Jaw Surgery Forums » Post-Surgery and Recovery Questions

How long will my swelling last?

(16 posts)
  • Started 1 year ago by scott1978
  • Latest reply from ambar
  • 2 Members Subscribed To Topic
12

  1. scott1978
    Member

    Hey all,

    I'm new to this forum (so glad it exists for my questions!) so take it easy on me :). I had surgery 5 weeks ago on both upper and lower jaws to correct a severe underbite and canted jaw. After surgery, my upper jaw moved forward and is now mounted to the skull with a plate and my lower jaw was moved backward and has three bolts on either side to hold it in place.

    I'm told I healed really well (full feeling in lips, moderate feeling in roof of mouth, little feeling in upper gums). However I'm really worried about the swelling in my face. Most of the swelling in my neck and lips has gone away, but there are two areas on both sides of my face that are still puffy (the swelling seems to be above the natural crease that is formed from the sides of my nose to the sides of my lips). It hasn't gone away, and some people say it's swelling, other people say it's my new appearance because my upper jaw came forward so much. I really can't tell!

    The reason I'm worried is that: a) all of the swelling (neck, lips, around jaws) has gone down except for this area, b) it has been five weeks and I've never heard of swelling lasting this long.

    Overall I'm a skinny guy and it makes my face look oddly larger than it normally should. Has anybody else experienced this? Is it common for swelling to last so long after surgery in certain parts of the face?

    Thanks!
    Scott

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. scoopy
    Member

    I am just 4 weeks post op (and also skinny with skinny face) and all of my swelling has gone down except for the same place you mention. It is next to my nose and also my upper lip. I don't like it on me because it makes my nose wider. The surgeon says it may take months for the swelling to go done in these areas becaues of moving the upper jaw forward and that part under the nose tends to "flower out" and cause a distortion to features. He also said that I won't know "Exactly" what my final appearance will be until a full year (though the changes close to a year will be minimal).

    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. Brandon
    Site Administrator

    Hey Scott, welcome to the forums!

    Scoopy is exactly right, and for me, it took about 6 months for the majority of the swelling to go down, then a full year for the last little bits to disappear.

    I'm Brandon, the creator of JawSurgeryBlog.com. I personally had upper and lower jaw surgery on October 30, 2007. Thankfully, everything went beautifully, so I'm trying to make sure everyone else's surgery goes smoothly as well!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corrective-Jaw-Surgery/114627165257701
    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. scott1978
    Member

    Hey scoopy,

    I'm wondering if you noticed any difference in your swelling over the past two weeks.

    Also, can any one chime in on having similar or different experiences?

    I've compared my current face to photos from 2 weeks ago and I don't notice any change =( Sorry if I seem I'm freaking out a bit, just a little concerned...

    Thanks!!
    Scott

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. scoopy
    Member

    Scott,
    No, I haven't noticed much difference at all in the last couple weeks. But I am sure that it is swelling in my cheeks & upper lip. I also still have alot of numb areas...lower lip, chin, gums... My surgeon just tells me to be patient! It is hard!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. NikkiOld
    Member

    Hey Scott. I had upper jaw surgery over a year ago and my face is still changing. My swelling in my nose didn't start going down until around 5-6 months and my friends and families still see it going down. It takes a looooooong time. Longer than most surgeons prepare you for. I had no idea it would take this long.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. jasonc
    Member

    Hey just an update, I am on day 16 and i noticed my swelling went down a good amount from day 10-15. My wires were cut on day 14. I am def starting to look more like my new self. I have noticeable swelling still, but it's gone down for sure. The first 9 days of swelling seemed like forever but since then I feel like I've seen significant improvements. Hopefully by the 30 day mark my swelling will have gone down more than 90%! if I were to put a percentage on it now, I'd say the swelling has gone down 50-75% so far.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. bee321
    Member

    I am 10 weeks post op and still I am experiencing the "flowering" effect around my nose. Most of my swelling has gone down except for the cheek area around my nose. I can't notice it until I smile and then I see that my nose looks so wide. So, I just try not to smile and I look good haha! Other that that it took a month and a half for my swelling to go down in other areas and return to looking like a normal person. I actually thought this was pretty quick considering I had upper and lower jaw surgery, plus I had my nose shaved. Overall, I feel like I look pretty good except when I smile.

    Posted 8 months ago #

  9. Katiewatie05
    Member

    Hey, i had lower and upper jaw surgery last tuesday, and the swellings gone down quicker than i thought it would. I had my wisdom teeth took out a few year ago and the pain was awful, unlike jaw surgery! The swelling was also around for like a month i was fumin! But, with this surgery, i only have swelling along my chin and where my eyes are, and there is still numbness in my lower lip, but overall i feel great and im glad ive had it done, hated having a big jaw! :/ :)

    Posted 6 months ago #

  10. mkbannon36
    Member

    Hey Scott - I am 8 weeks and 2 days post op from upper, lower and genioplasty. I still look like a chipmonk. The left side worse than the right. When I talk or eat, the swelling gets worse. I also still have numbness in my lower lip and chin as well. Seems most people say it takes a good long while to go down. It's annoying for sure because I still have no idea what I'm going to look like when all this swelling subsides. Seems some people's swelling goes away quicker than others. I'm going to be a late bloomer...uggg! I'm a 45 year old male, so maybe that has something to do with it as well.

    Posted 6 months ago #

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