I first realized I had mandibular prognathism when a friend took a side-profile photo of me in middle school. As I grew up, my lower jaw kept protruding more and more, and because I had mandibular prognathism + crowded teeth + malocclusion, it was always a complex for me. I used to cover it up and smile, and I only ever took photos from the front. Because my bite was literally opposite to other people’s, I was always the slowest at eating meals, and my digestion was poor so I often got indigestion and had to rely on digestive medicine all the time,, My front teeth also did not meet and my teeth would not close properly, so my tongue was always sticking out between my teeth.. So whenever I focused, even if my mouth opened just a little, my tongue would come out first to greet me.. More than anything, my pronunciation was also slurred,, I was under a lot of stress in many ways. Because of that, for a long time I had it in my heart that when I became an adult and earned money, I would have to get double-jaw surgery! My mother said that maybe orthodontic treatment alone would be enough, but when I told her to look at my jaw from the side, she said, “Aren’t you deliberately pushing your jaw out more?”.. It hurt my feelings, but it wasn’t pushed out more, this is my actual jaw.. So I strongly emphasized the need for surgery, and my mother and I went for consultations at about 2 or 3 oral and maxillofacial surgery hospitals only. They all said it was definitely a case that needed double-jaw surgery, so I became even more determined! While going through consultations, I felt trust in every aspect - the facilities, the consultation, and the director - so I decided to have the surgery at Wye Oral Surgery. More than anything, the director has been in this field for two generations, and he identified and explained my problems most clearly. Seeing the before-and-after photos of patients with cases similar to mine, and how they improved both functionally and aesthetically, made me trust him even more. Also, because there is an orthodontic department there as well, I thought the communication between the two doctors for the surgical-orthodontic plan would be even better! <Before surgery> The surgery I had wanted to do for a long time was suddenly just one day away, so I think I felt half excitement and half worry. I only hoped the surgery would end well without any accidents or complications,, (I trust the director!-!) For my last meal, I enjoyed tteokbokki, then packed the things I needed (neck pillow, sauce container, charger, sleep socks, iPad, wet tissues, etc.) and went to bed early so I could go into surgery in good condition. +(Basic things like a hip cushion, neck pillow, humidifier, etc. were already in the hospital room) <Day of double-jaw, square-jaw, and chin surgery (1/21)> My heart was pounding because it finally felt real. I changed into the surgery gown, had the final pre-op consultation, said goodbye to my mother, and went into the operating room. Lying there, I was shaking all over because I was so nervous, cold, and tense, but the nurse calmed me down by telling me not to be nervous and that if I just slept comfortably and woke up, it would all be over. And in my field of view while lying there, I saw a single cross hanging on a white wall, and even though I’m not religious, it strangely gave me a sense of faith and calm With the feeling of, “Please let the surgery go well,,,” I fell asleep and woke up. I felt relieved that I was alive, and at the same time, the aftereffects of anesthesia brought on drowsiness and nausea. Everyone around me kept saying I couldn’t fall asleep, but I was so, so, so, so sleepy and it was hard to hold on, and I almost fell asleep, but they kept saying the guardian had to keep talking to me so I wouldn’t doze off, so I think I held out with pure willpower. The night of the surgery day itself was the hardest part overall Maybe because I had pain injections, my jaw, where the bone had been shaved, hurt less than I expected. The problem was that breathing was extremely difficult. My nose was full of dried blood, my mouth was tightly bound with rubber bands while biting on a wafer, and since there were several tubes attached, they told me to breathe through the gaps between my teeth, but it was truly so hard. From after my guardian left until the next morning, time moved unbelievably slowly The nurse came to check on me every two hours, but I could barely breathe and felt like I might die like this, so I think I pressed the bell almost once an hour,, I was sorry,, They kept teaching me how to breathe so I could get through it on my own, and I think they also paid extra attention to checking my condition. Because I thought that if I fell asleep while my breathing was still unstable, I might really never wake up, I fought with myself all night just to stay awake.. They say people usually regret the surgery most on the day of surgery itself, and even though it was a surgery I had long desperately wanted, it was so hard that I even felt a little regret. You really have to steel yourself,, <Day 2 after surgery> It was hard, but I felt relieved that I had safely gotten through surgery day. The nurse who stayed up all night with me said, “You endured this huge surgery, so now you can do anything,”,, I was really moved, and her words gave me the courage to endure the rest of the recovery period. I couldn’t speak, so I couldn’t properly thank her, but I’m truly grateful again I felt a little more able to endure because I thought that if I just held on one more day, I’d be discharged