Jaw Surgery

I had my lower jaw moved back, 26 years ago. There was a lot of swelling, and discomfort more than pain. It was definitely worth it! She will lose weight, even drinking milkshakes everyday, but when the jaw gets undone and she starts eating regular food again, it will all come back, unless she watches her diet. This I know from experience.

Hi!

I almost feel relief that some body else is going through the same thing as I've been going through, not that I don't feel sympathy for you, for this reason i think maybe i could relate better, with the exception that I haven't been able to fix my jaw, which is the reason of my humble request, you see I went to see the only T.M.J expert in south fl.(according to him)but much to my disappointment he didn't help much and now the headaches and all the discomfort and pain the dispalcement brings is just well... please tell me were you went to see to get diagnosed PLEASE..

I had this done when I was 15, so 14 years ago. My mouth was wired shut for 3 weeks and then rubberbanded shut for another 3 weeks. Trust me, it's a great weight-loss system :) Be sure to have a blender on hand, and some baby spoons and ice packs for the face the first few days. You can fit a baby spoon through the crack in the rubberbands once you get a bit more healed. Also, you'll want to blend up everything to eat it, into a puree, and the doctor *should* give her a syringe with a tube that she can put in the back of her mouth and squirt the food in through the opening in the back. You can blend up pretty much everything, from spaghetti and meatballs to vegetables. Have a lot of ice cream on hand as well. It'll be a rough 6 weeks or so, and then the physical therapy starts, but it's well worth it in the end.

I wanted to comment on your question about weight. I am an anesthesiologist and can tell you that from my perspective, being overweight is a very big deal. Being significantly overweight definitely puts a person at higher risk for having general anesthesia and for recovery from surgery. Obviously there are varying degrees of obesity, but I'll tell you what it does in general:

Obese people have decreased oxygen reserves in their lungs, meaning that after someone is under anesthesia, the anesthesiologist has to work more quickly to get a breathing tube in the trachea and has to be much more concerned about the person's oxygen level falling too fast after they are asleep.

Also, obesity often results in sleep disordered breathing. Especially concerning is obstructive sleep apnea. Does your daughter snore at night or ever seem to stop breathing or seem to struggle to breathe and then "snort"? and then wake herself up or start the whole obstructed breathing pattern again?

That type of breathing, combined with excessive amounts of fat/soft tissue in the mouth/cheeks/neck means that it could be dangerous to have her go to sleep before a breathing tube is put in her trachea. Therefore, she'd have to be sedated but somewhat awake when the tube goes in (and only THEN get to go all the way to sleep) - not impossible, but just uncomfortable.

In addition, long-standing sleep apnea issues can lead to a lot of strain on the heart, which can lead to congestive heart failure and high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension). Your daughter is probably too young, fortunately, to have these long-standing problems yet... but if she's significantly overweight and/or has sleep apnea, she's at risk down the road.

During surgery, providing ventilation/oxygenation to an obese patient is technically more difficult. And providing adequate pain control is tricky, too, because obese patients (and those with sleep apnea) are sensitive to narcotic medications (morphine, codeine, etc.) which can be dangerous if they cause too much respiratory depression. So titrating the right amount of medication for her operation/recovery would be more difficult.

At the conclusion of the procedure, in deciding whether or not it was safe to take the breathing tube out immediately, an anesthesiologist would have to consider the combination of: obesity, possible sleep apnea, a possibly difficult airway (which may have required an "awake intubation" at the beginning of the case), and the jaw being wired shut... This might result in the decision made for safety: keep the breathing tube in for a while (less likely to happen in the NON-obese patient) and take the patient to the ICU where they could take the tube out after the patient was more awake in a few hours or days. And, of course, it's than more difficult for an OBESE person to get off the ventilator and have their breathing tube taken out than a thinner person...

Obese patients are, in general, more at-risk for longer hospitalizations and more complications (pneumonia, etc.)

I'm not trying to scare you, although I'm sure I have (sorry!)... What I wanted to do was describe the considerations we have, as anesthesiologists, when we approach taking care of an obese patient. The best thing for your daughter would be to stress to her the importance of losing weight (even 10 pounds helps!) BEFORE the procedure. It would make her hospital course easier and less risky.

Hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

M. P,

I was out of town and wasn't able to read your original request. My mother had this same surgery 18 years ago (top and bottom) and they actually wired her mouth shut for 8 weeks.

Everything she ate had to go through a straw. The thing she loved to eat the most was pureed pinto beans (she's a country girl). They smelled horrible but they stuck with her better than anything else she was able to eat.

Fruit smoothies are a nice treat as well. My husband loves orange juice, strawberry & banana smoothies the best.

My mother's bottom lip and chin still has some nerve damage but otherwise she's very glad she had the surgery.

I've had 4 different surgeries on my jaw, and while things are MUCH improved NOW, there was a time after the surgeries, during rehab, where I thought 'this SUCKS!' Some of the rehab was painful and getting my jaw to work properly again took time... a LOT of time for me, but everyone is different. Brushing my teeth was hard because I couldn't open my mouth enough to get a toothbrush in! I had to buy a baby/toddler toothbrush and those crazy little floss toothpicks, which I couldn't even use at first since I couldn't open my mouth enough. I also couldn't chew anything that was even the slightest bit crunchy or chewy (raw carrots, beef, peanuts, etc.)for a LONG time...at least 6 months! I found scalp massages eased a lot of the discomfort and helped relax the muscles that work the jaw. See if you can find a masseusse that specilizes in TMJ massages, many of them do. Also, USE THE ICE PACKS! I hated them, but I found out the hard way that they really do help with swelling and pain. I found a soft ACE pack that was not only reusable, but it fit nicely up against my face. Sometimes I would put the soft ice pack against my jaw and wrap my head in a giant ace bandage to hold it in place while I was watching tv, or whatever. Just tell her to be patient if it's not automatically back to normal when the bands come off, it DOES take time to get things working smoothly again, so don't let her get discouraged. Plus, it really is a great way to lose weight (which I did, after I realized that milkshakes and mashed potatoes were NOT the only things I could eat!) Good Luck to her!

My friends son had this done last year (he also had to wear braces for a short time). Even though he was on a liquid diet and was uncomfortable for a short time, he is glad he did it. He did lose weight, not sure how much. My son also might have to have this done, so I was glad to read more about it from those that have experienced it.

I had this done in high school, almost 15 years ago. My face got huge, felt like a Cabbage Patch Doll. I was a runner and active kid but while healing I didn't feel like going out-(swollen face) so I actaully lost muscle tone and stayed the same weight. Try to get your daughter out walking when the doctors say it is ok.

My 7 yr old daughter needs this surgery. Her lower jaw is extremely larger than her upper. She has a severe underbite and has no use of her front teeth and has to cram her food in between her back teeth. She makes noise when she chews (smacking). She snores, breathes through her mouth, her tongue sits between her teeth because her upper jaw is so much smaller than the lower.

I have been terrified every since I found out. Some responses were helpful, some frightened me even more. Especially when the majority were at least teenaged and my daughter is so very young.

I wish I would've read this before the surgery. I'm glad to hear she's doing well. While she may not believe it right now, this will all be worth it in the end. I would have to say the first day home from the hospital was the hardest, but every day gets easier & easier. I had my surgery when I was 14 and I'm now 30. During this time frame I cannot even tell you how many compliments I get on my smile. This was something I was never used to. What I should warn you about is how perfect the bite is. I recently found out that I was grinding my teeth while I slept & since my bite is perfectly aligned, I was cracking a few teeth. Please have her keep an eye on this and look into a mouth guard. I would hate for her to go through all of this & have these problems later down the road. If I had it all to do again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I had the full workup that you described in your original & the numbness wears off as you go. We also pureed just about everything under the sun so I would have variety to eat too. Good luck to you all! Just follow the doctor's orders & all will be wonderful.

