My front, back, lower, and upper jaw skeletal structure is strong and sturdy, which didn’t match my personality, so I always felt myself shrinking back. At the same time, even when I felt dissatisfied with my appearance, there were days when I thought maybe this is fine as it is, or that maybe I was being too preoccupied with looks, and those feelings always conflicted with my dislike of my prominent jaw.
It was hard for me to look at my face objectively on my own, and I was also afraid of surgery, so I had always hesitated. But after the hospital confirmed that I had an unstable TMJ, poor occlusion, a sunken midface, and a developed jaw, making me a candidate for double jaw surgery, I chose not to keep delaying and looking away, and decided to go through with the surgery.
I chose this hospital because, from what I heard on YouTube, their philosophy on surgery seemed to match mine, so I went in for a consultation. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking, “I have to do this right away,” but more like, “Let’s start with a consultation!” But after visiting, the director gave a short and straightforward consultation,, and all the staff gave off a natural, comfortable sense of trust, so I immediately felt that it would be okay to trust them and leave it in their hands. The hospital itself was also very clean, and I liked that everything felt like it was exactly where it should be.
I had IVRO, two contouring procedures, and preoperative orthodontic treatment followed by postoperative orthodontic treatment. There really isn’t much to prepare. Just bring a tablet and a charger, something good for passing the time. Everything else is already prepared well at the hospital. (Humidifier, tissue box, cushion, neck pillow, mirror, paper cups, Newcare, etc.) After surgery, you’re so disoriented that even if you have things, you won’t think to use them. I worried it might be cold, but with basic heating and cooling plus a radiator, you really don’t need to worry at all. I’d recommend toner pads and cotton swabs for wiping your face, depending on your needs.
Surgery day (11/19) I arrived on time and everything moved along briskly one by one.. It felt like less than a minute from entering the operating room and lying down to anesthesia. When I opened my eyes, there were many people waking me up and I couldn’t breathe,. There was truly no pain at all. But breathing was so hard!! I hadn’t thought about that at all until this moment came. It felt like trying to breathe with my face buried in a thick blanket. Maybe it was even harder because I have rhinitis + narrow nasal passages.. I focused only on breathing. I wasn’t hungry and I wasn’t in pain. I would fall asleep for about 10 minutes, wake up briefly, and repeat that over and over. I kept thinking how hard it was to breathe, but even so, my oxygen saturation never dropped enough to trigger an emergency^^… It was really uncomfortable to keep sitting in the same position.. So I spent the entire day in the same posture I woke up from anesthesia in. I’m also very grateful to the nurse who took care of me throughout that night. Without showing any sign of difficulty, she only said positive things, which was such a comfort mentally.
The next day (11/20) The next day, my condition was definitely better. I was breathing hard just to stay alive^^… They removed the things attached to my face and body, which made me feel a bit more comfortable.. I wiped my face once with the toner pads I brought, and I could even go to the restroom by myself.. Yesterday I truly had no room to think about anything else, so it was amazing that I could move around like this after just one day. Of course, I wasn’t in perfect shape, but compared with how exhausting the day of surgery was, this was much better! My mouth was bandaged closed, and my mouth was so swollen that I didn’t even know how to get water in; I only moistened my dry mouth a little, and I think I didn’t even manage to drink half of a 330 ml bottle. Of course I couldn’t even think about drinking Newcare. Naturally fasting^^…
Discharge day (11/21) I got the swelling laser treatment, briefly greeted the director, and then shuffled my way home. Since I’d only been lying down, I could feel my stamina had dropped a lot, so I went home carefully. Once I got back, I took a refreshing shower, and as I got used to wearing the face-slimming band and doing ice packs, the day went by incredibly fast again. Bright red nasal discharge kept coming out of my nose.. and it was also going backward, so I had to keep tissues around me at all times. I also had to drink Newcare.. but it was really hard at first. I think there were almost no gaps between the wafer and my teeth, so it was genuinely hard to drink and I felt so frustrated. It took me an hour to drink one, so maybe that’s why the day passed so quickly,… I think I barely managed to drink one that day. Still, with the mindset that I would recover, I solved each thing one by one. It really felt so good to be home.. I could change positions… Home is the best. I woke up once and then slept deeply.
