Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Questions Jaw Surgery

How long is the recovery from jaw surgery?

I'm having jaw surgery to fix my cross bite, but I'm just curious about the recovery. How long is the recovery, usually, with jaw surgery? Would I be able to go back to work a few days after it?

6 Answers

Every patient is different but the initial recovery from jaw surgery is 4-6 weeks to start and then more time for physical therapy
Would depend on what type of surgery they are doing for the correction. If it is a “SARPE”, this could be a quick recovery and you might feel normal within the first week or so. If it requires a LeFort I osteotomy and bone plates, this may take an extra week or 2 to feel like you are “recovered”.
It really depends on which procedure you are having. Are you having a SARPE (Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion) or are you having a LeForte osteotomy? With a SARPE you can probably go back to work after 4-5 days. With a LeForte osteotomy, more like 7-10 days. This is something you should definitely discuss with your surgeon.

Spiro C. Karras, DDS
Not all need to be done in a hospital. It's case by case that needs to be evaluated and a treatment plan made with other specialists.
After the surgery, the first 2 weeks your face is still swollen and bruise, if you are easy to bruise, and some pain. Also you are still in liquid diet for the first 4 weeks. Most my patients I advise them to plan about 3-4 weeks off work, or if they are student, then have the surgery during Christmas break or summer, so they can have plenty time to recover.
Hello,

This information needs to be discussed with your oral surgeon. Return to function is dependent on the surgery performed and the degree of difficulty. However, after a surgery to fix a jaw cross bite, it is highly unlikely that you will be returning to work in a few days.