<before surgery>
From the moment I realized my face was becoming asymmetrical ａnｄ my jaw was protruding as I grew, I wanted to get double jaw surgery. I was often teased, ａnｄ I wasn't happy with my appearance, so it felt like a lifelong challenge I had to overcome. Finally getting the surgery felt liberating. Anyone with malocclusion will understand.
From a teenager to a newly minted adult, I regularly consulted about double jaw surgery, but everywhere I went, I was told I needed Pre-orthodontic treatment before double jaw surgery. When I consulted at WHY Oral ａnｄ Maxillofacial Surgery, they also said pre-orthodontic treatment was essential, so I accepted it ａnｄ finally decided to go through with the surgery.
Because it's a major surgery, I hesitated for over ten years, but I felt it was time to stop delaying. I didn't want to hate seeing my photos during important moments in my life, so I consulted several reputable hospitals.
WHY Oral ａnｄ Maxillofacial Surgery was already familiar to me from my online research. They had many detailed videos ａnｄ testimonials on YouTube, which built my trust. After the consultation, I felt even more confident in my decision to have the surgery there.
 
The reasons were:
1.The doctor's experience -He comes from a well-known hospital where he was the chief bone surgeon.
2.Only one surgery per day - This ensures that the doctor, being human, doesn't get fatigued ａnｄ can maintain high-quality surgery.
3.Reasonable cost - Double jaw surgery is expensive, but their prices were more reasonable.
4.Clean facilities.
5.Surgery monitoring - My guardian could watch the surgery via CCTV.
--For these reasons, I chose WHY Oral ａnｄ Maxillofacial Surgery. I had both the double jaw surgery ａnｄ the three-part contouring surgery to correct my asymmetry ａnｄ malocclusion.
 
 
Before the surgery (Orthodontic treatment for 1 year):
My facial structure ａnｄ teeth were quite misaligned, so the orthodontic treatment lasted for about a year.
In fact, there were still areas where my bite wasn't aligned even after the year, so I needed another six months of orthodontic treatment. However, due to scheduling conflicts, I decided to schedule the surgery when my orthodontist ａnｄ I felt it was sufficient.
The manager prepared the necessary items well-organized, so I didn't need to worry about preparing separately. I only needed to bring what the manager told me to bring, as most of the things were already there, such as a humidifier, cushion, ａnｄ neck pillow.
 
Surgery Day (2/26) to Day 7:
I arrived at 9:30 am ａnｄ entered the operating room at 10:00 am.
My parents watched the surgery CCTV for the entire 4-hour duration, ａnｄ thanks to diligently taking nutritional supplements as recommended by the manager a month prior, there was minimal bleeding, ａnｄ the surgery went smoothly.
According to my parents, I didn't wake up well after the surgery, but I only remember waking up in the clinic room feeling pain ａnｄ discomfort.
Although there were reviews mentioning pain, most talked more about the discomfort of struggling to breathe.
Thinking it would be manageable, I hadn't expected it to be so painful, ａnｄ the doctor joked that if it hurt more than expected
 
So, I made a promise to myself to write more detailed descriptions of the pain in my review.
The surgery involved shaving the jawbone, so the pain in that area was excruciating. (Given my pre-existing health conditions, I might have felt the pain more intensely.)
It felt like someone was squeezing ａnｄ twisting my entire face, causing soreness.
As someone who often suffered from migraines, they became even worse, making me sensitive to even the smallest light, forcing me to live in darkness most of the time.
Due to phlegm buildup, it was difficult to breathe through my throat, ａnｄ my nose was blocked, making breathing impossible. If I were to summarize the pain I endured for three days:
1.Overall facial pain as if someone was squeezing my face like a sponge.
2.Feeling like I was on the verge of suffocation due to difficulty breathing.
3.Increased discomfort due to phlegm buildup.
4.Intense headaches ａnｄ eye pain from facial pain ａnｄ increased pressure.
5.Dizziness even with slight head movements.
6.Dizziness with minimal movement until the seventh day.
7.Initially unable to sleep due to the need to wake up from anesthesia.
8.Even when I could sleep, the pain kept waking me up every hour.
9.The pain made each day feel like a month (time really didn't pass quickly).
10.Couldn’t focus on activities like watching videos on my iPad ｏｒ laptop.
(I highly recommend having an iPad ｏｒ laptop for entertainment. I couldn't read books.)
11.Excruciating pain in the tailbone.
12.Severe pain in the lower back ａnｄ neck (Sitting to sleep exacerbated the pain in my back ａnｄ neck).
I'll stop here, but there might have been more. I wanted to write in detail to encourage those considering jaw surgery to prepare mentally. I often saw reviews saying time heals everything, ａnｄ while it was agonizingly slow, time truly was the best medicine.
Even after being discharged, I experienced similar pains at home until the seventh day, with only slight changes in intensity.
Compared to the stress I've endured, this pain seems manageable. If you have firmly decided to undergo surgery despite the pain, be prepared mentally. Despite the swelling lasting until the seventh day, my swollen face now looks cute compared to the sharp contours before.
Also, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the nurses who worked the night shift, especially the nurse with short hair last night, for their kindness ａnｄ thorough care despite their fatigue. She was so kind ａnｄ meticulous despite working all night, so I wanted to thank her.
 
