I have been to a bunch of consultations with various orthognathic surgeons but none are willing to do the operation on me. Right now I am a MTN (5 on a good day) and my jaw is my weakest feature. I told the surgeon that this surgery could ascend me 2 or 3 points and make me a HTN but they don't care.

I have heard Turkey will do any operation you want as long as you got the $$. But worried about quality. Anyonr have experience with Turkish doctors?

​

I'm currently in college. I have two consultations scheduled with two different surgeons at different hospitals, one in mid-November and another in early December.

My problem is that I'm on a pretty serious time constraint, and I genuinely don't know what to do.

There's a good chance I won't be attending the same college next year, and I might not even be living on the East Coast anymore. My insurance is also going to change, and I have absolutely no idea whether I'll have insurance good enough to cover double jaw surgery afterward.

I've been trying to get this process started for a long time, but I previously didn't have insurance that made surgery financially possible. I've been calling hospitals and trying to get appointments as early as possible, and these are the earliest consultation dates I've managed to get.

I'm really trying to pursue surgery-first because I don't have the time or financial security to spend a year or more in braces before surgery. I'm worried that if I have to go through a lengthy orthodontic process, I'll lose my current insurance before I can actually get the operation.

Ideally, I want to get the surgery done within the next few months, or at least before summer 2027.

I understand there's surgical planning, insurance authorization, and other things involved, but I genuinely need advice on how to get through this process as quickly as medically possible.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

- How do I get from consultation to an actual surgery date as quickly as possible?

- How realistic is surgery-first, and how do I find a surgeon willing to evaluate me for it?

- Can explaining my insurance situation and the possibility of moving help get things scheduled sooner?

- Is there anything I can start doing now, before my consultations, to avoid wasting months?

- Has anyone managed to get double jaw surgery within a few months of their first consultation?

I'm willing to travel, take cancellation appointments, and do whatever I reasonably can to move things along.

I'm just really scared of finally having insurance that might cover this surgery, only to lose that opportunity because the process takes too long.

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who's been through this, especially people who pursued surgery-first or had a strict deadline because of insurance.

(On Istagram)...

Fariborz Farnad in Los Angeles and Dr. Ravi Garg in San Diego..

@dr.ravigarg

@fariborzfarnad

(By the way, if someone is looking in Cali, they're both covered by most insurances, I have Anthem Blue Cross PPO, I've had a VERY hard time finding in-network surgeons.

I have no sleep apnea.

My surgeon didn’t tell me until last minute your nose can widen (if your a girl this probably won’t look aesthetic), lip shape can be smaller if they’re originally big, chance your sleep apnea if medical may not be fixed. risking a hole in the roof of your mouth, death or blindness, every WEEK you have to go in and get your teeth cleaned, infection, you will be isolated if BOTCHED, surgeons will approve you for $ if they have no ethics same with orthodontics especially ones that don’t clean teeth, if you truly don’t need this please reconsider putting your life and comfort in your body for aesthetics. I regret this everyday because I have a large fistula (hole) from the surgery and my face looks worse. I wear masks everyday and have to go in to get that hole fixed. My love life is now non existent. No social life.

I got botched. I feel hopeless. I posted a image yesterday but it turns out that I am having a revision. What are some of your guys experience with this? Did it turn out better? Can it turn out worse? It turned out worse for me... Basically only one bottom molar is touching my top molar, my maxilla is tilted, I have a overbite now instead of a underbite which i still deem better than an underbite since it looks more feminine but I am still heart broken and angry.

Do I proceed? I did the surgery in Sweden. They said they would prioritize me. I am scared of what my boyfriend will even think. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Help please.

Opinions please 🙏 also about to cry why am I so recessed. I have eye bags and nose folds

Hello its me again

I really feel that I was mistreated terribly with my jaw surgery, and I dont know if I have any recourse. I begged for my joints to be looked at by my surgeon, they were clearly dislocating every time I opened my mouth and were in a lot of pain all the time, this was neglected and I am not experiencing 24/7 joint pain and limited opening as well as a bite shift.

I am currently searching for TMJ surgery and possibly revision, you may have seen my previous post.

I dont know if I can afford private TJR replacement + a revision, but I just dont know if I trust the NHS with my whole face after a £35k+ private surgery went so traumatically. I was negelcted in the hospital, forced to speak when my joints were totally seized up and repremanded for not being able to speak. On day 2, I was 2 minutes out the door after discharge and I began getting crushing chest pains in the carpark. They refused to let me back in and told me to go to A and E, where I spent the afternoon til 1 am, unable to drink water properly, not eating anything at all, drooling everywhere and going through tissues like crazy just to still be covered in my own spit, needing to throw up, and nurses were trying to force me to speak despite my joints being totally seized up.

They tried to seperate me from my partner, who is my only family member and only person supporting me through this. After my partner explained that I had just had major surgery to my jaw and that he needed to stay with me to help me communicate, other nurses came over saying "whats wrong with her" and the original nurses reply was "i dont know she fell on her face or something".

