landkat Posted June 12, 2018 Posted June 12, 2018 Hi Ladies! I had bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO - the lower jaw part of double jaw surgery) to lengthen my lower jaw and correct my bite 4 years ago in the USA. As is the custom in the US, the titanium plates and screws that were used to hold my jaw in its new position were never removed. Now, 4 years later, one of the plates seems to be infected and I need it removed (it's probably been a low-grade infection this whole time ). I've consulted with a doctor in Chiang Mai, Thailand and she believes it is the plate that is infected, not my teeth. She tried to remove it under local anesthesia last October (long story but yes, I had jaw surgery with just novocain!) but my jaw muscle wouldn't relax enough for her to access the screws properly, and she ultimately couldn't remove it. Since it's been 4 years, some bone has grown over the plate, making this procedure more difficult. She said if the infection came back I should come back and have the surgery done under general anesthesia. The infection came back, but she's booked and seemed like she didn't actually want to do the surgery. She recommended a plastic surgeon at her hospital and I consulted with him yesterday. His English was not great and I had trouble communicating with him. He seemed puzzled that he could not see the plate in my jaw (Um, duh, it's under my gums and muscle, and now under a layer of bone...) and I generally got the vibe he didn't really know what he was doing so I declined to make further appointments with him. I came to Chiang Mai from Bali just for this appointment but now I'm thinking I should just get it done with the most experienced MaxFac doctor I can find who's also reasonably affordable. Since this isn't actually going to affect how I look I don't need THE BEST doctor, just one who won't cut my trigeminal nerve, and who is good enough to actually get the darn plate out. I'm currently looking at Bangkok and Seoul. Having a hard time finding reputable doctors/hospitals in Bangkok except for this thread: # South Korea seems full of aesthetic jaw surgeons, but I need someone who's really familiar with surgical hardware removal. I would rather go with a Maxilofacial surgeon than a plastic surgeon. I've got requests for quotes/consults in at The Face Dental, View Plastic Surgery, and BK Hospital in South Korea. Is there anywhere else I should look? If anyone has any advice for English speaking MaxFac doctors in Thailand, Korea, or anywhere else in Asia who could do this surgery I would be eternally grateful. Thank you!
landkat Posted June 18, 2018 Author Posted June 18, 2018 Hi Ladies (and gents)! Well I decided to go to Seoul, and I've got it narrowed down to View Plastic Surgery, The Face Dental, and maybe EverM (But I can't find a website or contact info for EverM...) Now I'm wondering if I should go with Docfinder or MySeoulSecret or something or just do this myself. I contacted Docfinder with many specific questions, but they just gave me a canned response. I'm kind of put off by that. I've been traveling through Asia for several months without guides, and I'm with my husband, so I feel like I could handle all of this (consults, accommodation, transportation) on my own but not sure. Am I missing anything that they do that might make their service worth it? Thoughts?
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