Your post just showed up today here in Colorado, but I would like to add some advice for those contemplating this surgery. I am a former dental assistant that had this procedure done twenty years ago this October. The first few days were really rough, but Mama was there for me. (Nothing like having M. when you aren't feeling well). In the old days, they wired us shut for a minimum of 6 weeks, and then rubber bands for an additional 6 weeks. I pureed everything...and ate it with a turkey baster (ball baster). Food delivery is much faster and less frustrating this way. I found that the little syringes that the doctor gives you just get cloged up, the rubber stopper jams in the tube etc. and would end up spilling my meal, very frustrating. I was single at the time and made up a lot of my meals in advance and froze them in individual servings. That way, I could take out my days meals in the morning and they would be defrosted and ready to heat when I got home from work. I got so sick of anything sweet(shakes), and would dream of eating fried chicken. (something I never eat but a comfort food from my youth) Everything you puree ends up a disgusting grey color, but after awhile you get over the appearance and go for taste. I only lost 6 lbs, and didn't really have many to spare. I found that on a liquid diet, when you are hungry, you are hungry right now and don't want to wait for something to cook or take the time to puree it. For initial communication I used a childrens magic erase board. (you write on it and lift the plastic to erase your message) White boards, or some of the latest technology would really ease the communication these days. Overall, I am so happy that I had this surgery done. I had an underbite and had difficulty chewing especially meat. My 12 y/o daughter was blessed with the same condition so in a few years we will probably be facing this again. Today, the dietary supplements are much more readily available and taste much better than what was available 20 years ago. Hope to hear that your daughter is doing well. She will be thankful in the long run that she had this proceedure done and that you were there for her.

Hi there, well I read this after the fact also, and I see that she is getting ready to go home... I myself had this surgery my senior year of high school and would go thru it all again, yes, there will be alot of swelling and discomfort for a while, but it will all pass. Since your daughter is overweight, it may be comforting to know that I lost alot of weight after my surgery, try slim fast shakes or other nutritional supplement shakes, they are easy in this situation and good for the weight loss too :) And, even though she has the swollen face, have her get out and walk a bit, it will make sure the depression doesnt kick in.... All will be well, you and your daughter will be in my prayers, just follow the doctors orders and know that it will be soooo worth it in the end!!

three of my four brothers have had this done and each had different experiences with their recovery. they were all glad that they did it as it improved their breathing amongst other things. its been quite a few years but i do remember that those syringe things were helpful in feeding them and the doctor kept them on ensure.

I had a beauty surgery on my upper jaw about 6 or 7 years ago. My upper jaw was higher than normal and my teeth were called Rabbit teeth because I couldn’t close my mouth. The operation took about 6hours and recovery 3 hours. After operation my face was swelled and I couldn’t chew food for at least 2 months. I was feed by fluid for the first couple weeks. I lost weight a lot. I don’t know much about the operation these days; it should be easier because the technology is making everything easier.
It was painful but I think it was worthy because I like this face more.

I have a friend who had similar surgery done. She was wired up for a long time and had braces as well (can't remember if they were before or after the surgery). Even though it was a long process, she would repeat it in a heartbeat. The result was exactly what she and the doctor were aiming for.

Pureeing real food was a godsend. There are only so many Ensures one person can endure in a lifetime. Make sure she does some walking to keep up the spirits and muscles as she inevitably loses some weight.

Good luck!

My brother had this surgery about 15 years ago, and I remember he had a lot of trouble breathing through his nose. He had allergeis, and for whatever reason, after the surgery his nose was really congested. Keep some Afrin on hand in case you need it. Good luck - you'll be really happy you had this done!

