Surgical Plan

Last week I had an appointment with my surgeon for final molds and records. Measurements were taken, molds were taken, risks were discussed, money changed hands.....no turning back now!

The surgeon will cut up the molds and do a mock surgery to ensure that what he wants to accomplish can be done. Tomorrow I will meet with the surgeon to see the final mock-up and ask any last minute questions. I can't wait to see the molds- I've been wondering how everything will line up but I just can't quite imagine it. Unless anything changes during the mock surgery, here's the plan:

My upper jaw will be split into 3 pieces

Piece 1: My 6 front teeth, from canine to canine

Piece 2: My left rear teeth 

Piece 3: My right rear teeth

Surgery will take about 2 hours. All cuts are done from inside the mouth so there will be no visible scars. Titanium plates will be used to hold the segments of my upper jaw in place. Bone chips and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) will be packed into any gaps to help the bone regenerate with a minimum of swelling.

After surgery I'll be watched in recovery until I can drink water, walk and pee. As soon as I can do all 3 they will release me to go home, probably around  2 or 3 in the afternoon. It blows me away that they can do something so invasive and send you home the same day. I'm not complaining, because I hate hospitals and would fight to leave if they wanted me to stay.

I will have a plastic splint wired to my upper teeth and elastics/rubber bands holding my jaws shut in their correct position. The splint will stay in for 6-8 weeks which will make eating and talking difficult. It's a necessary evil, the equivalent of a cast on a broken bone. The pieces need to be held in exactly the right position until they heal.

I will be on a liquid and fork-smash diet for 12 weeks. No chewing is allowed for at least 12 weeks. I love to eat and think the chewing restriction will be the hardest part of the whole ordeal. I'm mentally prepared for temporary pain and swelling from the surgery, but I am not at all prepared for modifying my diet for 3+ months. I know I'll be able to find plenty of tasty things to eat - almost anything can be chopped into small pieces and/or thrown in a blender. I just think I'll get bored real fast with having to chop everything up or puree it. We'll see.