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Summary of Question:	Should I Have Surgery???
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Saturday, 11/09/2002 9:36 PM MST

WKKWJKF!

Hello,

I am a 19-year-old male from London, England. I would firstly like to tell you what a great site i think this is, you guys are doing some really amazing work!

I have searched the site and cannot find an answer to my question.

My problem is that i have what is known in the dental world as a class III jaw, whereby the mandile protrudes in front of the maxilla (my lower jaw sticks out). A picture of what this looks like is illustrated on this site www.ppsca.com/dentface.htm.

Combined with this problem is the fact that when i 'bite' only my molars touch, this means i use mine far more than most other people do and so i have associated problems such as cavities. Other problems with this condition is that i have difficulty eating certain foods (although eating is not impossible) and my speech is slightly slurred (although most people understand what i am saying).

Having gone to see a variety of dentists regarding the awful alignment of my upper teeth, all pointed strongly in the direction of corrective surgery as oppossed to treatment with braces.

This surgery would be done inside the mouth and involves the breaking of part of the mandible, and sliding it backwards until it is behind the maxilla in a 3 hour operation, under general anaesthetic and is a fairly common proceedure.

The reason as to why my upper teeth were in such a state in the first place was due to the fact they had nothing behind them to keep them in place. Specialist dentists and orthodontists have said having the surgery will eradicate problems i am having with speech and eating, as well as helping get my upper teeth in line. It would also give me a nice smile, it would also stop people from calling me 'big chin', 'fat lip' and seeing the odd person pull out their jaw in an attempt to joke at me.

By no means do i want to come across as saying i look like a monster, i would say i am normal looking, as would many others.

Although surgery is an option and is strongly encouraged by the professionals, i can live without the surgery. On one hand i really, really want the surgery (i have been pondering over the idea for around 5 years now) and i understand Sikhism says surgery is okay only for medical proceedures, and the doctors in this case do see it being very beneficial.

On the other hand, i also know Sikhism also says we were created perfectly by God and we do not need to enhance the way we look (like with earrings, tattoos, etc).

My problem is i would like to have it done for ALL reasons (Speech, nice smile, eating) but there is a mix of both cosmetic and medical reasons to have the surgery. If i dont have it done, i will regret it.

My parents and family have no real problem with me going ahead with the surgery in fact they tell me to get it done. it is just me, i would like to think i have made a decision which wont be frowned down upon by God. I am not a practising Sikh, i have had cut hair since i was a baby, but in my teenage years i have become more and more into religion. I am not the most learned about Sikhism although i am slowly but surely learing, i just hope i dont do something i will one day regret. i know i have broken some rules of Sikhi, but i dont want to break all of them (i never swear at others, i do not drink alcohol and i recite my Sikh prayers every night).

If i am honest i hope i will get told it is okay for me to have the surgery, but if it is a major sin, please let me know. I understand you guys are not God, all i ask for is fair advice from someone who knows more about Sikhism than i do.

Also i am a medical student and have thought about persuing maxo-facial or cosmetic/corrective surgery as a profession. is this against sikhism? to be someone who does surgery to change the way someone else looks?


Thank you so much for your time, looking back it seems as if i wrote an essay! i do understand if a reply will take some time, you guys must work very hard. in my heart it is very much appreciated.

Thank you guys for bringing me so much strength and belief when i am ever down through word of religion. thanks also for giving me strength and belief when i am happy!

God Bless!

Sukhdeep

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REPLY
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Sat Sri Akal,

By all means, get the surgery done! If that is what you want, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. You can say that it is Waheguru's will to give you such a problem, but you can also say that Waheguru invented such a procedure to correct it too! If you're still having trouble with it, think of it from the karma standpoint. Maybe in your past life you owed the dentist something and never repaid your debt. Now is your chance by giving him your business.

So again, there is nothing wrong with going ahead with this procedure.

As far as being a corrective surgeon, you will have to decide that on your own. Remember, you can't change the way people think about themselves, only they can do that, and if plastic surgery is what is required for them to get past their insecurities, that is their decision.

I hope this helped!

Gur Fateh,
HSD