Just saw your question and thought I would add my 2 cents. I had both my upper and lower jaws broken when I was 16 due to my teeth not lining up. My upper jaw was shortened (bone removed between my gums and nose) and widened and my lower jaw was widened and brought forward. The surgery took 14 hours and I had steel pins and plates inserted in my jaws and neck. They were planning on wiring my mouth shut but in the end thought it would not be necessary and so they did not do it. I was pretty doped up in the hospital afterwards, so that period is really hazy for me, although I do remember some pain. I was always underweight so I had to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time because I lost a HUGE amount of weight after the surgery - more due to stress than diet I think. I seem to remember dropping 20-25 pounds within the week after the surgery. They would not release me from the hospital till I put some of the weight back on. Once I got home I was on a liguid diet and had to drink those high calorie protein shakes designed for body building. After about a month of being on the liquid diet I learned how to sort of gum stuff so I could eat it. I could not stand another shake!
Since I was 16 and in high school I had the surgery done over the summer. When it was time to go back to school I was completely recovered. I have never had a problem with my jaws since then - have no scarring on my face - and actually have slightly better cheekbones and jaw line than before the surgery.
My parents let me choose whether or not to have the surgery and I selected to have it done. I have never regretted it and was grateful to my surgeon for his work. All in all it was a very good experience - as good as major surgery can be. I hope your daughter has the same experience. Good Luck!

Dear M. P.,

My son will be having this surgery next week. We are going to Portland, Oregon, because we did not find orthognagic surgeons here in the Chicago area who could both do the job and get the insurance coverage on board. Should you want a second opinion (and if they are doing both upper and lower, you should get a second opinion, because both may not be needed -- our surgeon here was planning to do both when only the lower is necessary -- profit motive!), I strongly recommend Dr. Jay Malmquist in Portland. Google him and his Web site turns up.

About the surgery itself -- my finace (that's the Portland connection) has undergone the surgery and recalls lots of painkillers the first week. He continued working, however, and got much better in the following weeks. He says he really got crabby n the liquid diet and still laughs about the day he put pork chops in the blender, just for the taste. I had another friend who did the same with her Thanksgiving dinner, stuffing, cranberry sauce and all. I understand that people really miss texture in their food.

As for your daughter's weight, I would consider this an opportunity to change her relationship with food. Yummy will have to be flavorful fruit smoothies (try vanilla, mint or almond extract in them) instead of McDonald's or whatever she loves now. Food won't give her the gratification she is used to, so maybe she can take up something else that feels good: mild exercise? swimming? after she is cleared by the doc, of course. Also I would watch that she gets low-calorie nutritional supplements -- she will have something like Ensure for nutrition, but don't give her the high-cal kind.

Finally, good luck! You and i will both need al out M. patience with these kids!
:-)
S. F.
M. to 2 strapping lads!

I hope my son can avoid this surgery when he is in his 20's. He is now 12 and had his severe "underbite" corrected with braces/retainers/minor gum surgery. It's been over a year now since his braces have been removed and his bite is perfect. The orthodontist has no reason to believe his bite will move back. I am responding to let others know that if it is done early, while the jaw bones are still growing, seeing an orthodontist may be an option to surgery later in life.

I had this surgery when I was about 19. They broke my jaw in several places, inserted some steel pins and plates.

I'm going to be honest about this. It was the WORST experience of my life.

The procedure had to be done twice (realignment) so what should have been 5 hours of surgery became over 10. Anesthesia was difficult for me and I spent some time in ICU.

I had an adverse reaction to the codeine pain relief they were giving me and threw up which made them have to cut the wires. That's when they realized they had wired my teeth on top of my tongue!

Recovery was LONG. Spent quite some time in bed at my parent's home. Ate through a straw for some time but since I could not feel my face due to the nerves being cut for the surgery-- I had to use a mirror to eat. The swelling was EXTENSIVE.

I no longer have TMJ symptoms- no clicking and I'm able to open my jaw fully BUT I have permanent nerve damage in my face and tongue. My lower jaw feels like there is tape over it and I have no sensation on the left side of my tongue.

We should have sued University of Chicago Hospital for the tongue but didn't and now it's WAAAAY too late.

Would I do it again? NO. To be honest. I believe that for TMJ - there are other less invasive options now. I would have had to do SOMETHING but this was worse than I could have imagined.

Not trying to scare you- just explore other options as well.

My best friend went through this when she was just about your daughter's age. Her jaw was wired shut for quite some time. I think her saving grace was her sense of humor. She really took the whole thing in stride, although I know it was really uncomfortable for her. And she carried around a notepad and pen wherever she went, although I could understand MOST of what she was saying. Good luck!

