<Pre-Surgery>
Hello,
I underwent double jaw surgery and contouring surgery (square jaw and chin) at WHY Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for my anterior crossbite.
I can’t believe it’s already been over a month since the surgery. Now I’m in my second month post-op. Time really flies, as everyone says.
I went back to work on the 15th day after the surgery, and the days have been passing so quickly. I even skipped taking progress photos because of how fast everything has been moving. As the swelling gradually subsides, I haven’t felt the need to worry much. Honestly, I don’t even know where all the time has gone!
<Returning to Work>
Before the surgery, my biggest concern was whether I’d be able to return to work after two weeks. I was worried about not being able to eat properly, feeling too weak, or having trouble focusing.
But by the 10th day, I started to feel like myself again, and by the 12th day, I felt completely fine. Staying at home actually became boring (though I thoroughly enjoyed the rest).
From the 15th day, I started working late almost every day and even worked on weekends. Thankfully, I didn’t face any physical issues or mental fog. For those in office jobs, you can feel reassured!
However, during my first few days back, running to catch the train on my way to work was a bit challenging. 😅
<Meals>
Starting from the second week, I felt like I could eat most noodle dishes. For example, I used scissors to cut up cold soba noodles and ate them with a spoon. I also managed to eat shrimp tempura by cutting it into smaller pieces and soaking it in broth. Fried dumplings were a bit trickier—I could eat the filling part soaked in broth but avoided the crispy, fan-like edges. As for squid tempura, that was completely impossible. On the bright side, I could eat the noodles, fish cakes, and onions from spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki).
I attended a wedding buffet, and honestly, I was feeling down about what I’d be able to eat. Surprisingly, shrimp turned out to be a great option! Dishes like chili shrimp were a bit challenging because of the batter, but I could eat sushi. Being a fan of raw fish, I enjoyed salmon, tuna, and raw shrimp sushi. However, I avoided tougher sashimi that required more chewing. I also tried beef tartare, but since I couldn’t chew it properly, it wasn’t very enjoyable.
Wherever you go, portable scissors are a must! Make sure to get one and be careful not to lose it (speaking from experience).
Starting from the third week, I was able to eat softer regular foods. Rolled omelets, fried eggs, bean sprout soup, and grilled mackerel were fine. I even tried stir-fried spicy pork—it wasn’t super smooth, but I could manage after cutting it into small pieces.
I went to a Thai restaurant with friends and enjoyed a stir-fried noodle dish that reminded me of thick glass noodles. I couldn’t eat the meat, which was a bit disappointing, but minced meat fried rice was manageable with some chewing before swallowing.
By almost the fourth week (October 11th, one month after my September 12th surgery), I went out for a meal after my check-up. We visited a barbecue restaurant, and I could eat thinly sliced pork belly and skirt steak when cut into very small pieces. Between the two, I recommend pork belly!
Oh, and confession time: I even had a little alcohol that day. Officially, the hospital recommends avoiding alcohol for three months, but it was my farewell party, so I just couldn’t resist. I made sure to stop drinking as soon as I started feeling warm to avoid getting drunk. Thankfully, there haven’t been any issues so far, but I wouldn’t recommend drinking at this stage.
For snacks, we ordered karaage and tteokbokki, which I could eat after cutting them into small pieces.
Since eating regular meals felt heavy after not eating for a while, I’ve been enjoying fruit these days. Shine Muscat grapes are great, but even by the one-month mark, eating them with the skin was difficult. The skin tends to clump up and feel unexpectedly tough. Cutting each grape into eight pieces made it easier to swallow, but for now, I’m peeling them instead.
 