tomorrow, and after the urinary catheter was removed and I started walking, I felt like I could live compared to the first day. The night went more stably than the day before, and I gradually got used to breathing through my mouth. <Day 3 after surgery> In the morning the director checked my wafer and rubber bands, and I think I got about 20 minutes of swelling laser treatment. He said my surgery ended earlier than expected and there was not much bleeding. Maybe because of that, I had almost no bruising! As the time that had seemed to never move finally passed, it was discharge day, so I got ready to go home. I think I was simply happy at the thought of going home. The swelling kept getting worse and I was turning into a puffer fish.. <Day 4 after surgery> Because I was home, I was able to sleep for about 30 minutes at a time instead of the 5 or 10 minutes I could manage at the hospital. Then I took the prescribed medicine,, and the taste of the powdered medicine was so shocking that I briefly went to a convenience store, bought banana milk, took the medicine, and drank it right away.. My nose was still blocked and my mouth hurt so much that I think I kept alternating between eating and sleeping to forget the pain. I kept using cold compresses until this day! <Day 5 after surgery> My nose started to open up little by little, and although I still woke up about 4-5 times at dawn, I was gradually able to sleep through the night. Still, I thought this was really much better. More than the pain in my teeth or jaw, I struggled because of my throat, phlegm, and coughing, and I took extra painkillers here and there. I’d feel okay, then struggle, then get better, then hurt again, over and over in an endless loop. I had trouble sleeping sitting up, so I kept leaning back high and fell asleep that way. <Day 6 after surgery> For the first time, I had enough energy to take a shower! Since I was feeling good, after lunch I also went for a 30-minute walk. It felt refreshing and so nice, but my mouth felt so cramped that I got upset.. I had surgery with IVRO, so I had maxillomandibular fixation for two weeks and couldn’t speak, and I had to keep drinking and breathing through the gaps between my teeth, which made it even harder. All the things I kept swallowing were piling up, and I wanted so badly to clean my tongue.. <1 week after surgery> Because it overlapped with the Lunar New Year holiday, I visited the hospital for the first time after surgery on day 11 (1/31). By then, my philtrum and upper lip were still very swollen. I had my mouth disinfected, got swelling laser treatment, and came home. I think I had lost about 5 kg by then. My throat still hurt, but I could now breathe comfortably through my nose and sleep well, and I was walking around, gradually getting better. Since I kept waiting for the 2-week mark to come, time seemed to pass quickly. <2 weeks after surgery (2/3)> Finally!! It was my 2-week follow-up day. I was so excited because I thought I could now brush my teeth and open and close my mouth. I was afraid of getting the stitches removed, but it wasn’t as painful as I had feared,, I think it was bearable.. They also taught me how to do mouth exercises to fit the wafer and how to put on the rubber bands. I had to practice myself, and I wasn’t very good at it, so I was thankful that they explained everything carefully and kindly. I also asked about everything I was curious about and came home feeling much lighter. I had also finished all of my medicine, which made me so happy! +(That day, for the first time after surgery, I brushed my teeth as soon as I got home,, and I felt like I had died and come back to life In my exhausted state, I brushed my teeth all excited, but because I was holding my breath while trying to endure the spicy toothpaste taste and the gross smell from my mouth, I hurried too much, my body gradually went numb and weak, I broke out in a cold sweat, and I realized this was not okay, so I rinsed right away and lay down on the bed.. My hands and feet curled inward and wouldn’t move, almost like they were completely paralyzed, and I was so scared, but my mother called the emergency contact at the hospital, and they told me to slowly breathe with a plastic bag over my ear for about 10 minutes, and I recovered I realized just how important breathing really is.. I’m not doing anything that makes me out of breath anymore.) <One month after surgery> So far, I think I’ve eaten things like porridge, soup broth, chopped-up ramen, risotto, steamed egg, soft tofu, tiramisu cake, and pint ice cream. And I absolutely recommend seasoned crab and soy sauce crab without shells!!! The meat is tender, so it goes down even with just porridge, and it tastes like the real world, which made me so happy.. I still can’t chew, but there are more things I can eat than I expected, and the fun of finding them one by one made time pass even faster. My activity range also expanded, so although I get tired quickly, I’ve been taking the subway and bus by myself and have improved a lot. At the one-month follow-up, they removed the wafer and rubber bands and also took out a few screws. It feels empty not having them anymore I also changed my braces, had a consultation with the director, and came home. The swelling has gone down a lot, and people around me keep saying my face has become so much smaller, so I’m really happy. I’m looking forward to how much more things will settle into place from here!!
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This review is a post-surgery review for reconstructive purposes.