Re: Uk, (scotland) surgery q's

[Guest guest]

Hi, you're not necessarily too young (there was another person about

your age from the UK named Kat_UK, check the back posts for hers,

starting somewhere in May 2002, I think. She also checks in from time

to time). What's important is that you have stopped growing, and I

believe there is a test that your doc can do to tell whether that's

the case.

You're correct in thinking that you have an underbite if your lower

jaw extends so that your lower teeth are ahead of your upper teeth. I

had the opposite, an overbite (and an overjet, where the teeth

project a little bit horizontally as well). The fix for an underbite

is to move the lower jaw back, usually, although sometimes the upper

jaw needs to be moved forward as well. You should ask your surgeon

more, some patients are wired shut until the bones heal (6-8 weeks)

and many are secured with plates & screws, with rubber bands holding

the jaws in place via the braces, again for a period of weeks while

the bones heal.

My general impression is that the hospital stays in the UK are longer

than in North America. I stayed 2 days for upper/lower/genio surgery,

that's the norm for my surgeon, but one jaw surgical patients

typically stay only 1 day (overnight). I asked, and was told that the

criteria to me leaving the hospital sooner was to be able to take in

enough fluids on my own, so I drank as much as I could as soon as I

could post-op.

Recovery is another variable. You have youth on your side there, but

it's important to consider that this is a fairly major surgery, and

you won't just bounce in, have the surgery, and be back to normal in

a couple of days. It's not like breaking your arm and getting it set

in a cast. The initial recovery may take a couple of weeks, the

longer term recovery (residual swelling, numbness, learning how to

chew again) can take months. That's not to deter you from having the

surgery if you need it, that's only to prepare you for the patience

required to get back to normal health and function. It can be very

sloooow going.

Many surgeons plan the students for summer break and christmas break

surgeries, but you should be aware that the timeframes can change for

a number of reasons (your teeth might not cooperate and move at the

same schedule as your ortho plans, sometimes unusual events like SARS

and professional shortages cause delays and postponements in

surgeries, etc).

Be sure to ask your surgeon and ortho questions! You'll find a good

list here in the files section, compiled by a member here, and also

some good info on the geocities site at

http://www.geocities.com/orthognathicinfo/

Hope that helps,

> I just realised that there was another post with the topic being

Uk,

> so I have decided to post again.

> So, can anyone from the Uk tell me the general procedure for sugery

> involving moving back the lower jaw (is that called an underbite? i

> have never been properly told about it), and how long you have to

> stay in hospital for. Also how long roughly would it take to

recover,

> adn to be able to go back to uni? Also how long does the surgery

> actually take, and at 17 am I too young?

>

> thanks

[Guest guest]

I think my pal gives such good advice. I have nothing to add to

this one. She covered it all, and kindly, too.

I would encourage you to insist that your surgeon address the issue

of whether your growth is completed. That is crucial to success.

Cammie

> > I just realised that there was another post with the topic being

> Uk,

> > so I have decided to post again.

> > So, can anyone from the Uk tell me the general procedure for

sugery

> > involving moving back the lower jaw (is that called an underbite?

i

> > have never been properly told about it), and how long you have to

> > stay in hospital for. Also how long roughly would it take to

> recover,

> > adn to be able to go back to uni? Also how long does the surgery

> > actually take, and at 17 am I too young?

> >

> > thanks