I’ve always been under a lot of stress because of my prognathism and facial asymmetry, so whenever I took photos I was always busy hiding my chin, but I don’t need to anymore haha Not only because of the appearance issue, but I also got an orthodontic consultation at the dentist because of my open bite, and I kept hearing that even the dentist couldn’t be certain it would be effective, so after a lot of deliberation I decided on bimaxillary surgery. The hospital I chose was Y Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Dental Clinic! I carefully looked up reviews from YouTube, Gangnam Unni, and various communities before going for a consultation. I focused on oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics rather than plastic surgery clinics. Being able to have both surgery and orthodontic treatment done at one hospital felt like a big advantage to me! The moment I walked into Y Oral Surgery, the hospital interior had a quiet and neat atmosphere, so my first impression was good haha. Before the consultation, they took photos such as dental images and X-rays, and after a brief consultation with the coordinator, I met the doctor. Before the doctor came in, the coordinator quietly told me that he might be quite blunt, but instead I felt even more trust because of Dr. Lee Seok-jae’s concise, accurate explanations and his experience, so the consultation felt refreshingly straightforward! I had quite a bit of time left after booking the surgery, so one month before surgery I visited the hospital for various tests and had dental impressions taken for wafer fabrication! During the remaining time I ate an enormous amount, then fasted from 9 p.m. the night before surgery and went in for the operation. Before surgery, the hospital sent various notices by KakaoTalk, including precautions and things to prepare, so I was able to get ready comfortably without having to search the internet much haha Bimaxillary surgery, contouring x2 (square jaw, chin) surgery day (6/3) On the day of surgery, the anesthesia had not completely worn off yet, so I was dazed, and at the same time, thanks to the painkillers, the day seemed to pass without even having time to feel pain. A nurse came once every hour to check on me, and because I couldn’t speak properly due to the devices in my mouth, I communicated using the electronic notepad provided. After the anesthetic gas had fully cleared, around 8 p.m. they brought me water in the sauce container I had prepared. My throat was completely dry, so no matter how much I drank I still felt thirsty, but since the water level hardly went down no matter how much I drank, I kept practicing with the sauce container while staying hydrated. At night it was a little hard to sleep deeply, so I listened to a calm jazz playlist and kept my eyes closed, and time passed well haha. That’s how I got through the surgery day. Day 2 after surgery (6/4) The next day, the tube in my nose, the blood hose, and the urine catheter were removed. It was my first time having those kinds of hoses, so taking them out didn’t hurt, but it felt new and a little surprising haha. From the next day, I could take light walks and even go to the bathroom on my own, so I spent the day comfortably! Day 4 after a 2-night, 3-day hospital stay! (6/6) The terrifying swelling on day 4... It had risen enormously, as if the swelling in the hospital had been nothing at all, and I was completely shocked.. My nose was still completely blocked, so I relied on a humidifier.. I had clear runny mucus with a little blood mixed in, and because my lips still wouldn’t close, I kept drooling, so during the first week I always wore a towel like a bib. I kept feeling heat in my face, so I think I used the compression band and cold compresses often. For meals, they recommended New Care, so I drank that, but I’ve never really liked soy milk Since I had to take my medicine, I drank a little, and for the rest of my hunger I got by with ion drinks and various juices. I’m someone who lives to eat, but since I couldn’t eat any food at all, I kept getting more and more depressed. I had to endure it to become prettier, but there was nothing I could do about how hard it was It was getting warmer, but the swelling was still huge, so I went on light walks wearing a bucket hat and a mask. My throat was still very dry, so a water bottle was essential even when walking! Days 5-7 after surgery (6/7 ~ 6/9) The swelling was more generous than on day 4, but since I could still see it going down day by day, I gradually started feeling better. From after this day, I spent more and more time looking in the mirror haha While reading other people’s bimaxillary surgery reviews, I looked for foods I could eat. Some people ate bananas, and some even dipped castella cake in milk, so I tried following that, but it was a light failure.. I just couldn’t eat it at all The only method I found was rice gruel, so I held on by eating only rice gruel through the first week Until the second week after discharge, I slept on the air sofa I had prepared in advance. It was much more comfortable for me than sleeping with several pillows piled up on the bed, so sleeping was easy! Day 8 after surgery (6/10) The big day: the hospital follow-up visit! Since I had been stuck at home because of the swelling, I was really looking forward to going to the hospital haha. I saw the doctor, had my stitches disinfected, and was shown how to put in the wafer. From now on, I was told I could take the wafer out when eating, so I felt so happy. And I was told I could brush my teeth now too haha. After the appointment, I got swelling laser treatment and an IV, then went home. Days 9 to 14 after surgery (6/11 ~ 6/16) This was the period when my appetite started to come back, but my stomach was still smaller, so I couldn’t eat a lot. Still, I spent the week eating more delicious foods than in the first week, such as rice noodles, roll cake, porridge, sweet potatoes, and dumpling soup haha. I also took light walks, not long ones, so it was visible that the swelling was gradually going down. I was fine during daily life, but before going to sleep I had a tingling, prickling feeling around my chin, so I worked hard on warm compresses! When I warmed my chin, the prickly feeling settled down. It was the second week when I realized I was going through the process of sensation returning. Day 15 after surgery (6/17) Finally the day to go remove the stitches! Stitch removal really hurt.. If I had to choose the most painful moment after surgery, I would say it was when the stitches were pulled out.. it really hurt that much. Still, I was happy that from now on I could eat oily foods and spicy foods. That day I also got laser treatment and an IV, and for the first time since surgery I lay flat on the bed while getting the IV, so it was incredibly comfortable It was a day when I felt how precious a bed is haha Days 16 after surgery to one month (6/18~7/2) During weeks 3-4, my face was still puffy, but I didn’t have any moments where I felt dizzy or physically tired, so I even went on a domestic trip here and there haha. Compared with before surgery, my food choices were still limited, but I could eat meat by cutting it into small pieces and just tasting it before swallowing. If rice was a little moist, there was no problem swallowing it without chewing, so eating at restaurants was no issue either. Still, there was a lot of swelling around my jaw, so I kept telling myself, “I’m just a person with lots of face fat!” and went around a lot without wearing a mask haha. Right now I’m one month plus 1 day after surgery! After the orthodontic appointment, I came back with braces attached only to my lower teeth. The swelling is different in the morning and at night, so in the morning I was puffy like a dumpling, but by night it had at least settled down a bit haha. The swelling still hasn’t gone down that much, so I’m still puffy.. haha Now that the braces are on and the wafer is gone, I can feel that my speech has improved a lot! I’m a case that needs post-surgical orthodontics, so now that I’ve started orthodontic treatment, I’ll manage things even more diligently and work hard so that even better results can appear! Bimaxillary surgery doesn’t seem to involve much pain from the operation itself, but I really felt that the discomfort during recovery is not small. The 2-3 days after surgery passed in the blink of an eye, and if you hold out well for one week after discharge, you’ll start to feel things gradually getting better after that. Don’t get too depressed just because it’s hard. If you endure it day by day with the feeling that you just have to hold on, a better day will come haha. I wrote a few things I want to say to people who are about to undergo bimaxillary surgery, and I hope even a little of it helps haha. That’s all for my review from the surgery day to one month after. I hope it was helpful even in a small way, and thank you for reading this long post!
Emoticon
This review is a surgical review in pursuit of natural beauty.