Jaw surgery /Osteotomy and diving

[XfiXit]

Hey everyone,

Just wondering, i am having a osteotomy of the jaw in three weeks, to get the lower jaw repositioned for medical reasons. Basicly they cut the jaw on both sides, moving it around and bolting it together.

The general advise is two weeks not to put pressure on the jaws (no biting and chewing, all fluid foods). Between two and six weeks you can start your regular sports and proceed with more normal food substances, and after six weeks you can start contact/physical sports.

I assume it takes about six weeks for me to be able to dive again and bite down on the mouthpiece without forcing the jaws and having a load of jaw fattique? Has anyone here by any chance done a similar procedure in the past?

Ofcourse i follow the advice the hospital gives me on this matter, but i guess they do not get the question very often.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hey everyone,

Just wondering, i am having a osteotomy of the jaw in three weeks, to get the lower jaw repositioned for medical reasons. Basicly they cut the jaw on both sides, moving it around and bolting it together.

The general advise is two weeks not to put pressure on the jaws (no biting and chewing, all fluid foods). Between two and six weeks you can start your regular sports and proceed with more normal food substances, and after six weeks you can start contact/physical sports.

I assume it takes about six weeks for me to be able to dive again and bite down on the mouthpiece without forcing the jaws and having a load of jaw fattique? Has anyone here by any chance done a similar procedure in the past?

Ofcourse i follow the advice the hospital gives me on this matter, but i guess they do not get the question very often.

If you're given the go-ahead for contact sports at six weeks then it is probably safe to dive. You will want to make sure that the incisions are fully healed and that your surgeon knows what's involved with retaining a regulator mouthpiece.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Doctorfish]

I would add to that. It's not just the incisions that need to heal but the mandible bone as well. I would not go with average time guess alone but would want to see an x ray demonstrating bone fusion. If the bones are not fused, clamping hard on a mouthpiece could disrupt the screws and plates holding things together. Talk to your maxillofacial surgeon.

 

[XfiXit]

Thanks for your thoughts. I think it would indeed be a good idea to get comfirmation on the healing process of the bone itself via Xray.