<Before surgery>
Before the surgery, I used to get really frustrated because my jaw would always look crooked in side profiles or front-facing photos. Ever since high school, it was a huge complex for me. Initially, I tried to correct my malocclusion with non-surgical orthodontic treatment.
I started orthodontic treatment at the age of 22 after another clinic told me that surgery wouldn’t be necessary. However, as time passed, my primary orthodontist changed about 5 or 6 times. Eventually, I was told that improvement would be impossible without surgery, and the direction of my orthodontic treatment depended on whether I chose to go for surgery or not. After postponing and considering it for a long time, I finally decided to proceed with surgery at the age of 28.
I researched about six clinics through YouTube, Naver Cafe, and various apps, and went for consultations. At WHY Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the doctor had extensive experience and provided a detailed explanation focused on the surgery itself during the consultation. What convinced me was that they had dantrolene and swelling-reducing laser equipment. Plus, since jaw surgery involves functional considerations, the clinic also had an orthodontist in-house, making it easier to coordinate the surgery and post-surgical care.
After the consultation, I decided to have double jaw surgery and two types of facial contouring at WHY on February 14th.
 
Before the Surgery
A year before the surgery, I visited the hospital for a consultation and made a reservation for double jaw surgery, as well as square jaw and chin contouring surgery. In my case, I had to be deployed abroad, so I scheduled the surgery in advance and went on the overseas deployment. Before leaving, I visited the hospital, had pre-surgery photos taken, X-rays and a CT scan.
When I returned to Korea, a year had passed since the initial photos were taken, so I had to retake them, along with new scans for the surgery. I also went through internal medicine checks, blood tests, and other exams to ensure I was fit for surgery and to manage my condition. Although I didn’t take it myself, I heard it’s a good idea to take iron supplements before surgery. So, if anyone else is preparing for surgery, make sure to take them!
The doctors recommend avoiding alcohol for about a week before surgery and quitting smoking a month prior. The reason is that high liver enzyme levels from drinking can increase the risk of excessive bleeding during surgery. As for smoking, the anesthesia and stress from surgery can cause severe phlegm production, and it can be worse for smokers, leading to potential breathing problems. I quit everything early and went in fully prepared.
I also fasted for about 12 hours before the surgery. This is done to prevent vomiting during or after surgery.
On the morning of the surgery, I arrived at the hospital, unpacked my things, changed into surgery clothes, and was briefed on important precautions. After that, I met with the doctor to discuss the surgery plan and signed the consent form. Then, I went to my private room to mentally prepare myself.
At this point, I recommend taking some before photos—front and side views—because you’ll be amazed at how much you change after the surgery. You might even have trouble remembering what you used to look like!
It was my first surgery ever, so I was extremely nervous. I walked into the operating room on my own and lay down on the surgical table, feeling quite shaky. A nurse came in and said, "Let’s go to the OR," and walked with me into the room. The OR was a bit cool, and the nurse and anesthesiologist made small talk to help calm me down.
As they put the mask on me, they said, “You’ll feel some oxygen now,” and I was so nervous that I don’t even remember what else they said. When I was ready, they told me, “We’re administering the anesthesia now,” and I remember inhaling something with a slightly bitter taste. They told me to take deep breaths, and before I knew it, I was saying, “Oh, I feel a bit dizzy,” and then the surgery was done!
 
Day 1 Post-Surgery: After the surgery, I was completely out of it. I woke up on the operating table when a nurse called me, and I felt dazed, like I had just woken up from a nap. They transferred me to my recovery room in a wheelchair. From that point, I was instructed to take deep breaths, which wasn’t difficult since my mouth wasn’t tied shut, and I had a nasal tube to assist with breathing.
Before the surgery, I was worried about pain, but surprisingly, there was no pain at the surgical site. However, I had a terrible headache, probably because I was so tense, which caused my jaw muscles to tighten. The surgery started a little after 10 AM and ended around 1:30 PM.
I couldn’t even think about looking at my face at that point. The hardest part was the first 8 hours after waking up from anesthesia. No painkillers, no sleep, and no water were allowed during this time. The headache was unbearable, so after about 7 hours, I requested pain medication early. Once the painkiller kicked in, I felt better, but those 8 hours seemed to drag on endlessly. I couldn’t even look at my phone because of the headache. However, after that initial period, things became more manageable.
The nurse came in frequently to check on me and suction my throat. They also warned me not to force myself to cough or clear phlegm, as that could increase pressure in my face and cause bleeding. The surgeon stopped by to reassure me, saying the hardest part was over, and encouraged me to hang in there for the rest of the day. My headache worsened, so they gave me a stronger painkiller, which made me feel nauseous, but the nurse’s attentive care made me feel more at ease.
 
