Since middle and high school, whenever I went to the dentist for regular checkups, the dentist said that when I grew up, I would probably need double-jaw surgery because of malocclusion and a protruding jaw. From such a young age, I became aware that the side of my face as seen by others was different from normal, and I wanted to hide it. I was actually more comfortable during the COVID period when we wore masks. When taking photos, I insisted on facing straight forward, and if I saw a photo showing my side profile, I tried to delete it. Whenever I looked at my side profile in the mirror, I simply envied people with normal occlusion, and after deciding that I also wanted to live a life with normal occlusion and without a protruding jaw, I decided to have surgery during winter break in 2024. I chose a private clinic specializing only in oral and maxillofacial surgery, recommended by one of my mother’s nurse friends. During my consultation at Y Oral and Maxillofacial Clinic, they showed me cases of people who had gone through the same concerns as me. The before-and-after surgery photos and the protruding jaws that gradually improved during their recovery process looked like hope to me. I could also receive treatment from a dental specialist needed during the preoperative orthodontic process, and I felt trust because the specialist had performed over 5,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeries and makes sure to do only one case a day. During the consultation, they gave me detailed information about the surgical cost, as well as the risks and side effects of surgery, and helped relieve the fears that had grown as I searched online. Now, more than 4 weeks have already passed since my double-jaw surgery and 2 types of facial contouring surgery (square jaw, chin), and I am living without worries about a protruding jaw anymore. But as with anyone, from immediately after surgery until week 3, I went through a difficult recovery process and repeatedly stayed only at home during the cold winter. The day before surgery, with a trembling heart, I took a few last photos of myself and entered the operating room. After surgery, whenever I met acquaintances, they always worried first about how much it had hurt, but I can say firmly that during the long, long 3-hour surgery, the only painful part was receiving the anesthesia injection. It was done under general anesthesia, and after surgery I continuously received painkillers by injection, so I did not suffer because of pain. As the doctor said, I think the first and second days of hospitalization are the hardest, and you may regret the surgery. However, even that was something I could endure because it was a surgery I wanted to have, and conversely, it sounded to me like if I endured 2 days at the hospital and 1 week at home, life would become manageable. What remains as the hardest memory for me is the boring time of just having to sit in the hospital room and the sore throat from phlegm constantly getting stuck.ㅎ I endured the boring time by playing Culinary Class Wars on OTT and dramas, and for swelling care, I walked around inside the hospital once every hour. After 1 week of cold compresses, from week 2 I consistently did warm compresses, and I made sure to wear the facial compression band during the day while walking around the house. The saddest time during recovery was not being able to eat delicious foods. Rather than being in pain, it was difficult because there was the frustrating period of 2 weeks when I could speak and had to constantly pay attention to food, eating only porridge and drinks. Nutritional drinks did not taste good, but I ate them well, thinking of recovery. I was able to endure by sometimes having tasty recovery liquids such as juice, finely blended porridge, banana milk, ice cream, and smoothies. Lastly, I asked my parents and my boyfriend a lot about how I looked after surgery. Whether they saw me differently before and after surgery, whether the difference from my previous appearance was big, and so on. They all said in unison that I looked like the same person, just with a smaller-looking face, and I really liked that. That is because I did not want to become a new person through surgery; I wanted to live as someone who could be even more like myself. If I became prettier, that was a bonus, and I felt proud of myself for having gotten through a difficult surgery and recovery process well. I think people who have gone through double-jaw surgery probably rarely regret having done it. Now I can eat everything well and chew comfortably, and the days when I breathe through my mouth while sleeping have almost disappeared. I can confidently ask people to take photos of my side profile, and as someone who likes dressing up, I have also gained more enjoyment from doing makeup and wearing pretty clothes.
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This is a surgical review pursuing a natural look.