Before surgery: what to prepare
Same as square jaw reduction: stop aspirin/NSAIDs/blood thinners 10–14 days before, stop fish oil/vitamin E/ginseng/ginkgo and any Korean herbal medicine (hanyak) in the same window because several common formulations have anticoagulant effects (dang-gui, dan-shen). Stop smoking and vaping 4 weeks before through 6 weeks after, complete dental work 2 weeks pre-op, stock liquid and soft foods, arrange home help.
The day of surgery
Performed under general anaesthesia, runs 2–4 hours depending on whether the procedure is angle-only or includes a long-curved ostectomy along the mandibular body, and requires one night in hospital. All incisions are inside the mouth. You wake up with a compression bandage, drains, mouth packing, and dramatic swelling already developing.
Days 1–3: peak swelling
Swelling peaks day 3–5. Pain is moderate, controlled by IV and oral medication. Drains usually come out before discharge. Liquid diet only. Head elevation 45 degrees. Cold compresses outside the bandage. Mouth rinses after every intake.
Week 1: stitches out, bruising fades
Bandage off around day 5–7. Swelling is still pronounced, visibly improving day by day. Trismus restricts mouth opening. Liquid diet continues. Numbness across the lower jaw, lower lip, and chin is significant; with long-curved ostectomy variants this can extend further forward toward the mental nerve.
Weeks 2–4: back to public
Office work from week 3 for most patients, week 4 for more conservative cases or those who had the longer procedure. Soft diet starts week 2 and expands gradually. Mouth opening improves. Numbness slowly resolves. No tough or crunchy food until cleared, usually week 6.
Months 2–3: swelling resolves
Swelling drops between week 4 and month 3. The narrower jaw line is now clearly visible. Mouth opening near normal by month 3. Numbness improves but is incomplete.
Months 6–12: the final result
Bone consolidation runs 6–12 months. Final result by month 6 with minor refinement through month 12. Lower lip and chin numbness largely resolved by month 6 for most. Roughly 30–50% of patients still report some sensory disturbance at the 6-month mark; partial persistent numbness past 12 months affects a smaller subset and is occasionally permanent. Long-curved ostectomy variants have a slightly higher rate of partial persistent numbness because more of the nerve corridor was disturbed.
Red flags: when to call the clinic
Same as square jaw reduction: call the clinic for fever over 38.5°C after day 3, sudden firm painful one-sided swelling, pus or foul taste from incisions, sudden inability to open the mouth, or numbness getting worse rather than better. Go to an emergency room for difficulty breathing or sudden severe airway swelling in the first 72 hours.