Procedure | Surgical
Orthognathic Surgery
Orthognathic surgery entails cutting the jawbones to correct asymmetries and deficiencies of the top, bottom, or both jaws. While it may involve chin surgery (genioplasty), the procedure requires a highly trained and skilled doctor.
Orthognathic surgery is typically performed to correct the position of the jaw to enhance its functionality as well as for cosmetic reasons.
Prior to the surgery, you will likely be required to go through surgical planning, X-rays, and imaging. You may be advised to avoid certain medications such as Aspiring 2 weeks before. Avoid alcohol at least 5 days before and stop smoking 2 weeks before the procedure.
On the day, ensure you wash your face and apply no makeup.
The operation will be carried out under general anesthetic and will take between one and three hours. During the procedure, the surgeon will cut the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both jaws near the wisdom teeth to free them. The jawbones may then be moved into the desired position for correction. They are then affixed in their new positions with very small screws, bone plates, wires, or brackets.
The procedure takes 1-3 hours depending on exactly what steps are being performed. You can expect a 2-4-day hospital stay after the surgery.
Likely you will need to stay in the hospital for 2-4 days. Some bruising, swelling, and discomfort would be expected with limited mouth movement. You might experience difficulty in swallowing which would improve over the next 3-4 days.
A soft diet would be recommended following your procedure and would likely need to be on leave for up to 14 days.
It can take more than six months to get your mouth opening and bite strength back to normal.
Recovering after a jaw surgery requires 6-12 weeks in most patients. After the jawbones heal for about 6 weeks, an orthodontist will finish aligning the teeth with braces.
Most patients feel these changes are beneficial and life-enhancing.
Although infrequent, there can be complications such as bleeding, swelling, infection, nausea, and vomiting.
