Precautions after orthognathic surgery

① Catheters on the body after surgery: An intravenous injection line with a catheter is usually left in place after surgery. Due to the need for intravenous rehydration and antibiotics, the intravenous catheter is usually removed after one week. The catheter is necessary for surgical anesthesia and is recommended to be removed the next morning in order to avoid the discomfort of going to the bathroom or relieving urine in bed after surgery. However, sometimes the catheter may cause uncomfortable sensation at the urethra, so if you really can’t tolerate it, you can remove it earlier. ②Post-operative diet: Since the surgery uses a titanium plate to fix the position of the bone amputation, most of the time there is no need to fix the upper and lower jaws together with wires, and you can open your mouth freely. Therefore, you can try to drink water about 6 hours after the surgery when you are conscious. The next day, if there is no vomiting, you can start to try to drink liquid food such as juice or milk. As the swelling and discomfort improve, you can gradually eat soft foods that do not require chewing, such as thin rice, steamed eggs, etc., after 2 weeks. Remember to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth after eating food other than water to maintain oral hygiene. The bone will initially heal in six weeks after surgery before it can bear the force of biting and gradually resume normal diet. ③Maintenance of oral hygiene: The surgical wounds are all inside the mouth, and the infection rate of the wounds inside the mouth is already high, so the maintenance of oral hygiene is very important. The surgical wound in the mouth will more or less seep blood, plus there are orthodontic wires on the teeth, easy to adhere to blood clots, odor, causing wound infection. Therefore, it is important to start rinsing and flushing regularly on the day after surgery, especially after eating. The first day after surgery will be painful and uncomfortable, but it is important to be patient and cooperate in order to reduce the chance of infection. Only gargling is usually not enough, it is better to use a syringe to rinse. ④Ice and hot compresses: Within 48 hours after surgery, cold towels or ice water bags can be applied to both cheeks or both sides of the nose to reduce swelling. After three days, you can switch to using warm towels for hot compresses to promote the elimination of swelling. ⑤ Normal rest and relaxation: Generally speaking, when your physical strength can afford it, get out of bed as much as possible and resume normal rest and relaxation as early as possible. This will help to recover physically and mentally as soon as possible and improve the overall condition. And the postoperative life and rest must be normal, with sufficient rest. Within 2 weeks after surgery, because of eating fluids, it is easy for hunger to cause hypoglycemia. When you must go out, you should carry candy or chocolate with you for emergencies. When you have to stay at home, do not interfere with your normal work and rest by indulging too much in entertainment such as videos, video games and internet. Remember that “staying up late” affects the resistance (immunity) and is one of the common causes of postoperative infections.