M. P, I am a nurse and hae seen/heard about some surgeries similar to this one. I did read some replies from others and agreed with some of their observations and then would like to add things to watch for. Yes, there will be weight loss, which is probably good. It will take a series of weeks to get her over this, so it will probably be good for any diet plans she had in mind. In the hospital, we are trained to assess for nausea and that sort of thing. It can be dangerous if someone is getting nauseated to just let that go because they cannot vomit like normal with their jaw wired shut. The way we combat this is through using medications that work very, very well. Usually, patients are given a cocktail of sorts intravenously during surgery for any potential nausea and in your daughter's case she will of course be a prime candidate for zofran, reglan and drugs of that nature. THey can be given right through the IV so she wont even know she has had it. After surgery, she will probably be on a PCA pump for pain or maybe just IV meds for pain, again, she will be a prime candidate for these, pretty typical treatments for post op pain. THe comment about the tube getting clogged, well, i think that might have been an nasogastric tube. It goes down the nose to the tummy to take out any yuk that might end up there. In practice, these are attached to light suction and it draws gastric contents out of the stomach to a container, which helps keep her belly happy and lessens the chance of nausea for the first few hours. These are routinely flushed in practice, once or twice a day, it only takes a few seconds. All in all, it's not a huge deal, nothing to be terribly excited about. Ask for a dietary consult before surgery and they can speak with her and find out what she likes to eat and can help her tailor her eating likes and dislikes to the new diet plan she will be on. Even someone who could stand to loose a few pounds needs a certain amount of calories to keep their system working, so a dietitian can help with that. And, if you are worried about breathing for surgery, your anesthesiologist can answer any questions you might have, they are experts in this area. Good Luck to you both! Let us know how it goes..

I had a similar procedure about 18 years ago and was wired shut for 6 weeks. I lost about 25 pounds but that was more because I didn't feel like eating the liquid food.

I don't remember being congested, but do remember the first night in the hospital was pretty rough as I was sick from the anestesia and the tube going into my stomach clogged up (TMI, sorry!)

I would also experience muscle spasms as the jaw was healing and it would cause my teeth to grind. (I still cringe thinking about it.)

But I do remember thinking that it was all worth it (then and now) because my teeth were finally straight (It was more than cosmetic for me as I had two different sized jaws and they were afraid of digestive problems later in life since I didn't chew my food properly as a result.)

Good luck, be patient and try every variety of food you can think of in the blender. I'm sure by now they have a few books dedicated to this sort of thing that should help.

All I can say is great weight loss plan. I had my surgery at 17 and lost 35 pounds and my teeth look great! It is a pain for a bit, but oh so worth it. I still do not have feeling in half of my bottom lip (14 years later), but I have gotten used to it. Tell you daughter to just keep her head up and know that change is good!

I haven't experienced this and dont know anyone who has, but I have a 5 year old daughter that needs that same surgery. They want to wait until she gets her permanent teeth, but i'm afraid and it hasnt even been definitely decided that we were going to have the surgery done. i know that having the unalignment makes it difficult for her to eat when it comes to biting, she has to bite on the side of her mouth instead of with her front teeth. I repsonded because i would really appreciate you letting me and other moms in this situation know how it turned out.

It seems like I should have read all the responses before i replied, i'd appreciate info from any of you great moms, i'm really concerned and i know it will be at leat 10 years before you have to go through this

Hi!
My sister had similar surgery several years ago. It was a rough healing period b/c she had her jaw wired after surgery for a few weeks and could only sip smoothies and soups through a straw. I recommend using Shaklee's Cinch meal shakes. They comes in several flavors and can be mixed with milk, plain yogurt or kefir and are packed with protein and fiber. In addition, they are made from all-natural ingredients and best of all, taste great. Check out www.shaklee.net/cpeterson. Good luck!
C. Peterson
____@____.com

