Recovery from Open Jaw Joint Surgery
The area in front of the ear is likely to be sore for several days after surgery. Regular pain relief will be arranged. It is also necessary to make sure that the area heals without any infection and so patients may also be given antibiotics.
Immediately after the jaw operation the patient’s face will be swollen and feel tight, the jaw will be stiff and patients will find that they cannot open their mouth very wide. Bruising is variable and can last several days, it is not uncommon to experience bruising in this type of jaw operation. Any swelling can be reduced by using cold compresses and sleeping propped upright for a few days. Most of the swelling will have disappeared after a week and your jaw will start to feel a lot better.
For the first week or so patients will only want a soft diet. Some may find that their bite feels strange for a couple of weeks.
This obviously varies from person to person and depends on what sort of jaw surgery has been performed. Most patients spend one or two nights in hospital after their open jaw operation, again this varies enormously from person to person. Most people require a week or so off work.
All cuts made through the skin leave a scar but the majority of these fade with time and are difficult to see when they are fully healed. It may take several months for the scar to fade but eventually, it should blend into the natural folds and contours in front of the ear.