015-09-28%20at%202.48%20AM%202x.png?dl=0)
It's so I can have a rubberband configuration like that. I wore that configuration for the first 4 weeks. The screw + hook for the rubberbands is getting removed after 4 months. I'm not getting my chin hardware removed. Hope that answers your questions!
-
WAIT YOU ARE f**kING 4 MONTHS POST OP AND YOU'RE NOT EATING ANY f**kING FOOD????
CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN? I"VE HEARD FROM EVERY SURGEON 6 WEEKS AND YOU'RE BACK TO SOFT FOODS. DID SOMETHING GO WRONG?
ALSO WHAT ARE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS? HOW LONG AFTER SURGERY WERE YOU ABLE TO WORK NORMALLY 9-5pm????? OR DO YOU FEEL TIRED AND LIKE s**t?
-
Congrats! Your results look good.
How come you are not eating yet? Did you have problems or is it to be expected from the big surgical movements you had?
I have to ask: at this point, are you glad you did it and would you do it again?
Thanks! Oh sorry, I meant to say I'm not on a hard chew diet yet 8) So I'm still able to eat salmon, eggs, etc. I'm definitely alive and well and have gained all my weight loss back. And hell yes I would do it again. Able to breathe 100x better? Check. Memory improvement? Check. Way more energy? Check. But would I dread it? OH HELL YES, it was tough and depressing to the max.
-
WAIT YOU ARE f**kING 4 MONTHS POST OP AND YOU'RE NOT EATING ANY f**kING FOOD????
CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN? I"VE HEARD FROM EVERY SURGEON 6 WEEKS AND YOU'RE BACK TO SOFT FOODS. DID SOMETHING GO WRONG?
ALSO WHAT ARE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS? HOW LONG AFTER SURGERY WERE YOU ABLE TO WORK NORMALLY 9-5pm????? OR DO YOU FEEL TIRED AND LIKE s**t?
For me it was like 1 month after the surgery was I able to work a prolonged amount of time. But I think I also heal slower than others. My swelling is still pretty substantial compared to other 4 month post-op pictures I've seen.
-
how much weight have you lost brah?
-
My nerves are on fire! I've regained full sensation of my upper lip and the sides and bottom of my chin. However, my bottom lip and triangular area of my chin are still completely numb. I'm hopeful that it'll return cause the surrounding area has been tingling fiercely with a "pins and needles" feeling but still concerned that it's *still* completely numb. It comes in waves and has been killing me lately and keeping me up at night. Pain meds don't do crap for this type of "pain" so I've just been riding it out.
The swelling has also gone down significantly. I've been taking bromelain, tumeric, and quercetin supplements as well in hopes of speeding up the process. Also been doing my best at drinking at least a gallon of liquids a day. This liquid diet seems to be doing wonders for my skin and hair. I got a masticating juicer and have been starting my mornings with a kale/celery/cucumber/ginger/apple concoction.
I'm going back to Santa Barbara this Tuesday to see the good doctor again. It's my "2 week" appointment and it seems like most patients get cleared for a blended diet at this point. Hopefully I'll be blending my way to happiness when I'm back :) Not sure how much I longer I can drink this Ensure stuff.
do you regret surgery? I'm compiling a list of people who do.
-
how much weight have you lost brah?
At its peak it was 20 lb
-
man your results look awesome!
-
do you regret surgery? I'm compiling a list of people who do.
(http://marlon-wayans.s3.amazonaws.com/mw_shop/No-RAgrets-Tattoo-BIG.jpg)
-
^ lol
Everything looks good!
crazy how much bigger an airway can get from a small movement.
how are your tmj's functioning? any pain or clicking?
-
^ lol
Everything looks good!
crazy how much bigger an airway can get from a small movement.
how are your tmj's functioning? any pain or clicking?
Thanks, so far none. There was some pain and clicking around the 3 month mark but that went away completely.
-
it takes up to a year to get the feeling back, you had a massive advancement, in the top 10 percentile, be patient.
the optical result is amazing, could you post a pre-pic also?
-
how are you doing now?