Jaw Surgery Forums » Pre-Surgery Questions

Surgery decision points

(7 posts)
  • Started 4 months ago by genevieve
  • Latest reply from ScottA

  1. genevieve
    Member

    Hello, in eight days, I'm to have upper and lower jaw surgery to repair an open bite and CL III malocclusion. I'm being asked to make several pre-surgical decisions, and I would be so grateful for any guidance on these.
    1. Removal of wisdom teeth - my wisdom teeth are fully erupted, straight, and beautiful. Must these be removed?
    2. Surgery techniques - I am told that there are two ways of doing my orthognatic surgery. One way will require me to be banded shut for several weeks post-op. The other way will not require lengthy banding but presents a greater risk of permanent numbness. Does anyone know about these different techniques, and can you recommend one or the other?
    3. Genioplasty - my lower jaw is quite prominent and will be set back during surgery. My doctor has said I can choose whether to get genioplasty. Why would I? I don't have a weak chin.
    4. Catheter - is a catheter during surgery medically necessary? I've suffered from many a UTI and would much prefer just to be in an adult diaper.

    Thanks.

    Posted 4 months ago #

  2. RachelM
    Member

    1. most people have their wisdom teeth removed prior to jaw surgery as it gives the surgeon more room to get the rest of your teeth in the right place. Having them out as part of your surgery won't cause you any extra problems.
    2. I wasn't banded shut and have no permanent numbess and had a very smooth recovery. I was never given a choice about which surgery to have though!
    3. Genioplasty is a personal choice so down to you
    4. A catheter is necessary but you won't even know you've had one as they'll do it under anaesthesia. A diaper would cause an infection risk.

    All the best with your surgery!!

    Posted 4 months ago #

  3. OpenBite
    Member

    About the wisdom teeth, I had them off because they weren't completely erupted, and weren't growing well, but only on the lower jaw, that's were they bother the most. I still have my upper wisdom teeth as they are ok, and didn't bother during the surgery. If this helps ...

    Posted 4 months ago #

  4. AshesAshes
    Member

    I would recommend NOT getting your wisdom teeth out of they are fully erupted and healthy! I have researched this a lot and there really is no good reason to get them removed unless they are impacted/causing other problems. We have just been so conditioned to thinking they need to be removed that in many cases doctors yank them out without even thinking.

    Mine are impacted so I will have to get them removed, If I was in your position I would be so happy to keep them. We are meant to have all 32 of our teeth.

    Posted 4 months ago #

  5. genevieve
    Member

    Thank you, AshesAshes! I too couldn't understand why removal of healthy teeth would be recommended.
    RachelM, I have similar questions about a catheter. For someone who is infection prone, it would seem that a catheter would increase, and not decrease, infection risk.

    Posted 4 months ago #

  6. AshesAshes
    Member

    No problem, I'm glad you will be keeping them!

    As far as the genioplasty, you may not have a weak chin now because your lower jaw is far forward. Once he sets it back, a genioplasty may be necessary for the best cosmetic result (to compensate for moving the lower jaw back). It depends how far he moves the lower jaw back, but if I were you I would do whatever gave the best cosmetic result. Maybe you could leave it up to his judgment during surgery, once the lower jaw is moved back, as the geniolplasty is typically the last step anyway.

    Posted 4 months ago #

  7. ScottA
    Member

    If your having lower jaw surgery then wisdom usually have to come out before because that is right in the area where the surgeon makes the cut through your mandible. usually people have them out months before their jaw surgery, my surgeon said they usually like to wait 5-6 months after wisdom teeth come out before they do jaw surgery so they give the socket and bone a chance to heal. you dont want to compromise the surgery/recovery bring this up to your surgeon

    Posted 4 months ago #

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