Since I was young, I had severe malocclusion, so chewing was difficult and my self-esteem was also very low outwardly. I decided I absolutely had to get double jaw surgery, and I finally had it done. After looking into hospitals through sites like ㄱㄴㅇㄴ and ㅂㅂㅌ, I watched ㅇㅌㅂ <Lee Seok-jae's Double Jaw Life>, where I learned a lot about what happens before and after double jaw surgery. I came to trust the director, so I received a consultation at Y Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. During the consultation, both the manager and the director were very kind, so I was able to consult comfortably. <Before surgery> I underwent pre-orthodontic treatment for about 6 months. Because my malocclusion had been severe since childhood, I had orthodontic treatment to stand the teeth upright before proceeding with surgery. Before the surgery, the manager explained in detail what I needed to be careful about, so I followed those instructions and prepared the things I would need after surgery (Newcare, Daiso sauce containers, a cushion, a neck pillow, a baby toothbrush, etc.). When going to the hospital, I brought underwear, a charger, a Daiso sauce container, socks, glasses, and contact lenses. ( After surgery, because you need to use the pull band and do cold compresses, it is hard to wear glasses... Also, because your face is swollen, wearing glasses leaves marks on your cheeks...) <Day of surgery> I arrived at the hospital around 9:30, changed into a patient gown, had a consultation with the director, and then went into the operating room. After the surgery, I heard, 'Your treatment is all finished. Please open your eyes.' When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a hospital room. Getting rid of the anesthesia gas was harder than I expected; I had to force myself to stay awake while expelling the gas. Breathing was also very difficult, but having learned from a family member who had already experienced double jaw surgery how to breathe and how to drink liquid food beforehand was a big help. ( Breathing through your mouth while biting the wafer is not easy, but if you imagine pulling air in and pushing it out through the space between your teeth, it feels a little easier. And mouth breathing dries out your mouth, and because of phlegm stuck in your throat and nasal congestion, drinking water is not easy, so be sure to use a humidifier!) On the day of surgery, I slept for about 2 hours, but I barely slept and spent the time waking up and staring at the ceiling. <Day 2> In the morning, the nurse removed the nasal hose and urinary catheter. After the director removed the drainage tube, he explained the wafer to me and touched my jaw, saying the surgery had gone well. After everything was removed, I went back and forth to the bathroom and walked around the hospital. When I felt awkward walking around outside the room, I walked back and forth inside the room. ( You need to walk a lot for the swelling to go down faster.) The nurses gave me painkillers and IV fluids every hour and also did cold compresses. I had an IV placed in my left hand, but because I already had pain in the vein and the medications were also the kind that cause vein pain, it hurt so much that it was changed to my right hand. ( My left hand was hard to even lift, and the tingling felt like it had been anesthetized...) After it was changed, it definitely hurt less. Since my stomach was empty, after the medication the antibiotics made my stomach feel terrible. I really felt like vomiting and was nauseated. But after about 10 minutes, it definitely settled down. ( The medication after discharge also includes antibiotics, and even if you take them after drinking Newcare, you can still feel nauseated, so eat as much Newcare or other liquid food as possible before taking your medicine so you won't feel sick! It also helps you recover faster!) The night-shift nurse explained the precautions after discharge in detail and answered my questions thoroughly. Because breathing was clearly easier after everything was removed, I also took a 3-hour nap during the day and slept about 4 hours at night. <Day 3 and after> In the morning, they removed the IV, received swelling laser treatment, and after returning to the room and lying down, I saw the director and prepared for discharge. I took a taxi home, left my luggage, came back out, and walked for about 30 minutes. After getting home, I took Newcare and my medicine and kept doing cold compresses. Whenever I fell asleep while doing cold compresses, my family would refreeze the thawed cold pack and instead wrap an ice pack in a towel and hold it against my face with a band. For about 3 days I took taxis to the hospital, but after that I went back and forth by subway wearing a mask. When making a reservation for swelling laser treatment, I recommend avoiding the hours when the packed