<Swelling>
The swelling is going down noticeably day by day. When I returned to work in the second week, a coworker I ate lunch with mentioned during the fourth week that I looked so normal now that they couldn’t even tell I had surgery. On the other hand, a friend I saw for the first time in the fourth week said I still looked slightly swollen, like I’d done something. 😂 It seems that people who saw me at my most swollen stage think I look much better now, while those seeing me for the first time post-surgery can still tell.
Some coworkers who didn’t know about the surgery thought I’d just lost weight and complimented me, saying I looked prettier. Since there are no visible scars, most people don’t even suspect surgery. (^_^)v
Whenever I meet someone for the first time, I keep asking, “What do you think? Do I look much different?” And while no one says I’m unrecognizable, they all agree I look noticeably different. One honest friend I trust told me it looks like my face shape turned out exactly as I had described before surgery. They said I’d worried a lot, but the results seem great, and I’ll likely be even more satisfied once the swelling completely subsides.
At a wedding, some older relatives didn’t recognize me at all! They said I looked so much prettier, which was a bit awkward since I still felt puffy. Honestly, since I see my face every day, I don’t notice much change visually. The biggest differences are that the tightness in my face has eased, the double chin that used to feel like a toad’s has flattened out, and I can smile and use facial expressions much more comfortably. My cheeks are still puffy, giving me a “piggy” look, but I think it’s kind of cute. 😊
 
<Side Effects>
I went into the surgery fully prepared to lose some sensation. I figured, “Do I really need full facial sensation anyway?” But when it was gone, I realized it was a bit unsettling—like when eating hot, hard, or rough foods, I couldn’t tell if my mouth was getting injured. It was slightly scary.
Interestingly, by the third week, my jaw started feeling very tingly and twitchy, which made me wonder if something was wrong, but it turned out to be my nerves regenerating! Currently, I don’t have any completely numb areas. Apart from the parts that had sensation immediately after surgery, about a thumb-tip-sized area has 20% sensation, while the rest is over 50% restored. At this pace, I think I’ll regain full sensation within three months.
As for snoring, I seem to have developed it. A friend complained that my snoring kept them awake when I slept over at their place. Since then, I’ve been using a snoring app to track it. For the first couple of nights, I snored throughout the night, but now I only snore once every two hours or so. I’m hopeful it’ll go away as the swelling continues to subside, but I’ll monitor it further.
I have chronic rhinitis and usually speak with a nasal tone, so I was worried breathing might be even harder post-surgery. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a problem immediately after surgery since nasal tubes were in place. After discharge, my nose felt a bit clogged at first, but with all the mucus and blood coming out, it eventually cleared up. Now it feels like my rhinitis is back to its pre-surgery state—one side is half-blocked, and postnasal drip continues, but my nasal tone has improved. I even considered surgery for rhinitis, but this feels like a lucky break!
Regarding my double chin, I definitely noticed one post-surgery. I didn’t have much chin fat before, but there used to be a thick, full sensation under my chin. After surgery, it became actual chin fat for a while. By the one-month mark, most of the chin fat had subsided, and it’s back to feeling thick again. I hope this sensation disappears as the swelling continues to go down.
 
<Overall Satisfaction>
I couldn’t be happier with the results! I wonder why I didn’t do this sooner.
The bruising hasn’t fully faded yet, which is a bit disappointing. Also, the areas inside my mouth that were stitched still feel tight, sore, and uncomfortable when I move my mouth. My chin is still quite swollen, making my facial contours a bit uneven. However, I’m optimistic that the three-month mark will come quickly.
At this point, the surgical wounds seem almost fully healed. What I’m dealing with now are lingering swelling, occasional sharp pains, and discomfort when chewing. My face still feels sensitive—for example, when I hurriedly applied cushion foundation, the pain lasted over 10 minutes. Also, when I tried to forcefully fit into a tight shirt and accidentally bumped my chin, it stung for over 30 minutes.
Still, I’m grateful that I’ve avoided any major complications. The most satisfying part is looking in the mirror and noticing my eyes first instead of my jaw. I feel like I’m getting closer to the cute look I’ve always wanted.
Every day, as the swelling subsides, I feel more and more like the person I envisioned. I’m so thankful for the surgeon’s excellent work, and I’m genuinely thrilled with the results! 😊