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Sleep Surgeon Question 46

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Question 46 - How many redo's of Sagittal Splits have you done?

From: V

Dear Dr Li:

I asked my doctor how to pick a surgeon for my MMA surgery for sleep apnea. He said find a surgeon that has done a lot of MMAs (which you certainly have) and has good experience with REDOS of Sagittal Splits in which the wires are still in.

My doctor said this because I had a Sagittal Split years ago for a lower jaw advancement, but now need more advancement of the lower jaw ) for sleep apnea . (My upper jaw has never had any surgery on it) I told my doctor you wrote in another answer to a question in this forum that you have done about a dozen revisions of maxillofacial surgery and he said to ask you if you SPCIFICALLY if you have experience with REDOs of Sagittal Splits done years ago on the lower jaw and ask you ( if you do have experience), how many (or about how many) REDOS of Sagittal splits you have done.

Thank you in advance for your answer.

B. B.


Response Provided by Dr. Kasey Li
Sept. 3, 2008

Revision maxillofacial surgery is not very common. I personally have probably done about a dozen of them and most of them are revision MMAs, which includes both the upper and lower jaws.

I recall two cases with ONLY lower jaws. In general, if the initial surgery was done a few years ago, there should not be significant conerns.

The stainless steel wires can be removed at the time of the second operation, before the bone cut.

Kasey Li, MD



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