11-05-2025
Singer Traveled 24 Hours for Pricey Double Jaw Surgery. She Never Expected How It Would Affect Her Voice (Exclusive)
A singer from Ukraine, who releases music under the name 'Aiela,' had double jaw surgery to fix long-term issues from childhood cleft palate surgeries and a worsening overbite
The procedure required 24 hours of travel each way, but strong support and a great medical team helped her through
Since her surgery in March, the 24-year-old has surprisingly noticed better breathing and vocal tone and feels hopeful about returning to music soonAs a child, Alesia Konovalenko underwent multiple cleft palate surgeries – three in total, including a corrective procedure after complications arose from the second one.
Those early challenges left a lasting impact on her facial bone development and bite. Ultimately, recurring ear pain triggered the Ukrainian singer to undergo a double jaw surgery in March 2025 – one that has transformed her both physically and mentally.
'My initial desire was to have a beautiful smile because I've had overbite issues and my teeth were just acting out during my whole life,' Konovalenko, 24, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Her cleft palate history – and how it shaped her face – wasn't fully understood until recently. At the time of her early surgeries, there wasn't much awareness about interventions like mouth posture or jaw exercises that might have prevented bite problems down the line.
At age 12, Konovalenko got braces for the first time and wore them until she was 16. 'My teeth, they looked straight, but my overbite was still pretty big,' she explains. 'So that basically was just like a cover-up.'
It wasn't until she began having frequent, random earaches two years ago that she discovered something more serious was going on. Konovalenko was already in her second round of braces when a gnathologist warned her they might make her symptoms worse. Further visits confirmed that her frequent ear pain was directly linked to her overbite, and in her case, surgery was the only effective solution.
Konovalenko had already explored surgical options back in 2020, but things fell apart after meeting with a facial surgeon. 'He consulted several colleagues but seemed unsure how to proceed,' Konovalenko reveals. 'Eventually, he just stopped responding.' Although disheartening, in hindsight, she feels lucky it didn't work out back then.
Things changed when she met her current surgeon in Kyiv. 'He was super calm. He was super friendly… not pretentious at all,' she says. 'Like very simple and inviting, and also totally able to answer questions.'
He took her medical history seriously and collaborated with a pediatric cleft palate specialist. 'That gave me confidence,' she admits. 'They explained what was wrong and what needed to be done – without hesitation.' For the first time, Konovalenko felt truly seen and understood.
On March 6, 2025, the day of the procedure, she felt calm and surprisingly joyful. 'I was actually feeling very well, and I was surprised by that. Mentally, I was immediately super happy that I had done the surgery,' she says.
The most complex part of her experience was all the traveling leading up to the big day. Based in Berlin for college, Konovalenko had to make multiple one-way, 24-hour trips by bus to Kyiv, where she intended to have the procedure and receive care.
Due to the distance, in September 2024, she decided to take a year off from studying sound engineering and music production to focus on her health, although it wasn't an easy choice. 'There's no flying,' Konovalenko explains. 'So I didn't want to miss the whole year being constantly recovering after a trip, or recovering after a surgery.'
The financial side wasn't easy either. The surgery, including hospital stay, aftercare, and medication, totaled around $11,500 – all paid out of pocket because she chose a private clinic. Still, Konovalenko has no regrets. 'My family is here, and they were able to come with me everywhere,' she says. 'It's very important after the surgery to have a responsible adult with you.'
Konovalenko's first week of recovery was tough. The first five days she ate through a syringe, then transitioned to a small spoon. She was shocked when her doctor told her she could begin soft-chewed foods on day seven. She had been mentally prepared for a two-month liquid diet, so the recovery was full of surprises – mostly positive ones.
'That gave me confidence, because if I can do this, go through all of this, then I can do anything,' she shares. 'I just want to live my best life.'
Konovalenko credits her smooth healing to hydration, good appetite, and a strong mental state. The biggest physical challenges were the lingering swelling and joint pain, which she compared to a migraine in her bones, but her swelling came down about 80% within two weeks.
She started to see improvements immediately after the procedure. 'I breathe so much easier,' she wrote on an Instagram post at the time. 'My smelling abilities increased geometrically so much that I might write a comic book about that.'
Konovalenko was genuinely surprised by how open and effortless breathing felt afterward. It was only then that she realized how much space had been restricted by the jaw bone prior to the procedure.
'Since the surgery, I've noticed more ease in breath support and a subtle shift in how my voice resonates due to the increased space in my oral cavity,' the singer reveals.
While watching YouTube videos from Coachella, Konovalenko decided to test out her skills. 'I went to a different room and just sang on my full range—it felt amazing,' she recalls.
Her vocal tone has subtly shifted as a result of her palate being more rounded and singing feels smoother and more powerful. Her pronunciation has also improved, something that's crucial for singers who rely on their mouths as their main instrument.
Konovalenko was initially afraid of post-surgery numbness, especially in her chin and lower lip, where there's always a risk that feeling won't return. But just a few days after surgery, she started feeling tingling and burning — early signs of healing.
Though she's not quite back to full strength yet, Konovalenko's hopeful and looking forward to singing more regularly again soon.
Read the original article on People
