Jaw Surgery Forums » Pre-Surgery Questions

choice between upper or lower jaw surgery which should i do ?

(26 posts)
123

  1. ron
    Member

    The surgeon was talking about moving my jaw only 5mm to fix my underbite . my concern is how much this will change my face as cosmetically i like the way i look . which of the two options would least change my apperance ? and yes i know that the top jaw surgery would be less painfull but i feel like that would be changing my face alot ( ps any before and after photos of any one who had a small 5mm movement would be appretiated so i could get an idea of what to expect ) THANKS !!!

    Posted 3 months ago #

  2. Zoe62
    Member

    I had only lower jaw surgery to fix my cross bite, i believe he moved it across about 4mm and back a small amount too, im 6 days post op so there is still quite a bit of swelling, but from what i can see my face is pretty similar than it was before, especially because my upper wasnt touched.

    Although, you should probably make the decision as to what to have according to what is going to correct your bite and jaw problems correctly, small moves tend to be much more noticeable to you and people you see everyday, i doubt many people will notice mine to be honest, except maybe my boyfriend.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  3. madeinaday
    Member

    If you're concerned about your face changing a lot, then go for lower jaw surgery. If you just want a easier recovery, go for the upper jaw surgery. I was recommended to have double jaw surgery, but I was concerned about my face changing too much so the surgeon just did my lower jaw. My face is a bit shorter and rounder (which I wanted), but nobody can tell that I got surgery. To them, I look exactly the same as I did before the surgery.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  4. ron
    Member

    thanks for responding guys .Both surgeons that ive seen prefer the top jaw so now ill have to spend some more thought on it , part of me feels that i should trust their opinion over mine since they are the professionals ... and Madeinaday do you possible have any before and after photos you could show or send me ?

    Posted 3 months ago #

  5. RachelM
    Member

    why do you think that top jaw surgery would be less painful?

    Posted 3 months ago #

  6. Sarah
    Member

    I would consider the pro's and cons of each, although there is more of a chance of nerve damage with lower jaw surgery the procedure is much simpler and quicker. Although with upper jaw surgery your sinuses are often affected, but you said that it was less painful, but i was under the impression that it would be more painful, as after having your lower jaw done you are almost completely numb.
    I would really look at pictues of your profile often you can see what you need, but I would also talk to your surgeon about his preference as he/she has probably done 100's possibly 1000's of operations and he/she would know what would give the best results.

    Lower Jaw Advancement Surgery
    Posted 3 months ago #

  7. Shakka_lakka
    Member

    Ultimately you should really listen to your surgeons as they know medically not just cosmetically what is best for you,I was convinced that I was to have my lower jaw shortened but my surgeon advised me that I would benefir more from my upper jaw as my lowere jaw was very neat and that if it was shortened would give me the look of a weaker and possible double chin and distort my facial proprtions. I had my upper jaw moved forward by 7mm , yes my face has change but it has changed for the better I feel as although my underbite was fairly small, my cheeks were quite flat which made my nose look bigger from the side. But now my cheek bones stand out more and my nose appears a lot smaller and shorter :)

    Upper jaw advanced by appox 7mm, impacted and rotated slighty on the 19th December 2011.

    My before and after photos - http://www.jawsurgeryblog.com/forums/topic/before-upper-jaw-advancement-d
    Posted 3 months ago #

  8. Olive
    Member

    I am also confused as to why people think upper jaw surgery would be easier/less painful. I had double jaw surgery and I feel the upper has been more intense. Then again, for me the upper procedure was more complex- a 3 piece Le Fort which involved more cuts to the bone and tissue than the more simple lower jaw advancement. My remaining swelling is in the mid-face region and I'm numb up to my eyeballs. Post-op there was a lot of congestion, also caused by the upper jaw surgery. But I know with lower there is more risk of permanent nerve damage because of the large branch of the trigeminal nerve.

    Which jaw do you feel needs adjusting when you look at your profile? If you post photos some of us who have gone through this can give our (non-professional, remember) opinions.

    Ultimately, I don't think which one is "easier" should affect your decision. You should go with what the medical professionals think.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  9. Dcg22
    Member

    Upper jaw surgery is less intense. Less nerve manipulation, which allows for faster recovery

    Posted 3 months ago #

  10. ron
    Member

    heres a pretty standard pic of me , im all for non proffesional opinions as to which direction i should choose ... also did you guys have any tips for staying calm cause this has definatly made me self conscious and more anxious

    Posted 3 months ago #

RSS feed for this topic

123

Reply »

You must log in to post.