Very, very, very, very, very, very first title: Detailed review of orthognathic surgery for malocclusion + underbite
I have malocclusion + an underbite, and every time I went to the dentist I was told that surgery was definitely necessary. When I was young, unless I was in a situation where I was smiling, it didn’t seem very noticeable, so I wondered if it was really necessary and didn’t feel the need for it. But starting in high school, I think I gradually began to notice it and started to feel self-conscious about it. Unlike other people, I didn’t look pretty when I smiled, and my jaw looked protruded, so I was always covering my mouth when I laughed, and my side profile was flat, so I avoided taking photos as much as possible. And above all, because I had an open bite, I couldn’t bite through food with my front teeth, which was very inconvenient, and I ate extremely slowly, so I ended up trying to eat faster than other people and got indigestion a lot
I consulted at two hospitals, including the one where I had surgery, and as soon as I had the consultation I liked it and decided to go ahead right away! The reason I made up my mind right after the consultation here was that orthognathic surgery is a major operation, so I was very worried, but I felt a lot of trust in several ways, including the fact that they do only one surgery a day for the patient’s condition, the operating room CCTV that a guardian can see, the director’s extensive experience, and the way they empathized with my situation and considered it carefully during the consultation. I later found out that they had a YouTube channel, and I watched it on the way home, which made me trust them even more!! And that is how I had orthognathic surgery and contouring type 2 - square jaw and chin surgery.
< On the day of surgery > I arrived at the hospital by 10 o’clock, and together with my guardian I listened to the pre-surgery consent forms and various explanations, then washed my face and gargled while waiting in the recovery room. They said they would check my blood pressure and then take me straight into the operating room, and until then I was fine, but once the situation was right in front of me, I started getting nervous. When I opened my eyes, the surgery was already over, and I was told it had gone well! Because of the anesthesia, it was hard to wake up properly, and they said I couldn’t sleep for 8 hours, so I practiced breathing with my mom. That was when I immediately realized, so this is what they meant by it being hard to breathe. My throat hurt so badly, like I had a terrible cold, even just swallowing saliva, my nose was completely blocked, and my mouth kept drying out, so that was probably the hardest part. I kept thinking, what if I can’t breathe and pass out? But the nurse kept coming in at intervals to check my condition, measure my blood pressure, and replace the ice packs, so I felt much more at ease. They said I had to breathe hard and get all the anesthesia gas out, so I thought I was doing my best, but at night I felt nauseous and ended up dry-heaving. From that point on I was anxious and had a hard time, but the director and the nurse came by, told me that it could happen, calmed me down, and helped me take deep breaths, so I quickly settled down!!
< Day 2 after surgery > In the morning they came and removed the catheter, and I received laser treatment. Then around 10 o’clock the director came and removed the hose? inside my mouth, and put in the wafer. Once the annoying thing was removed, I felt much more comfortable, and since a day had passed, breathing had become somewhat manageable. They told me from today to eat with New Care and to walk around the hospital a bit, haha. They said I had to eat properly, but my throat hurt so much that I didn’t really feel like eating. And maybe because I was on an IV, I wasn’t very hungry either. They said I needed to walk often to reduce the swelling, but because I couldn’t sleep properly due to breathing, I slept whenever I got the chance, and even a little walking made me dizzy, so I would walk only a little and then come back. They came in from time to time and put medicine into the IV, and each time I felt dizzy and nauseous, so that was a bit hard But I wasn’t in pain at all, which made me so happy!! That night the nurse kept taking care of me too, and because I felt like I wasn’t alone, I felt reassured and was very grateful
< Day 3 after surgery - Discharge > Maybe because it was the last day, I could feel my body improving even more than yesterday. They removed the IV, did laser treatment, and the director checked the wafer once more, then I was discharged. The swelling kept getting worse, so my cheeks + mouth + inside of the mouth were all very puffy, and because of that I couldn’t close my mouth, so saliva kept dripping I was worried because I was so swollen, but the director said, “You’ll probably think it’s so swollen it might burst, but it will gradually get better, so don’t worry,” and that really comforted me! From today I had to do everything myself, so I drank a little New Care, took my medicine, and kept doing cold compresses. The medicine tasted bitter and my throat still hurt, so swallowing was hard, but when I took it with Pocari, it was manageable Since I couldn’t brush my teeth, I think I also gargled often.
< Days 4-6 after surgery > I still couldn’t breathe properly, so I slept in short naps with a neck pillow, waking up repeatedly, and because I had a lot of runny nose + saliva, tissues were essential. The swelling got even worse today too, so I felt the need to walk. I already had severe low blood pressure, so I often felt dizzy, and since my body was not fully recovered, even a little walking made me short of breath and dizzy, so I kept resting while walking or relied on others while walking Still, I tried to walk even a little, and because it felt like I was doing less than other people, I worked hard on compresses too Ah, on day 6 I was so hungry that I bought and ate silken tofu! It was so delicious after eating only New Care every day, but not being able to brush my teeth was the most uncomfortable part.
< Day 7 after surgery > Today was the day I went to the hospital, and as soon as I arrived I received laser treatment! I told the manager that I was worried because I was so swollen, and she said it was a normal level of swelling and that I didn’t need to rush, which reassured me again! I saw the director, heard that the surgery had gone well, and was told that the wafer could be removed and that I could eat and brush my teeth, which made me so happy. As soon as I got home I took it out and ate steamed egg and silken tofu, and I diligently brushed my teeth, which I hadn’t been able to do until then The time I spent walking also gradually increased, and I worked hard on managing the swelling with warm compresses too!
< 2 weeks after surgery and onward > At the two-week follow-up after surgery, they removed the stitches, and I couldn’t feel anything on the inside; only the area around my front teeth stung Still, once they were removed, the swelling under my nose gradually went down, and it became easier to manage. I think the nasal congestion disappeared completely around one week after surgery! It was hard on me mentally because it seemed like my swelling was going down more slowly than other people’s, but now at week 6, I think the major swelling is all gone, and once only the remaining minor swelling goes down, I think it will be beautiful!
< Week 4 after surgery > One month after surgery, the day I started orthodontic treatment I arrived at the hospital, took an X-ray, and checked the progress. They said the surgery had gone well, and I asked a lot of questions, The biggest question I had was about the swelling, and they said it would all go down if I waited slowly, which was reassuring They said I could now eat soft meats like hamburger steak After hearing various explanations from the director, I had the orthodontic appliances attached! They said they would attach the lower six first, and since I still had no sensation there was no pain. After the appliances were attached, they kept asking whether there was any discomfort, and since the mini-screw was covered by the gum and couldn’t be used, we decided to remove it! There was no sensation on the inside, but only the front hurt a little 흑
< Week 6 after surgery > That day I had the upper jaw orthodontic treatment! For about a day after the lower treatment, there was a slight throbbing sensation. When I asked because there was almost no pain, they said it might be that it didn’t hurt because sensation hadn’t returned yet. The upper one was attached the same way, and the remaining mini-screws were removed because they were rubbing against the skin I really liked how they treated me while checking in between so it wouldn’t hurt Even after putting on the upper orthodontic appliance, there was no pain, but it did take a little more time to manage? I’ve gotten used to it now over time, but at first it was cumbersome Anyway, I’m really satisfied right now, and I hope the swelling goes down quickly and I get used to it so my quality of life improves!