HI! I do not have anything for you at this point, BUT my husband is going to have the same thing done within the end of the year. I'm not sure what to expect either. We are expecting our 3rd child in Oct. and it makes me nervous to have all 4 of them needing such care. If you get any info. PLEASE pass it on. As for her being overweight (my husband is not underweight, but thin) his dentist told me to "fatten" him up. His buddy had the surgery while in college and lost 20 lbs! Good luck and best to all of you! ~Beth

if weight is an issue for your daughter,I would suggest trying different supplements in sugar free or lo cal recipes to ensure she'll like them when the time comes. she prob will lose weight.......possibly quite a bit and depending how long she'll be wired/rubber banded shut. I would also ask for a referral to a dietitian before for ideas for home post surgery.At the least,I would ask to speak to one while she's in the hospital. They can provide handout info with helpful ideas for "foods" til she is able to eat solids again. Invest in straws!!!! things will need to be thinned to go thru a straw for a while.And as the norm,tell her if there is one something she really enjoys eating now ( ex: steak,fresh fruits,french fries) to have some before her surgery so she doesn't feel like she'll never get to have it again!!! Believe me!!!! Cravings are hard to fulfill when your mouth is out of comission. Good luck............J.

I have personally had this surgery done on 3/17/04, at 34 years old. It was the biggest mistake of my life. My jaw currently clicks every time I talk, eat or just open it. It get soar if I have talked a lot over the corse of the day and I wake up soar and stiff in the jaw every morning.
My aunt who is 54 had hers done at 23 years old and she now has some artithrits is her jaw.
This is MAJOR, MAJOR pain of being wired shut, YEARS of physical therapy......please really decide if it is necessary. I would NEVER do it again if I knew what it really entailed and would have fixed my teeth the best I could without it.

I had a similar surgery when I was 20. I'm very thankful that I had it done. My jaws were wired shut for 7 weeks. The first week or so was kind of uncomfortable, but after that I was fine. I didn't lose much weight because the doctors told me that may hinder healing. I mostly drank pureed soups, Carnation instant breakfast, sport shakes, Ensure, etc.

I experienced some congestion for a couple of days and was kept an extra day in the hospital because of it. It turned out that I had a blood clot and once I passed it out through my nose I could breathe clearly.

Best of luck to your daughter for a speedy recovery!

I have a quick question I'm hoping you may be able to help with...my sister in law has been battling with her insurance company for over a year to get them to cover this same (or very similar) surgery to correct a severe underbite. Insurance has refused to cover it thus far, they consider it cosmetic even though the dentist has provided documentation stating that this is a medical (not cosmetic) issue. Did you encounter any problems with insurance covering your daughters procedure...(assuming you did not pay for the entire procedure out of pocket)? Thanks so much for any advice. B. :)

I saw this after the fact too. My husband had this 3 years ago and it was a VERY hard experience. He had bleeding, severe pain, severe nausea and vomiting, etc. He was the university's most difficult case for this procedure.

I would advise on having a large syringe (like a 60cc) for feeding and rinsing, a very soft toothbrush for hygiene, no straws (can't use them). And the best ice packs were those sinus masks that you can velcro around you head (they stay in place better), then use the other ones around the sides. Sleep with head elevated. Make sure she has enough pain meds on board as well as anti-nausea suppositories (easier to take).
We used Ensure shakes and a little ice cream/frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, and baby foods for a while. Mashed potatoes, etc.
Good luck

I had a procedure like that done. It was a two step procedure in my case where they first widened my upper jaw adn then broke, rotated and moved back my lower jaw. I was wired shut for I think 10 days and was on any food you can eat with a straw. It is a good way to loose some weight:) Compared to some other surgeries that I have had, it is not so painful - really more uncomfortable. It sounds aweful but is not as I said generally painful.

M. P,
Hi, I had the same exact surgery, but I had an under bite so they had to winden my top jaw and bottom, but put the bottom jaw forward. She will be nub so she will not be in any pain. The rubberbands will not be on for that long. Most doctors want you to try to eat within the first few weeks. She will be very swollen, just make sure she brushes and rinses her mouth very often.

For the overweight part......this actually helps you lose weight, because she will not be eating alot. Just don't eat only milkshakes that is very fatening. This will be the best time to start eating healthy. You can make just about any type of drink in the blender with all fruits.
Tell her it is very normal for her mouth to be nub for months, the gum areas.