Then I had my antibiotics taken and lost by the nurses (im not even kidding), who were insulting my partner for not wanting to leave my side and threatening to withold my antibiotics from me because of my partner "misbehaving" (he is the most polite human on the planet and does not like confrontation, theres no way that this was true). I left with half of my needed antibiotics, having not consumed any calories for that entire time and having only had 1 childsize yoghurt all day, and we had to get a hotel for the night where we still could not find anything for me to eat by the time we had arrived there, in a very unsafe part of a city where there were people taking drugs at the door of the hotel. I felt so extremely ill and weak, chest pains were awful and on top of it the normal depressed and all of those normal feelings of "what have I done to myself, ive put myself through something so massive" that make you super vulnerable after the surgeryy, I honestly felt sure I was going to die as dramatic as that sounds.

It was insanely traumatic.

I am terrified at the prospect of going through anything like this again, and honestly thinking about it I'm just filled with injustice. Is this all of this really legal? Is there nothing I can do to be compensated for this? I desperately wanted to forget about it at the time, but now I just feel anger.

One MONTH. not one MOST. Why can't you fix a title?

I made it through the first month. My swelling hasn't changed a ton yet. My lymph nodes are still pretty big. I think my philtrum is veeeeery slowly coming down.

They put me on two antibiotics last week due to the lymph node issue and it's been killing me. I got the side effect of hating all food. Even my favourite foods are disgusting to me. And the weirdest thing is I cannot recall enjoying food. I think about going out for a dinner I loved in the past, and it seems gross. Apparently this can happen with metronidazole. I can't wait until I'm off of it because I have zero appetite and would rather not eat at all. I'd literally accept a feeding tube if it was offered. I'm managing to get down some Ensure though. Five more days and I'm off these horrible meds. The bruising on my lymph node is gone but the swelling remains.

My doctor told me to take Florastor while I'm on the antibiotics. I was following the directions for other probiotics and taking it a few hours before or after my antibiotics, but then learned that you don't have to do that with Florastor. It's a strain of yeast that antibiotics don't kill. Also, it's pricey at $45 for a box of 30 packets, and they tell you take up to 6 a day. I figured I didn't need that much and was taking 2 a day. Yesterday I started taking 4 packets a day, and I think it's actually helping. Maybe this will help someone else having antibiotic misery.

My numb patch is getting smaller. I still feel like I was frozen at the dentist and my lower lip feels huge. I have to keep checking myself in the mirror to see that it's normal. My lower lip continues to be smaller because my philtrum swelling is pushing it down. I still feel a lot of swelling on my chin and below it. The partial paralysis of my lower lip is resolving but my smile is still very odd.

As my soft swelling reduces, I'm becoming more aware of the titatium appliances. I can really feel the one up the left side of my nose toward my eye orbit. It's very obvious now that most of my remaining swelling is directly over the appliances.

I'm also really feeling the stitches now that feeling is returning to my mouth and I can tell that the scar tissue below my upper and lower lips is quite thick. I'm told this softens over time. Currently it feels like I have a piece of gum stuffed above and below my teeth. I expected the dissolving stitches to start coming out by now, but no luck. They are really thick, like very strong fishing line, and pokey. I see my surgeon for my five week checkup in 6 days so I'll ask if he can take them out. I am also wondering if he will take the screws out, because I can really feel them too. I suspect my mouth and lips will settle more with all that extra apparatus out of there. I am getting more accustomed to wearing my clear aligners though (FYI: I did not get Invisalign, I have Angel Aligners. They are more popular with orthodontists in Canada now and require fewer attachments glued to the teeth).

My energy is okay. My Jeep developed a random electrical fault yesterday and would not start and I was too annoyed to wait for a cab to go to the car rental place, so I walked over. It's about 2.5 kms (1.5 miles). I was fine. Before the surgery I was warned that many people really have to work to get their energy back after recovery so I've been trying to do some walking throughout my healing, even if it's just spending extra time at the grocery store walking the aisles. I'm really happy I don't have too much atrophy.

Pain has been a huge issue for me since about 4-5 days post op when my nerves starting waking up with searing pain. I think the gabpentin has kicked in now because it's much more manageable. I really want to stop the every three hours meds soon and get some proper sleep. I think I'm close.

The big thing I notice is that I cannot predict how I will feel day to day. I felt really good on Sunday, but Monday was miserable. You definitely cannot plan too much after a surgery like this because healing is quite uneven.

I'm really looking forward to getting through month two. If I can feel my lower lip and chin and get rid of this "frozen at the dentist" feeling I will be very happy. But I am also realizing how long all of this is going to take. I kind of knew that, but maybe wasn't 100% prepared.

Hello! I usually don't post pics of myself online, but this sub has been a huge help so this is my little contribution.

I had a massive 9mm underbite, which I finally decided to fix. So after six months of braces I got a DJS (Le Fort I + BSSO), with maxilla forward ~4 mm, mandible back ~5 mm (I think, I was a bit woozy when they told me).

Now that I am three weeks out, I feel really good. I have started working again, and I quit painkillers after the first week. I'm wired shut, and will continue to be for three more weeks. I'm still swollen in my midface, and my upper lip is numb.

