SARPE, how is it going in hospital?

SARPE surgery

24 September 2010

As I told you, I am extremely satisfied with the work that you have done. Everything is clear and I think that I will not regret starting this treatment. I had been seriously thinking about it for several years and I was still hesitating… You found a way to win my trust and give me the courage that I did not have to finally jump.

10 December 2010

On 25 November 2010, I underwent a SARPE surgery at the Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus in Quebec City. I was terribly nervous before the operation, but I think that it is completely normal to feel that way. A lot of questions went through my head before the big day and I bombarded my orthodontist with all my questioning. He always knew how to answer my questions and reassure me at the same time. And finally, the day of my surgery came, but I was ready and was totally confident.

When I was released from the hospital, on the same day of my surgery, I was very tired, but the pain was bearable. With medication, I was feeling very little pain. What is strange is the sensation that I felt when I touched my face. My cheeks, my lips… everything was numb. My face, as well as my upper lip, became very swollen, but after a few days, they started to go back to their normal shape.

After the surgery, a small dental space appeared between my front teeth. As I need to turn my screw everyday (the appliance installed in my palate), the space got bigger very rapidly. I must admit that this scared me a lot. It is not easy to look at myself in the mirror, to see my swollen face and then realize that I had an enormous space between the teeth… that still expands. Fortunately, two months after the end of the expansion,  my fixed appliances were bonded on my upper teeth, which will allow my teeth to move where they are supposed to be.

Of course, this surgery is not painless, but it is worth it. At first, I ate very little, mostly liquid foods, which made me lose weight and made me feel very weak. One week after the surgery, I started eating foods that gave me more strength and my energy came back.

I am surprised to see how much everything changes in a matter of days. The space between the teeth increases in size, the appetite comes back, masticating foods is easier, the energy is back and the pain disappears. I cannot wait to see the final result.