The following statements are not meant to scare you but to inform you. Risks are rare but we feel that all of our potential patients deserve to be informed. As with any surgical procedure, certain side effects and complications are possible with orthognathic surgery. You should understand these before you consent to surgery. Orthognathic surgical procedures are safe and predictable.
Surgical complications are minor and uncommon.
Patients should expect some degree of swelling and bruising during the first two weeks following surgery. When the lower jaw is repositioned, a period of lower-lip numbness or tingling is present and may last for weeks or months. On rare occasions, this altered lip feeling may persist indefinitely. You will have an opportunity to review an animated video presentation describing the risks and benefits of orthognathic surgery. Normally we cover patients after surgery with large doses of steroids to prevent facial swelling.