Summary of Day 7: Extremely painful ａnｄ exhausting, but my post-surgery face looks kind of cute lol, ａnｄ despite the head doctor's gruff appearance, he jokes well ａnｄ frequently checks in. P.S. The most useful items were the humidifier ａnｄ the small sauce container from Daiso!
Day 7 to Day 17 (3/5-3/13)
At the one-week mark, I returned to the clinic for disinfecting, check-ups, removal of stitches from my sideburns, ａnｄ laser treatment for the swelling. The disinfection process was somewhat painful but bearable. Because I also had contouring surgery, my sideburns still had stitches, ａnｄ I felt a bit embarrassed going in without having washed my hair. Although I said I was fine, the head doctor was firm in stating I didn’t look well, probably because I was quite scruffy. Additionally, I couldn’t brush my teeth, so I had bad breath. I thought the head doctor has quite a challenging job.
 
As a side note, my conversation with the head doctor during disinfection was amusing:
 
Doctor: It must feel uncomfortable not being able to brush your teeth?
Me: I have bad breath.
Doctor: Yes, I can smell it too.
Me: I'm sorry.
Doctor: Don't be. It's okay. I smell it every day.
 
Being a doctor really does have a tough job.
 
In any case, the saying that time heals all wounds is especially true for jaw surgery. As time passes, the pain lessens. It's not completely gone, but it becomes more manageable:
 
1.Occasional facial pain
2.A strangely numb ａnｄ tingling sensation in the face
3.Itchy teeth ａnｄ face, like grinding my teeth
4.Increased appetite as I start to feel better
5.Back, neck, ａnｄ hip pain from lying down too much
However, compared to the first week, life becomes much more bearable. From this point on, the thought that it was worth it to get jaw surgery grows stronger. If you can endure the first week, the difficulty level decreases. Still, be prepared for about a month of discomfort.
Swelling peaks at the one-week mark ａnｄ then gradually decreases. Based on numerous reviews ａnｄ my own experience, the rate at which swelling subsides ａnｄ the level of pain vary greatly from person to person due to different surgical methods ａnｄ individual constitutions.
I wasn't extremely swollen, but my swelling has been slow to go down. If you've read many reviews, you might stress about your own swelling. That’s exactly how I feel. When I see that others have less swelling at the same stage, I get quite depressed. The combination of not being able to eat what I want, feeling weak, ａnｄ then becoming depressed makes it even harder. So, don’t compare yourself to others.
Everyone is different, so just focus on walking a lot, using warm packs frequently, ａnｄ toughing it out. I'm just now entering the three-week mark, so I'm still toughing it out myself!
Positive Aspects of Jaw Surgery (Despite the Challenges)
While jaw surgery has been challenging, the benefits far outweigh the difficulties.
 
1.Gratitude: Surviving such an intense experience makes you appreciate even the small things in life.
2.Proper Molar Alignment: Although my bite isn’t perfect yet, experiencing molars that actually meet is amazing ａnｄ reassuring.
3.Defined Jawline: My facial contours have become much cleaner.
4.Higher Nose Bridge: As my chin recedes, my once flat face now appears more three-dimensional, making my nose bridge look higher (this might vary for others).
5.Smaller Face: The most surprising change for everyone has been my smaller face, which makes my facial features look more prominent.
 
Despite still being in the early stages (17 days post-op), I’m confident that as time passes, the pain ａnｄ difficult memories will fade, ａnｄ the benefits will only increase.
Reduced Pain: The pain gradually decreases.
Decreasing Swelling: As the swelling goes down, life becomes more manageable.
Mental Resilience: It’s crucial to maintain a positive mindset during this period when you might start feeling the mental strain from the swelling.
Note: The laser treatment for swelling is highly effective. If you live nearby, take advantage of the free service ａnｄ get laser treatment at the clinicl daily.
 
Week 4 Update
As I approach the two-month mark after surgery, I’ve noticed significant improvements:
 
Returning Sensation: The feeling in my face is gradually coming back.
Reduced Swelling: Most of the major swelling has subsided, making it difficult for new acquaintances to tell that I’ve had surgery. However, minor swelling ａnｄ some awkwardness from post-surgery braces are still noticeable to friends who knew me before.
Improvements ａnｄ Satisfaction
Smaller Face: My face has become much smaller, ａnｄ because of this, my facial features appear more prominent. I’ve received many compliments about how my features look larger ａnｄ more defined.
Overall Satisfaction: I’m quite pleased with the results so far, especially considering the significant changes in my appearance.👍👍👍
Current Discomforts
Partial Numbness: Some sensation has yet to return fully.
Limited Mouth Opening: My mouth doesn’t open wide, ａnｄ the reduced space inside my mouth from the surgery, combined with the post-surgery braces, causes discomfort.
Chewing Difficulties: While I can chew, it’s still difficult, so I mainly eat foods that can be mashed with my tongue.😭😭
 
Final Thoughts
Despite these minor inconveniences, I’m very satisfied with the results. I’m particularly eager for the remaining swelling around my upper lip to subside, which I believe will greatly enhance my overall satisfaction.👍👍
Tips for Swelling Reduction
Warm Compresses: These have been incredibly helpful.
Light Cardio Exercises: Gentle aerobic activities significantly aid in reducing swelling.
Overall, I’m optimistic ａnｄ continue to focus on the positives as I progress through my recovery.