Good luck if you ever want to talk email me.
Roseann

my daughter had the surgery when she was 18 3 years ago the surgery was ok we definetely had tried many different things she couldn't eat much only what could fit threw a straw we made protein shakes and pureed her food to where it was liquified she did lose weight, slushies were good, shakes nothing stringy so she doesn't choke, what a difference her lower jaw protruded so much and actually started to shift to the side we had braces on her and when she had them taken off she was traveling back forth to school so on one of her breaks she came home and looked like she had a stroke she also had biting her tongue not even realizing, after surgery she had to be re braced her bottom jaw kept growing my son did not have braces because of the same reason and actually its his choice if he wants to do the surgery, they can brace just his top teeth to be even he is now done growing but his face is more elongated he has opted not to have the surgery at this time but we are very happy with the results,she'll do good good luck we'll say a prayer for you guys

My husband went through this when he was 16 or 17. He had an open jaw and the surgery you are describing sounds exactly like what he had. His experience was pretty rough. He was on a liquid diet while his jaw was wired shut and he had to have wire cutters with him at all times in case he vomited. He lost a good 10 to 15 lbs. on the liquid diet. I do know his M. would puree his favorite foods into a shake, including chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.

I don't think he would change a thing though. I changed his appearance slightly but for the better and the surgery fixed all of his issues. He's never had to have any jaw realignment work done since.

If you want any additional information like where he had it done etc. let me know. I can ask him or his M..

I wish I had read this before your daughter had surgery to reassure you that all would be fine. I had contemplated for years about having the surgery before going ahead with it . At age 16, I was told the only way to correct my underbite( which was severe) was to have surgery but the thought of having my jaw broken was scary. But then when I was 22 I was in a car accident and developed TMJ. I went through several arthoscopic surgerys buty they didn't work. At age 26 , I decided enough was enough! I wore braces for one year prior to the surgery. At the time I was teaching 5th gr and planning my wedding. In December , I underwent surgery and had my mouth wired shut until Februaury. I went back to teaching right before Christmas with my mouth wired shut and was able to function just fine. It was a little awfard but i managed. Yes, I did lose weight, probaly about 20 pounds!
In early June, my braces came off and on june 26 i was married. My smile I must say was huge!. I wore a mouth piece at night only for about a year but stopped wearing it. I can't even begin to tall you how great it is to look in the mirror and see the difference. It is truly amamzing!So here it is 15 years later, and all is fine. I have an aligned jaw and a perfect smile. Although, yes it was painful at the time and the healing process was long,and I have screws and wires in my jaw, it was all worth it. I wish i would have done it sooner and not waited years ! i hope your daughter is feeling well. Buy her plenty of straws and liquids. When the sewlling goes down, she may be able to squezze very small soft pieces of food in between the wires. Hang in there. The payoff is priceless!!

My son did not have this surgery but did have his jaw broken in two places as a result of a baseball accident. His jaw was wired shut for 6 weeks. They wanted to keep it that way for 8 weeks but he lost too much weight. He drank shakes but tired of the sweet taste really fast so we bought and made a lot of soups and even those had to be blended to make them thin enough to drink through a straw. I went to sonic and got a bunch of the wider straws to use and that helped. We also used a juicer to juice veggies so he could get enough vitamins and other nutrients during the process. They say depression is common but we were lucky enough that he didn't go through that. We didn't treat him like an invalid though. He went out with us...we just took his drinks with us. Read a lot and participated in playing board games & video games with friends since he wasn't allowed to run or play sports, he also got out walking everyday. The doctor said the fresh air and sunshine along with a little exercise was good for the spirits, it seemed to work. Good luck!!

I had a similar procedure when I was in high school. It is really important to follow the nutritional guidelines. When I was given recipe books for how to make blended food it seemed like too much work, but they tell you to do so for a reason. It's really easy to just drink a shake or some broth, but you don't get all of your daily requirements. This might be an area where she could use some support. I made my own meals so I made what was easiest. I'm sure you have lots of questions so if you'd like to send me a private email please do! I'd like to help. :)