Before, before, before, after, after, after <Reason I decided on double jaw surgery> When I started puberty in middle school, facial asymmetry gradually began to develop. As shown in the photos, my jaw started to tilt to the left, and as a result the left and right jaw lengths became different, so I also developed a slight underbite. At first I did not notice it, but as I kept hearing from people around me that my jaw looked crooked, I started to feel self-conscious around everyone I met. I kept thinking, they probably know my jaw is asymmetrical too, and are just not saying anything because they do not want to hurt me, right? It became a severe complex. Sometimes mischievous friends would joke things like they would punch my jaw for me, and even though I acted unfazed in front of them, it still hurt no matter what. So whenever someone offered to take a photo of me from the front, I would avoid it, or most of my photos had my hand covering my jaw. My teeth also developed a malocclusion at the same time, so my upper and lower teeth did not fit together and it was uncomfortable to chew. I had orthodontic treatment in middle school, and thanks to that my bite was corrected, so there were no major problems in daily life, but my jaw remained asymmetrical. Even at the orthodontic clinic, they said the teeth had been aligned, but the jaw was a double jaw case, and if I wanted to fix it later, I would need double jaw surgery. So I had always thought I wanted double jaw surgery, and once I became an adult and saved up some money, I decided to go through with it.
<Hospital selection criteria> First, I looked for hospitals centered on oral and maxillofacial surgery rather than plastic surgery, and I searched all over through blogs, YouTube, and other places and made consultation appointments. After going to several consultations, Y Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery felt the most trustworthy and was the one I was most drawn to. The reason was that the director seemed truly confident in this field and had a lot of experience, and he only performs one surgery a day. I liked that he was honest about the reason, saying it was because he himself would be exhausted. Unlike the other hospitals I consulted, he recommended only the surgeries that were really necessary, and he spoke very frankly, saying plainly that if something could not be done, then it could not be done, instead of giving sugarcoated talk. I think that made me trust him even more. The consultation coordinators were all kind, and I also liked that they explained the pre- and post-operative details very specifically.
<Before surgery> I was guided to a nearby internal medicine clinic they had partnered with, where I had an EKG and chest X-ray taken (of course, those were all included in the surgery fee, so I did not pay separately there at the clinic). At Y Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, I had blood tests, had wafers made by taking impressions of my teeth for use during and after surgery, had facial bone CT and X-ray scans, and had preoperative photos taken from various angles.
<Day of surgery> Hospitalization is 1 night and 2 days for contouring surgery, and 2 nights and 3 days for double jaw surgery. I had double jaw surgery plus contouring surgery in 2 areas (square jaw and chin), so I was hospitalized for 2 nights and 3 days. The coordinator sent me a KakaoTalk message a few days in advance with the items to bring for hospitalization, and a phone charger, wet wipes, tissue box, phone stand, and sleep socks were enough. Looking at other reviews, people said a donut cushion, neck pillow, Otrivin, humidifier, and other things were needed too, but most of those items were already available at the hospital, so it was convenient. My first surgery was scheduled for 10:00 a.m., so I arrived at the hospital by 9:40, was shown to my room, unpacked, and changed into a patient gown. I filled out the surgery consent form, had a brief conversation with the director again, and then went to the operating room. I got onto the operating table extremely tense, and the anesthesiology director introduced themselves, reassured me, and told me to slowly inhale the anesthetic gas. I took one breath as instructed, and then my memory stopped.^^ When I opened my eyes at the sound of someone calling me, the surgery was already over and I was lying in the hospital room bed. Everyone worries about pain with double jaw surgery, but my surgery overlapped with my period, and menstrual cramps hurt more. That was how little pain I had compared with what I expected, and since I was regularly given a pain pump and painkillers, it was bearable. Breathing discomfort and other inconveniences were actually worse. But the nurses kept making rounds, checking my condition, suctioning when needed, and providing oxygen, so I think there is no need to worry too much. Around 7 p.m., they brought me a paper cup and bottled water and told me to drink a little water. Because I had general anesthesia, my throat hurt so much that I actually could not drink much water, but since I was continuously on IV fluids anyway, I just took small sips to moisten my mouth.
<Day 1 after surgery> In the morning, after the drainage tube and urinary catheter were removed, I felt much better. I also received swelling care, and I was able to walk around inside the hospital to help the swelling go down faster. The director kept coming by too, checking my condition and how I was feeling. They also gave me New Care to drink, and I was surprised that it tasted better than I expected. After finishing it, they gave me mouthwash to rinse with, so I had to make sure to rinse after eating or drinking. I also had a postoperative CT scan taken.