Day 4 (11/22) I slept sitting up, but the swelling increased even more, and sometimes small clots of blood came out through my nose and down the back of my throat. The hospital said I shouldn’t blow my nose or touch it, so I avoided it as much as possible, but when it was all gurgly and clumped together it was so irritating. You have to endure it.. I thought I wasn’t that swollen, but looking at it now, I was very swollen.. They told me to go for a walk, but I was scared and not mentally ready yet, so I rested comfortably at home.
Day 5 (11/23) I started hot compresses. Why do compresses feel so good? I heated the compression pad and also soaked a towel in hot water, wrapped the pad with it, and used that. After repeating that several times, I finished by lowering only the surface temperature for my skin with a mask pack. I also went for a slow walk. I recommend going out while buying anything you need.
First follow-up at 1 week (11/26) I visited the hospital, checked that the wafer was still in place, got laser swelling treatment, had my teeth lightly disinfected, and came back! Since I was only eating Newcare, my stamina had clearly weakened, and I started having orthostatic hypotension and losing strength in my legs. The weight kept dropping, and I waited for time to pass quickly. It was a battle with stamina… But because of double jaw surgery, I felt rewarded in a way, getting to sleep as much as I wanted and rest so, so well!!! After that, I walked as much as I could, did compresses, and spent time taking careful care of myself. Newcare was so rich and tiring to drink, so I mixed it with regular black soybean soy milk and milk. I drank a variety of juices like pumpkin juice and cabbage juice to avoid getting tired of the taste as much as possible.
Second follow-up at 2 weeks (12/2) They removed the stitches… Ugh, as they cut out the stitches buried in my flesh, it was honestly horrifying. They do it as gently as possible, but pain near the front teeth… you can’t avoid that, right? Two minutes. It’s over. It’s over. And before I knew it, it was done… Then there was this sense of liberation that I could actually eat something…!! I was able to take the wafer in and out only at mealtimes, and I could brush my teeth, which made me so happy. It feels like only good things happen after double jaw surgery^^! My mouth, which had been bound shut for two weeks, was in a tragic state^^.. so I brushed everything carefully and thoroughly. I still had bruising and swelling on my face. The bruising had spread all the way down to my neck, so my whole neck turned yellow. Getting up and taking a warm shower - the dried-up blood phlegm and dry nose that had built up overnight clear out well. After meals of non-chewing foods, I made a routine of brushing, hot compresses, and a mask pack. Since I only did hot compresses around the jaw, the philtrum and lips were swollen and looked a bit strange, so I covered the whole area around my mouth and applied it over the entire surgical area. Being able to eat with the wafer removed improves quality of life so much. The swelling goes down gradually, so instead of focusing on appearance, I focused on getting healthier. There’s also the fun of finding things I can eat, like steamed egg, tiramisu, and all kinds of soups. I recommend having a hand blender.
One month (12/18) After taking bone X-rays, I briefly met the director, heard the progress report, and expressed my thanks. Comparing the follow-up photos, there was a clear change in my facial shape, and I could feel that the surgery had been done safely and cleanly. In my case, because my TMJ was unstable, my mouth used to close in a zigzag pattern, but now it closes straight along the dental midline, and that was so moving..! The nerve in my lower jaw feels the same as before surgery, and the upper jaw has only about 10 percent sensation. They say it will gradually return at some point. Externally, I think they gave my face the most natural change possible. I’m so grateful. The wafer that had supported me so well was discarded, and the upper teeth appliance was attached as orthodontic treatment began. I was so glad they explained things in detail, like how to brush my teeth and the correct position of the tongue. I returned to work after a full month of recovery, and that was exactly the right amount of time to recover with peace of mind. I had time to look back on my life, rest as much as I wanted,, and it feels like a turning point in my life. Two weeks is okay too, but if possible I recommend taking a month off. After going back to work, I heard many times that people couldn’t tell I’d had surgery unless I said so. I guess it’s because I rested well! I’m so grateful that medicine has advanced this far, and that I was able to meet a director who has been performing surgery in the field for a long time, prioritizes safety and function, and also has a good aesthetic sense. I praise myself for making this choice too, and I’m grateful to the hospital staff who helped me finish it well.
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This review is a post-surgery review pursuing natural beauty.