Day 2 Post-Surgery: Some people said they couldn’t sleep at all, but for me, the painkillers helped alleviate the headache, so I managed to sleep a bit. I was told to start walking around the hospital on the second day, though it was difficult.
On this day, they removed my catheter and nasal tubes. When the surgeon arrived, they also removed the drainage tubes and explained how to use the wafer (a dental device) and I received laser treatments to reduce the swelling. I started forcing myself to drink nutritional drinks like New Care, drink water, and gargle. Honestly, if it weren’t for the headache, everything else felt normal.
My nose started to get really congested, and I kept coughing up bloody phlegm. Breathing through my mouth was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t unbearable.
 
Day 3 Post-Surgery: In the morning, the surgeon gave me various explanations as they came in for their rounds. Once I got home and started taking the prescribed painkillers and muscle relaxants, the headache disappeared completely.
At home, I survived on porridge, New Care, and pumpkin juice. I was still out of it and spent the entire day lying down, looking at my phone. The nasal congestion was the worst on this day. I couldn’t sleep whenever I wanted; I had to wait until my nose cleared up to sleep comfortably.
 
Day 4 Post-Surgery: The headache was completely gone by this day. Although I kept doing cold compresses, the swelling worsened, and wearing the compression band made my face feel tight. I felt like my condition had improved enough to take walks, and I was eating and drinking normally again. I had nosebleeds until day 4, and my ears were still clogged, making it hard to hear, even with earphones.
By evening, the nosebleeds had stopped. From this point, I felt well enough to resume normal activities, except for eating. For the first two weeks, I only had porridge and New Care while continuing to disinfect my mouth regularly.
 
Week 1 Post-Surgery:
I went back to the hospital to have the inside of my mouth checked, disinfected, and received a laser treatment to reduce swelling before heading home. By this point, I couldn’t resist anymore, and even though I was told to avoid creating suction in my mouth, I secretly ate chocolate and Baskin Robbins ice cream. I normally don’t crave sweets, but for some reason, I really wanted them, and eating them made me feel alive again.
To minimize muscle loss, I kept track of my protein intake and consistently consumed New Care protein drinks. I also started brushing my teeth with a baby toothbrush, which made my mouth feel clean and refreshed.
As I started feeling better, I began to notice some mild pain around the surgery areas. My face had yellow bruising, and I could see the bruising moving down toward my chest. 
By this time, I was able to go out for walks while wearing a mask, and I was eating pretty well too.
Week 2 Post-Surgery:
 
Since week 1, I’ve been doing warm compresses regularly and wearing a compression band, and I could visibly see the swelling go down. Now that my jaw is in the right position, it feels strange having my teeth aligned, and when I look in the mirror, the swelling makes me look a bit like my younger self, which is funny.
By the time week 2 rolled around, I went to the hospital to get my stitches removed. People said it wouldn’t hurt, but for me, it was a bit painful. The surgeon provided some additional explanations afterward.
Even though my speech is still a bit slurred and I’m still swollen, I can already tell that I’m healing quickly. It’s only been two weeks, but seeing how fast I’m recovering makes me really excited to see how I’ll look in the end!
 
Day 18 Post-Surgery:
Deciding to undergo double jaw surgery is something that requires a lot of thought and careful consideration, but I don’t regret my decision at all.
For those of you reading this, you’ve probably been through a lot of internal struggle, concerns about how others perceive you, and the mental pressure of making such a decision. The fear of surgery and the effort to gather as much information as possible are all part of the process, and I went through the same thing. Back then, I didn’t trust any reviews I read.
Now that I’ve actually gone through with the surgery, I can look back and reflect on how I felt then. I imagine many of you reading this are going through similar feelings, which is why you’re here looking for reassurance.

<6-Month Post-Surgery>
Finally... it’s been 6 months.
Now, I can eat anything I want, and I can even chew pretty solid foods. It’s amazing how I can now bite through noodles with my front teeth so easily! Haha.
I’ve changed so much that I barely even remember my worries before the surgery. I love how I’m no longer hesitant to take pictures. While I’m still being careful, I don’t feel any discomfort in my daily life. There’s a slight tingling sensation when I touch my lower jaw, but it doesn’t bother me since I rarely need to touch it. I can feel it getting better as time goes by!
I’m even working out now, and doing high-intensity exercises doesn’t seem to cause any issues. The only thing bothering me at the moment is the braces—really hoping they come off soon! The early days post-surgery were tough, but now it feels like it never even happened. If I had to go through it again, I don’t think I could, but I have no regrets at all. I’m so glad I went through with it!
Jaw surgery is definitely a procedure with a high satisfaction rate. For anyone struggling with jaw concerns like I did, I don’t think you’d regret getting it done.