<Day 2 after surgery / discharge day> Early in the morning, I received explanations about many postoperative precautions and instructions, got the instruction sheet and prescription, heard the director explain things once more, and was discharged. When I got home, I drank New Care, rinsed, wore the compression band, and diligently did ice compresses. The surgery method I had was IVRO, and because this surgery requires maxillomandibular fixation for 2 weeks, the wafer was inserted and the upper and lower jaws were connected with rubber bands, so I could not speak at all and could not brush my teeth, which made it most inconvenient that I could only rinse my mouth. I really wanted to brush my teeth so badly.... As a substitute, I think I rinsed very diligently. Since I had already completed orthodontic treatment, they said this was a more difficult case because the surgery had to be done only on the jaw without touching the teeth. There is also a method called SSRO, and I heard that this one does not require separate maxillomandibular fixation. The director explained everything in detail during the consultation, so it is not like everyone has to go through maxillomandibular fixation like I did! I also took the powdered medication prescribed for discharge, and it tasted truly awful... One of the capsule medicines would not dissolve no matter how much I dissolved it, so it got stuck all over the surgical suture area, and I had a hard time rinsing it all out. It is all written in the postoperative instructions too, but for a few days you do cold compresses and then switch to warm compresses. They also say you should keep walking regularly so the swelling goes down faster, but as a homebody, I did not listen and did not walk much, so I think my swelling went down more slowly.
<1 week after surgery> On my first return visit after surgery, they checked the surgical site and disinfected the area. As a finishing touch, I also received swelling care, and I looked at the pre- and postoperative CT photos again while the director explained things once more. I was scolded, though not really scolded, for not walking enough.^^ Then I came home again, drank New Care, took my medicine, rinsed, wore the compression band, did warm compresses diligently, and also tried to walk diligently.
<2 weeks after surgery> Finally the stitches were removed, maxillomandibular fixation was released, I was disinfected, received swelling care, and went home. From reading reviews, I saw everyone say stitch removal hurts, and yes, it really did hurt... I also had photos taken again from several angles to compare the swelling. They said I could eat mostly soft foods, so I had tiramisu, tofu gratin, and Greek yogurt with honey on top. Chewing was still something to be careful about, so I think the most accurate way to say it is that I just let food dissolve using only my tongue and the roof of my mouth. Still, after eating only liquids for 2 whole weeks, I was happy to be eating. And since my mouth really did not open very wide as expected, they said I would need to keep practicing opening my mouth. Finally I could speak and brush my teeth, and with the wafer in place, instead of 4 rubber bands I only needed 2, one upper and one lower, but because the rubber band sizes were different, even after putting them on I could open my mouth and speak, albeit a bit awkwardly! Still, it was a little difficult to put in the wafer and rubber bands by myself. The hospital explained how to do it and I practiced once there, but it was still difficult. They said it gets familiar if you keep doing it, so I think I need to keep trying. There are no difficulties at all in daily life. I had already been told that the swelling goes down unevenly, so I am not particularly bothered by it. With a mask on, no one can tell I had surgery, so that is fine. They said it takes about 3 to 6 months for all the swelling to go down. Even with swelling, my face is smaller than before surgery and the asymmetry has improved, so even my friends who had tried to talk me out of surgery all complimented me and said that once the swelling goes down I will really look pretty, which made me feel good. As the swelling keeps going down day by day and I can see it, I am looking forward to each new day.
<4-week review> At the hospital, I had another post X-ray and CT scan, and photos were taken again too. After comparing the before and after photos once more, I could really feel that the facial asymmetry had improved a lot! They said I could now remove the wafer and wear only the rubber bands, which made me happy, but once I only had the rubber bands on, my gums were pressed by them and the bands got between my teeth, so it hurt a bit. So when I asked about it, they said the reason was that I could remove the wafer to make things a little more comfortable, and if I felt more comfortable wearing the wafer with the rubber bands, it was fine to keep using the wafer. They also said about 40-50% of the swelling had gone down, so I felt relieved thinking it was swelling rather than fat. Chewing is still somewhat difficult, so I cannot eat tough foods and am cutting food up before eating it. I also heard that I need to practice opening my mouth often, but honestly I have not been doing it much, so only two finger joints barely fit in, and opening wider is difficult.. I need to practice, but it does not go as I want..ahem In any case, these days taking photos is enjoyable, and everyone around me says it turned out well, so I am satisfied and getting by happily.