<before surgery>
Since middle school, I've had a complex about my face shape because my chin protrudes and my jawline looks long, and even after becoming an adult.
So, I avoided taking selfies and rejected when friends tried to take photos of me. I disliked taking photos altogether because my face looked long and my chin was
prominent in them.
Finally, I was able to undergo the double jaw surgery I've been dreaming of since childhood. I extensively researched reviews, watched many YouTube
videos, and studied a lot, hoping for a surgery without regrets. I thoroughly looked into it.
I was only considering oral clinics rather than plastic surgery clinics, but after watching many videos of Dr. Lee, I immediately made a consultation
appointment!
After the consultation, I was convinced by the merit of only having one surgery a day and continuous care. So, I immediately booked the surgery.
<on the surgery day>
On the day of the surgery, I had prepared various items for hospitalization, but it turned out that I only needed to bring a charger (they had a humidifier and an Apple
cushion). The hospital room was much cleaner and nicer than I had imagined, It was convenient having the patient bathroom right next to the room!
The surgery started around 10:30 in the morning and ended around 2:30 in the afternoon.
After the surgery, I didn't feel much pain, but I felt very cold and uncomfortable:(
Breathing was very uncomfortable.
My face was swollen, and I couldn't sleep because of the anesthesia. I felt sleepy and exhausted, and I couldn't focus on anything, so eventually, I kept sleeping...
Throughout the night, the nurses changed the ice packs, gave me medication, changed the gauze every time, and took such good care of me, so I was grateful.
<on the 2nd day after surgery>
I felt much better than the first day
They removed the urinary catheter and all the tubes from my mouth and nose, so my breathing became much easier and
it was more comfortable to move around than on the first day.
I had to practice drinking water, but I couldn't tilt my head back, and gulping down water was also difficult. Drinking water was too hard because if I drank it wrong,
I would cough, and it seemed like I spilled most of it about 7 out of 10 times...
I saw before and after bone pictures on the CT scan, and the difference was incredible. I was so happy because the surgery seemed to have gone really well.
Finally, the day of discharge..!
Received a lot of medication prescriptions.. Took them when I got home,
rested, did cold compresses, and repeated the process.
I had to sleep sitting up, but it was so uncomfortable I just said forget it and slept with a high pillow instead.
Bought a box of New Care and took it along with the medication.
Did gargling regularly and survived the week with New Care and porridge.
Didn't bother going for walks..
<A week after the surgery>
On the seventh day after the surgery, I went to the clinic for dressing and got laser treatment.
They said that the swelling peaks on the seventh day and it will start to go down..! Even though they said my swelling was relatively low compared to
others, my face was still quite puffy haha.
I could feel that my chin was more defined and my face shape had shortened, so I was really happy.
I hoped the swelling would go down quickly, so I switched to warm compresses and diligently applied them.
They advised me to wear compression bandages regularly, but I found it uncomfortable, so I didn't do it much...
From the seventh day onwards, I was so hungry that I tried eating ramen and even indulged in pizza and kimchi fried rice (even though I wasn't supposed to, I really wanted to eat them)
<2 weeks after the surgery>
Today was finally the day to remove the stitches!! I got the stitches removed and got laser treatment.
I thought removing the stitches would be very painful, but it was bearable! It felt like it was over in just a minute.
It was a little prickly, but because I'm quite fearful, I pinched my fingers with my nails, so it didn't hurt that much haha...
I also feel like the swelling has gone down a lot more than in the first week!
At the one-month mark after the surgery, I had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon and checked my progress photos. Looking at the before and after pictures, I
could really see a significant difference!
Firstly, my face had become smaller, and my jawline definitely looked more like a V-line!
I was worried because my face looked much fuller in the pre-surgery photos, but the surgeon said that about 40-50% of the swelling would go down by the one-month mark.
I felt relieved that it hadn't gone down completely yet... It looked so puffy haha^^
I also had a CT scan, and the bones had fused well! As it's been a month, a lot of the swelling has gone down, and the contours are becoming more
defined, so it's clear that the surgery went really well..!
I'm really happy with my face shape!
It's not exaggerated, very natural, and beautifully done, so I've been hearing a lot of compliments from people around me saying that the surgery went well.
Especially when my friend saw me in person and said my jawline looked so much better and my side profile was so pretty, it made me really happy. I've been taking a lot of pictures!
Sensations are still tingling when touched, and unless it's something hard, most things are being tasted.
I'm also eating meat that's been cut! Even sweet and sour pork, when cooked a bit moist, I can eat.
When opening my mouth, about two fingers can fit between my molars.
Apart from still not being able to fully close my mouth, there doesn't seem to be any discomfort.
(I've been diligently exercising my mouth because I've been told I need to exercise it diligently )
Even now, it's pretty, but because of the swelling, it looks a bit chubby, I hope the major swelling will go down in another two months haha
I'm so glad I had the surgery at WHY oral & maxillofacial surgery~~^^
Really, even just taking pictures with a basic camera, my face shape is smooth without any flaws, and it's so well done from the surgery that I'm always happy to look in the mirror.
