Today was my pre-op appointment for my surgery at the surgeon's office. Since so much happened during this appointment, I will just break it down into the different procedures that were done. (In order of occurrence).
I-CAT This was pretty cool actually and, I'm sure, a very expensive test. I sat in a chair with my head against a soft support and was directed to put my chin on a holder. The technician then secured my head with a strap across my forehead to minimize movement. I was directed to keep my feet flat on the floor, relax my jaw, close my eyes, to take a deep breath, and swallow while the machine circled my head for 20 seconds. The image produced was a 3-D image of my teeth and jaw. My surgeon said the I-CAT is an amazing tool for precision and minimizing major complications. Especially permanent numbing. The scan shows exactly where my nerve is so that the surgeon can stay as far away from it as he needs to, which minimizes the chances of cutting or severing this nerve. Bones heal a lot faster than nerve tissue, so this is why it can take awhile for the feeling to come back. This scan will also be used to conduct a virtual surgery on the computer so that the surgeon knows what he will do before he gets into the operating room. Photos Not too many photos were taken. Which I was thankful for be the angles are no where near flattering. I stood in front a blue background and three photos were taken: (1) A front photo with my jaw relaxed, (2) A profile photo with my jaw relaxed, and (3) a front photo of my regular smile. I was then given two plastic devices to put in my lips to pull them out so that the woman could get a clear photo of my teeth (these were used at the orthodontist when they were taking photos during the consultation). The photos that were taken were side photos of both sides with my jaw relaxed. Then they inserted a mirror in my mouth in order to get a full photo of my top and bottom arches. Impression Molds This was by far the worst part of the appointment for me. The assistant put wax (just like the orthodontist gives) along all of my brackets and wires. The top and bottom molds were two different types of awful. For the bottom, it was not uncomfortable at all I I just waited the two minutes for the mold to harden. When the tech pulled it out, she had to work it back and forth to loosen the grip, which was rather painful. It felt like my bottom front teeth were being pulled out, which made me panic a little. Then the mold for the top teeth were mixed and put into my mouth. Remember what I said in a past blog post about anxiety related not being able to breath? Yeah... The goo filled my entire mouth and felt as if it was sliding down my throat. I told the tech how much the top mold usually bothers me so she would know. She did a great job reminding me that it is not sliding down my throat, breath through my nose, and wiggle my feet to keep my mind off it. This actually worked and I was able to block out the whole feeling of choking. The tech was asking my husband questions during this time so I focused on their talking. Distraction was key to get me through those two long minutes. It thankfully wasn't painful to get the top mold out and didn't take as long. Splint Imprint The surgeon came in and took a warm and malleable piece of wax that was thin and shaped like a U and explained that this is the mold that will be sent off for my splint. I was instructed to relax my jaw and bite my teeth hard into the mold. That was the quickest and easiest part of this appointment. Prescriptions The surgeon sat down and told me all about swelling, the procedure, risks, benefits, and the prescriptions. I will have 5 medications: (1) anti-nausea, (2) antibiotics, (3) a mouth rise that kills all bacteria, even the good, and that is not to be used for more than one week because awkward fungal growth will happen, (4) a narcotic pain reliever, and (5) a non-narcotic pain reliever. I told my surgeon how I don't want to take a narcotic anymore than I have too (they are very addictive and make me sick), so this is what he told me to do: Take the anti-nausea. 10 minutes later, take the narcotic, 2 hours later take a liquid Ibuprofen (non-narcotic), 2 hours later begin the process all over again as needed. Post-Op Kit The tech then gave me a baggie full of all sorts of fun stuff. There are two food squeeze baggies that are reusable. One has a small straw for liquids and the other has a larger straw for soups and other thicker blended foods. I also got a fancy "jaw-bra" with gel packs that can be heated or frozen for after the operation. I am instructed to keep ice on for 2 days and then switch to heat. There is also an after care sheet, which I will post under the "Bill" tab. Splint The surgeon said that it is rare that he keeps the splint in for lower jaw surgery patients. It will be used during the surgery to make sure my jaw is where it needs to be and will be removed before I wake up. I will be tightly banded shut and each week I will be loosened a little more. By week 3, I may be able to fit a spoon in my mouth. I was shocked about possibly not having a splint and the recovery doesn't sound as bad as I originally thought.
1 Comment
Emma
2/21/2018 06:57:21 pm
Thank you very much this is so helpful.. mine has been passed on to triage then comes my appointment.. I'm excited but nervous
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