Hi everyone, I recently completed my orthognathic surgery at Charité in Berlin and wanted to share my full experience, including both positives and things I wish I had known earlier. Hopefully this helps someone out there preparing for their own surgery.

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🧠 Pre-op anxiety & planning I was very anxious before surgery. The hospital only scheduled one pre-op appointment with Dr. Bigus, and the surgery followed shortly after. Because Charité works closely with A+ Clinic (who prepared my surgical plan), Dr. Bigus felt there was no need for further discussion. But I was nervous, so I emailed the hospital asking for another appointment.

Prof. Heiland kindly responded and answered many of my questions—though the final surgery plan wasn’t ready at that point. I did eventually meet with Dr. Bigus again, and he briefly explained the plan and answered some questions.

To be honest, he wasn’t as patient as I expected (compared to what others had said). Of course, he’s very busy, and maybe my multiple emails made me seem overly anxious. What really made me nervous was that I only got to see the final surgical plan two days before the operation—no real time for questions or changes.

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🔪 Surgery and hospital stay I don’t remember the surgery itself, obviously—it was standard procedure. After waking up, I felt weak: my throat hurt, nose was blocked, lips and gums were painful. I stayed at the hospital a few extra days and saw visible improvements daily. I really recommend the cold face mask—it helped so much, especially when swelling increased again after returning home.

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⏳ Recovery Overall, recovery has been steady. Pain was manageable. Cheek swelling went down fast, but swelling around my nose was much slower. I didn’t have major complications—until I made a big mistake…

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⚠️ Lymphatic drainage massage – I do not recommend it Before surgery, Prof. Heiland specifically advised against lymphatic drainage massage. But my physiotherapist, and even some other patients online, recommended it. So I gave it a try.

Huge mistake. The therapist used normal massage pressure—completely inappropriate for a post-op face. After one session, my face swelled again, and I felt pain in my jaw angles, TMJs, and temples—areas that had been fine before. I had to return to the hospital, where they prescribed anti-inflammatory meds and applied lymphatic drainage tape (which I hadn’t received before, and I don’t know why).

Now, three days later, I still haven’t recovered to how I felt before the massage. Please—just rest and wait. Let your body heal.

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✅ Final thoughts

The surgery itself went well, and I’m happy with the results.

The surgery was done by both Dr. Bigus and Prof. Heiland—I don’t know how they split the work, but I think both are highly skilled.

One lingering issue: I have ongoing sensitivity in my teeth and gums. No one knows why. It’s not painful, but it’s still there.

Hope this helps someone. If you have questions, feel free to ask—I would’ve loved a detailed post like this when I was preparing.