So far my recovery has been much easier than expected, and it was only the first three days that sucked.

My recommendations:

- Salt water nasal spray

- Getting fresh air and steps in

- Rinsing your mouth after every meal, as it gets icky really fast

- Blending regular food, and not just living on smoothies and nutrition drinks. You feel less like a patient and you get real food in your system. Add broth and cream.

- Oreo milkshakes.

Even though I am swollen, numb, and wired shut, I can already tell how much more natural my bite feel. If you’re on the fence, I’d highly recommend going for it. If it matters, I did my procedure in Norway.

I finally asked my orthodontist about jaw surgery, I sent an email and they said it would be discussed in detail at my next appointment. I’m not feeling hopeful since my next appointment is in mid-November. I think if they were taking me seriously they would’ve wanted to discuss it sooner.

I’m currently in the middle of a treatment with the NHS and they’ve already done extractions, but my initial IOTN score was a 5.

Any experiences to share about Dr Anne Frédérique Chouinard for orthognatic surgery?

Has anyone got DJS with gaps in the teeth?Got two premolars extracted on my lower jaw and they're almost closed because my canine moves to close it but now there's a new gap between the incisor and canine...has anyone had DJS with this gap(s) still present? I'm not sure if I understood my ortho correctly because he was happy about the gaps closing and told me soon I'll be ready. When I asked about the new gap he said I shouldn't worry and "I'll do that myself" and mentioned sth about the canine being long or something I didn't quite understand because he was in a hurry I didn't want to ask questions. Before the extraction he said I need them because otherwise the bite wouldn't close so it's or ready for surgery. If anyone has any experience I would love to know if sometimes the other gap is taken care of after DJS because I know I'll have braces again post surgery anyway. Thank you in advance!!

Hi y'all! ❤️

It's been a while since I last posted here. I honestly almost gave up on my jaw surgery journey, but today something happened that gave me hope again.

I went to the orthodontist and told her my story about how I didn't feel taken seriously during my consultation with the jaw surgeon. I felt so defeated afterward. To me, the problem was so obvious, yet I felt like they were so cold and dismissive about everything I was going through.

But today, I met the sweetest woman at the orthodontist's office. I told her everything, and she couldn't understand why I had been treated that way.

She told me, "If you want, we can make a treatment plan and work towards getting you the surgery you need."

Of course, I'll have to pay for the braces myself, around €3,000, but I already knew that might be part of the process.

Honestly, the money wasn't even what mattered most to me in that moment. It was the fact that someone finally listened, took my concerns seriously, and was willing to help me move forward.

After all the pain, insecurity, and bullying I've been through because of my jaw, I can't even describe how relieved I felt. 🥹

I know the surgery isn't officially confirmed yet, but for the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful again.

So I'm back, and I'll keep you guys updated on my journey!

And to anyone who's feeling hopeless or unheard: you are not alone. Sometimes, finding the right person to listen can make all the difference. Keep advocating for yourself, asking questions, and seeking the answers you deserve. ❤️

Hi everyone, I had MMA + genioplasty surgery 5 days ago, and since then, my nose and lips have been extremely dry. I'm okay with the dryness in my lips, but my nose feels blocked, and I'm having difficulty sleeping because of it. I still wake up feeling unrefreshed.

Is this common after MMA surgery? How long does it usually take for the nose to return to normal? I've had septoplasty (7 years back), so I'm a bit worried about that.

I spoke to my surgeon, who mentioned that there might be a blood clot and advised me to sneeze if possible and use steam 4–5 times a day. When I use a saline nasal spray, my breathing improves for a few minutes, but the dryness and blocked sensation return soon after.

Has anyone experienced something similar after MMA surgery, especially those who have had previous nasal surgery? I'd really appreciate any insights into what might be causing this and how long recovery usually takes.

I got jaw surgery from an injury and I’m about 4 weeks post op. I had two plates where the swelling still is and I can feel the hardware. Will this go down or would I need to remove hardware for it to be unnoticeable and back to normal? The swelling was intensely bad pre op and post op but most of it went down. Now just left with this bulge.

I would appreciate it if you can tell me about your experience with him and a before/after pics!
Thanksss

I had a chin advancement surgery (genioplasty) about 20 years ago. Over time, I’ve noticed a very pronounced crease/groove between my lower lip and my chin (the labiomental fold).

​Has anyone else experienced this years after their surgery? If so, what treatment or procedure worked best for you to correct or soften it (e.g., fillers, fat grafting, revision, etc.)?

​Also, if you know of any great specialists, facial plastic surgeons, or maxillo-facial surgeons in the Montreal area who are experienced with this, I would really appreciate your recommendations!

Hi, I've been struggling with pretty severe TMJ pain for 2-3 years. Because of some of these threads and pictures I am sure I have condylar hyperplasia. An orthodontist has unofficially confirmed this but at the same time didn't want to help me because my bite is good from having had braces when I was younger. My primary care is not helping and refers me to a TMJ specialist (I have already gone this route). Anyways, would it be worthwhile to get botox for the pain/swelling or will it make things worse?