Orthognathic Surgery

In some cases the incorrect relation of the upper and lower jaws causes a malocclussion that cannot be treated satisfactorily with orthodontics. In these cases surgical correction of the misalignment is done this is known as orthognathic surgery. Indications for Orthognathic Surgery:

• Where the upper and lower jaws are grossly misaligned
• In cases where skeletal abnormalities causes airway defects and sleep apnea
• In cases where the skeletal abnormalities causes damage to Temperomandibular Joint

Procedure
The first stage involves a lot of planning by our team consisting of an Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon, Orthodontist, ENT surgeon and Speech therapist. Impressions will be taken of the upper and lower jaws followed by facial photographs. You will require braces before the surgery and it will be continued throughout surgery as well as after it. After proper planning a date will be fixed for the surgery and the patient will be asked to get admitted the day before the procedure. During the surgery the upper and lower jaws will be cut and reset into proper alignment. The jaws will be then wired shut and left like that for a few days for the fracture sites to heal. The patient will be kept on a liquid diet till the wires are removed.

Recovery
As the patient is on a liquid diet care should be taken that nutrition should not be sacrificed and weight loss due to loss of appetite should be avoided as much as possible. Recovery depends on the difficulty of the surgery which can range from a few weeks for most surgeries to a year for highly difficult ones. Reviews will regularly done by the surgeon to check healing and the position of the newly set bone.