Archive for the 'Lefort Surgery' Category

• 03.10.06 Lefort surgery panorama picture posted in Health, Lefort Surgery

  Not only does the name “metal mouth” ring true due to my braces, but I have quite a few titanium plates in my face. Click the picture for a really large version. If you’ve somehow found this entry through a web search, please see this weblog entry for additional surgery information. Isn’t it cool?

• 12.28.05 Lefort (orthognathic) jaw surgery information and pictures posted in Lefort Surgery

  I’ve made it through the bad part and I’m healing now. Everyone asked what I had done. I don’t really know the technical names to give out. I know the procedure on my upper jaw was called a Lefort, although I think more specifically it was considered a Lefort II. I don’t really know what that means though. They took my upper jaw, cut up into the inside gum-line and separated it from just below my nose. After separating it, they broke it into two pieces by cutting along the length of my upper palette, placed a brace on the inside of my mouth to widen it, and then shaved away 8mm of bone towards my back two molars to flatten the entire palette. I have 4 titanium plates holding the outside of my bone together so it can heal. The two pieces are held together by this really uncomfortable plastic brace that is glued around my teeth. It makes it very hard to talk or eat chunky foods.

  I can’t eat anything that requires chewing for 6 weeks. I can however eat mushy things like beans and even some well-cooked pasta. Soda has been my friend. I used to not even like soda but I couldn’t survive on fruit juices alone. Well, soda and instant breakfasts.I intially lost 10lbs in just a few days. They kept coming off though and at my lowest a week after the surgery I weighed 135, down from 150 the day of surgery. This morning I was 138, so hopefully I’ll slowly gain everything back. It will be hard with the fact that I really dislike eating at the moment.

  The bottom jaw surgery was a bit simpler, basically they cut down into my inside gum again, cut out my chin, and then brought it forward. This was strictly a cosmetic thing. I didn’t have to do this but when it came down to it I figured I’d just do everything that was suggested and get it all over with.I’m happy I did it so far. No real problems. Still hurts, but that’s to be expected. We’ll see how I am in another week.

  Edit (1/24/08): Here are some before and after pictures and captions to give you an idea of the process:

  Pre-surgery:
  

  What I imagined things would look like after:
  

  Immediately after surgery:
  

  3 months after surgery (still a bit of swelling):
  

  2 years after surgery (no swelling left):
  

• 12.20.05 Surgery posted in Lefort Surgery

  Yea, it hurts. Not much else to talk about. I’m home and recovering.