We had a young man that worked for my son at his restaurant and he had this surgery. He was 20 at the time.He did quite well with it. He was in a lot of pain initially and his face was REALLY swollen. He followed all the rules and recovered with no problems. He looked a lot better after the surgery and felt better also. It is a very big surgery after all is said and done. He managed quite well on smoothies the whole time his jaw was wired and continued at AU while recovering. His surgery was in Birmingham AL at the medical center there. He did have to have braces but again he was very compliant as he wanted to get well. He looks great still . I saw him a few months ago and it has been about 5-6 years since the surgery. Attitude plays a big part in recovery and compliance with the program. GOOD LUCK to your son.c

I have a relative that had this type of surgery this past year. For her it had already been years of braces, so although she wasn't looking forward to braces again, it was just what had to be done. She is 21 and did just fine with the surgery and recovery. She did have some issues that had to be fixed with a second smaller procedure.

I had 2 kids and 2 surgeries at Mass general and they all had good outcomes! My relative's surgery wasn't done in MA. I think her surgeon might have been a bit too conservative in the reconstruction. That is always the fine line in these things, getting it just right and not doing too little or too much.

I think the fees were quite a bit more than what you were quoted, so you might want better details on the costs for everything.

Edit to add: Interesting that other reply also had surgery at age 20. I would ask whether your son needs to finish growing before this type of surgery. Not something you want to do again 5 years later because he hadn't finished growing.

This post was edited by chispa on Sun, Apr 21, 13 at 22:01

I did this at 40yrs old. They didn't have the skills back then or the plates now used to connect the jaw. Both upper and lower had to be done due to a severe cross bite.

Since this was done 30 years ago, my jaw and teeth have moved. And have had my chin redone twice to center it again. They have to move the chin during surgery. I guess at my age it is the less of a concern and no one sees it but me. Far beyond what was when having it done.

Ask about chances of nerve damage. I have not feeling in my bottom jaw and face. Carol Burnette had her surgery the same time I did. She lost feeling on one side, you can see this when she speaks. I'm probably the only one that notices this due to my own experience. Took a while to learn to drink out of a glass, etc.

Eating while being wired was a creative process. My favorite was thinning chocolate pudding and canned tamales. Sounds awful now, but back then anything that had some extra taste was welcomed. There are much better healthy options now.

Also keeping the teeth clean using a waterpic was necessary.

My daughter had it done when she was 17 years old. She wanted very badly to have it done because she had an underbite that was causing pain and difficulty eating. Her surgery cost was $3000, like your son's potential surgery. I think our insurance covered some of it because it was a medical issue, if I remember correctly. We also paid to have her chin reconstructed, and I'm so glad we did. That was an out-of-pocket expense and worth every penny.

My daughter has some numbness in a part of her lip, but it doesn't cause any problems for her and she considers it well worth it. She did fine with eating soft foods for a long time, but again, she really wanted the surgery and it was difficult for her to eat before the surgery anyway.

My daughter's jaw wasn't technically "wired" for months. They used bands if I remember correctly.

My daughter is 20 years old now and has had no complications or problems from the surgery other than numbness in a part of her lip. She is very glad she had the surgery. I don't want to give the wrong impression - I'm sure it was very hard for my daughter to go through that surgery and the recovery time afterwards. She tolerates pain well and she doesn't mind a restricted diet, and it was something she wanted badly enough to put up with the pain and inconvenience. Your son may feel differently.

Good luck with your decision re your son.

I forgot to add that Chris's surgery was definitely completely covered by insurance as his problems were extensive and involved somewhat his breathing as well...I wish I could remember it all. His was extremely expensive though as I remember him talking about the statements that came from the insurance company so nothing even close to 3K...many times that. But as I said it really changed his ability to eat and breath and his looks as well. c

I did this at 40yrs old. They didn't have the skills back then or the plates now used to connect the jaw. Both upper and lower had to be done due to a severe cross bite.

Since this was done 30 years ago, my jaw and teeth have moved. And have had my chin redone twice to center it again. I believe the chin is moved in most cases due to the cross bite. Guess at my age it is the less of a concern and no one sees it but me. Far beyond what was when having it done.

Ask about chances of nerve damage. This wasn't something I remembered being discussed. Since surgery my bottom jaw and face are numb. Carol Burnette had her surgery the same time I did. She lost feeling on one side, you can see this when she speaks. I'm probably the only one that notices this due to my own experience. Took a while to learn to drink out of a glass, etc. But is just a normal part of all now.

I was shocked how I looked like a truck hit me after surgery. It didn't hurt like one had, the pain goes away rather quickly.

Eating while being wired was a creative process. My favorite was thinning chocolate pudding and canned tamales. Sounds awful now, but back then anything that had some extra taste was welcomed. There are much better healthy options now.

Best to your son, it will be such a wonderful result.

Sorry about the double posts...cat must have played with the mouse while I was gone.

I think the 3,000 mentioned was just for the tests. The doctor I had submitted to insurance and all was paid. Not sure what he stated for surgical needs.

Yes to braces before and after.

Thanks everyone. The appointment today alone was $3,000. That covers X-rays, photos, measurements, a bunch of models and the computer modeling that will follow. Then they present J's case to the whole board and they come up with a treatment plan. His bite is so off that they will most likely be able to have insurance cover it. I do know how insurance companies are, so I'm not counting on it.

They did Xrays of his growth plates and he is close to finished growing, so this is a good time to start. I was worried that the invasiveness of the whole thing would scare him off, but his bite really is bad. His whole face has changed shape in the past two years. You don't notice it as much day to day, but with them measuring and marking it today you could really see it.

Thank you to those who answered. I'm more hopeful now than I was.

Beth P.

I had this done and I do have some paresthesia, and know a couple other people with some paresthesia after similar procedures. (But I also know people who have it from difficult wisdom tooth extractions).

I would definitely do the procedure again, even though I have had numbness (and some mild related pain with it, off and on) for 24 years. But I think the most important aspect that you need to consider is the possibility of living with at least some nerve damage or numbness. The improved jaw relationship and function is probably worth it to most people.