Pre-Pre-Op Appointment

So after my consultation with Dr. Lanzi back in September, I thought I would need to get braces again for surgery to put my bite in some special position for surgery. After I met with my orthodontist and realized he'd just be tweaking the few minor imperfections that I have after not wearing my night retainers for the past five years, and that I would have to pay the full $4,000+ dollars for braces for practically no reason, I asked Dr. Lanzi (around October-November) if it was possible to do the surgery without braces. He reviewed my models and decided we could do the surgery with arch bars instead of braces. Arch bars are surgical braces that get put on right before surgery and stay on for 6-8 weeks after. The arch bars are used during surgery and during recovery to hold the jaws together.

I originally wanted to get the surgery done over my winter break, but because there were no dates available, I had to schedule it for May 14th, after the spring semester. Once my insurance was approved and my date was set (around February), I found out I wouldn't see Dr. Lanzi again until my pre-op, six days before my surgery. This just wouldn't do, considering I had a million bajillion questions and a boatload of anxiety that I was carrying around. So I made an appointment to see him in March so he could answer my questions:

Q: How exactly does one move a lower jaw up?
A: Three words: Bilateral Sagittal Split. Basically, the surgeon splits the lower half of your mandible from the upper half on either side and is able to reposition it forward and up that way. It's kind of hard to explain so you should Google it. :P

Q: How much of my upper jaw will be removed?
A: About 5mm (1/2 cm).

Q: How far forward will my jaws be moved?
A: About 3-5mm.

Q: Will my voice/singing be affected?
A: Not likely. (I'll probably be able to sing a little easier because of better air flow).

Q: What if I have an anxiety attack when I wake up? (I have anxiety problems.)
A: I'll be on anti-anxiety medicine when I wake up to keep me comfortable. I'll also have anti-anxiety meds for when I go home.

Q: Will my lips touch afterwards? (I have "lip incompetence" and my lips are about 11mm apart when my mouth is at rest.)
A: It will take some time for them to adjust to each other (plus all the swelling) but eventually, they should touch.

Q: Do I have a hyperactive upper lip, and will it be that way after surgery? (My lip moves up pretty far when I smile, so my smile looks more like a "here's a nice good look at all my teeth and gums" than a smile.)
A: Yes, I do have a hyperactive upper lip, and it most likely won't move as far after surgery.

Q: Will my gums still show?
A: Dr. Lanzi and I decided that a little bit of gums looks youthful and attractive so we're gonna leave a little bit of gums.

Q: Is there any chance of pain and migraines afterwards?
A: No. The surgery actually reduces/takes away likelihood of TMJ and migraines.

Q: Will I have full range of motion?
A: Yes, after I'm fully recovered.

Q: What is this "splint" I keep reading about?
A: The splint looks kind of like a mouthguard and it holds the bite in place.

Q: Are there any additional risks with using arch bars instead of braces?
A: No. I may have some gum inflammation, but that will go away when they come off.