subway is at its worst. On the way to the hospital in the packed subway, I had barely eaten anything, the medicine was strong, there were lots of people, and there were no seats, so I almost fainted. If it weren't for a kind commuter giving up a seat, I might have ended up in the emergency room instead of at Y Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery... So if you are physically weak, please eat well and schedule it for the afternoon..!! ( Weight before surgery: 40.8 kg -> lowest weight after surgery: 37.2 kg) <Week 1> It was too hard to get by on Newcare alone, so I ate steamed egg. The next day, I blended silken tofu and ate it with soy sauce. Around the second week, I even stole the ramen my older sister was eating and cut it up with scissors to eat it. In fact, I also stole some pho and cut that up. I ate Bonjuk at every meal. I ordered the smoothest kind of porridge, and since my stomach had shrunk a lot, I ordered once and ate it in three portions. When my family ate fried chicken, I cut it up into very small pieces with scissors and ate it with porridge. Since I was eating a lot and eating the food I wanted, I also gargled diligently and walked very hard. Usually, when there were few people around, I put on a bucket hat over the pull bands and walked for more than 30 minutes. Because the weather was cold, it felt like a cold compress anyway, so I kept walking. <Week 2> I had the stitches inside my mouth removed. Actually, during the first week I said it hurt when they disinfected that area, so the director said removing the stitches might hurt a lot, but it hurt less than I expected. It was just a mild sting. And because most areas had little or no sensation, it really did not hurt at all except when removing the stitches near the philtrum. I developed inflammation, so I took medication for an extra week. From this point on, I ate a lot without being picky. About 3 days after the stitches were removed, I took corn noodles and potatoes from the side while my older sister ordered mala tang and cut them up to eat. It had been a long time since I had mala tang, so I devoured it absentmindedly. After eating, I brushed thoroughly with a baby toothbrush. And to celebrate the New Year, I also ate cake. I ate strawberry shortcake and tiramisu, and both were soft cakes that went down easily, so I enjoyed them very much. I talked well and even sang songs.. Since the people next to me kept telling me not to talk and to keep my mouth closed, I mostly communicated with a translator app. I kept doing warm compresses at a small desk next to the microwave, with things to play with nearby. Except when sleeping, eating, bathing, or walking, I kept doing warm compresses. I also went to the hospital for laser treatment every day except Sundays. <Week 4> I started post-orthodontic treatment. The hospital told me to practice opening my mouth more, so I am trying to do that more diligently. Of the screws that were placed, 4 near the front teeth were not being used, so they were removed, but one of the 4 was buried in the flesh. Since I am rather timid, the orthodontic director put a stuffed toy in my hand.. But because I had little sensation and they applied anesthetic cream, I was able to have 3 removed with no pain at all. For the one buried in the flesh, they took an X-ray to locate it, and then Director Lee Seok-jae personally removed it. After removing it, he looked at the pre- and post-surgery photos, talked about how my face had changed, and told me that now I should practice chewing lightly. What hurt the most that day was not the orthodontics, but taking oral photos. They were pulling my mouth open wide to take the pictures, and it hurt more than changing the wire or removing the screws. Afterward, I walked from Nonhyeon Station to Hakdong Station, then took the subway, arrived in my neighborhood, walked for 30 minutes, and went home. As a reward for all the walking I ordered fried chicken. Since I was told to practice chewing little by little, I chewed the side fries hard and even tried eating the chicken with less cutting. I used my front teeth to eat, and I was surprised that it did not hurt at all and the food was cut very well. The face that had been a complex since childhood has improved through double jaw surgery, and I think my love for myself has grown as well. If you can get through the first day of double jaw surgery and the 2nd to 3rd day well, it really becomes manageable. And once it is time to eat porridge, you can also eat a variety of soft foods, so if you can just hold on until then, you will be fine!! If there is anyone planning to have double jaw surgery, please look into it carefully, make a thoughtful decision, and I hope you become healthy and beautiful~
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This review is a surgery review that pursues natural beauty.