OT: A year ago, jaw surgery.

I had jaw surgery a year ago this month for OSA. (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) My airway was super skinny and I was having episodes of 60-70% oxygen.

Fast forward to this week...saw my surgeon for a follow up. He is quite pleased with how it's all healing...and it is STILL healing.

However, I still have issues with numbness (mostly my gums), my teeth still feel a bit wooden, and there is still a springiness in my jaw which means I am still being held together with the plates and screws. I have developed arthritis in my jaw (not the joint but in the jaw itself).

And the posts/screws bother me...they don't hurt but they are bothersome.

So what is the plan??? I will spend at least another year healing but then he will likely go in and remove all the hardware. He will do that before the bone actually heals over it. He said if I had not had such a gap, he could do it now but given the size of the gap he created, he and I agree another year healing is best. The springiness is the BIG clue as to it hasn't healed enough yet.

While not looking forward to another surgery, he did say it was a day surgery and easily done. (Okay, easy for him, LOL). It will also mean another 2-4 weeks after that on liquids.

 

 

 

I'd hate to be looking at another surgery too. Wishing you continued good healing.

--gina

Thanks, and while another surgery is not what I want to see in my future, if it gets rid of the bothersome hardware, I'll do it.

Wishing you continued healing and hope for minimal future surgery.

 

 

gail

Thanks, Gail

It does not seem like it has been a year.  My how time flies!!

Hope you continue to heal during this next year so hopefully the next surgery will be very minimal.

Do you have to sleep with a CPAP?

Linda

Linda, I tried but was never able to get a good fit. And even the lowest pressure was too much.

I was surprised it had been a year also.  I have a plate and screws in my wrist that were suppose to be removed probably 20 yrs ago.  I never did it.  Couldn't stand the idea of going through it again and luckily, they have never bothered me.  Maybe in a year, yours won't either. 

Maybe, who knows.

I have screws and rods in my back and they have never bothered me like these in my jaw. Part of it is the ones in the top jaw that put pressure at my sinus cavity and then there are where the screws are on my jaw line...they get bumped quite often.

Liz

I'm wishing you all the bet Liz.  At least you got the DS and lost weight so you weren't left thinking 'if only I could get some weight off then this wouldn't be necessary'.