You should not eat or drink anything 8-10 hours before surgery.
Arrange the necessary time off from work or school. Most patients will need one to four weeks of convalescence.
To avoid pulling clothes over your head postoperatively, bring some button-down or zippered shirts.
We strongly advise you to stop smoking three weeks before surgery, as smoking counteracts wound healing.
The day of the operation
You will be admitted to the hospital the morning of your scheduled surgery. The length of your surgery depends on the procedure being performed, but normally ranges from 2 to 5 hours.
Orthognathic surgery is performed under general anaesthesia.
Intravenous fluids are administered at the time of surgery. The I.V. is used during surgery to maintain adequate fluid levels and is used after surgery to administer pain medication, antibiotics, etc. It is generally removed the day after surgery.
Post-operative instructions:
Cooling: During the first postoperative hours a mask with a constant temperature of 15 degrees Celsius will cool the surface of your face and keep bruising and swelling to a minimum. This will add to your comfort and assist you in a more rapid recovery from surgery. Nevertheless you should be prepared to be seriously bruised and swollen for about one week.
Pain: Postoperative pain normally is surprisingly mild. We will provide you with painkillers for the first few days.
Food: It is a good idea to only eat soft foods for the first few weeks. After about a month, patients can switch to foods with regular consistencies.
Oral hygiene: We will provide you with a post-surgical antiseptic mouthwash, with which you should rinse as directed until you can brush your teeth normally. However, you should try to switch to fully cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss as soon as possible.
Mouth opening: Immediately after the operation you should actively exercise your jaw (using your chewing musculature, not by manipulating your jaw with your hands). Practice gently opening your mouth and moving your jaw from side to side. This ensures a speedy recovery of normal jaw function.
Aftercare: Normally, you will be discharged from hospital by your surgeon one or two days after surgery. If alone, one of our nurses will accompany you to your hotel. You will have daily revisions in Agave Clinic during your stay in Marbella.
Our team is permanently at the patient’s disposal. Contact with our specialist during office hours can be made by telephoning our direct line. After hours this contact is available through the 24-hour emergency services of the USP hospital.
Before you leave Marbella you will be seen again at Agave Clinic. If necessary, sutures will be removed 5 to 7 days, before leaving Marbella.
Working: About two to three weeks after surgery you can start working again. The swelling will disappear completely in about six months.
