I’m looking into revision surgery, and I have a bulbous nose. For my first surgery, I only had the nasal tip done using septal cartilage. My columella area is a bit recessed, so I’m going around to consultations because I want to improve that part. While I’m at it, of course I’d also like my nose to become slimmer and more defined, but I’d prefer not to use silicone/costal cartilage if possible. I want it to be very natural, without looking obviously operated on..
1. Premier (Director Choi Hang-seok)
Consultation time was short; he seemed extremely busy. Still, he was kind, and he spoke the most clearly. He gave me two options: 1. Improve only the recessed columella area with ear cartilage. 2. Donated costal cartilage + ear cartilage + 2-3 mm silicone (+ osteotomy if I want it) The consultant was very kind and pleasant, and seemed to catch what I wanted with some good sense. There was some pressure to book the same day. The staff were kind. I was worried because I heard the wait was extremely long, but maybe because it was a weekday morning, it didn’t take that long. It felt like he could either reinforce things very conservatively, exactly as I want, or make it more dramatic. Parking is inconvenient.
2. Nose Lab (Director Kang Cha-young)
Autologous costal cartilage (or donated costal cartilage) + 2-3 mm silicone + osteotomy + functional rhinitis surgery + closed approach He gave a very long consultation and seemed highly professional. He was blunt, but kept looking at the CT and explained everything one by one in detail. Somehow it felt like there was too much that needed to be done. The consultant was kind, with no pressure at all. Staff were so-so. He seems to have a strong personal style, and the line he pursues didn’t match me, so I’ll probably pass. Relatively quiet, wait not long, parking inconvenient. The quote was the most expensive.
3. Banana
Donated costal cartilage + silicone + osteotomy The director looked very busy and was kind, but he didn’t look at the CT properly. It felt like he wanted to finish the consultation quickly and leave. He seems to have a firm preferred style. The consultant was kind, no pressure, staff were so-so.
4. April31 (Director Park Sung-won)
Preserve the existing septal cartilage as much as possible, reinforce the columella with ear cartilage + osteotomy + nostril reduction He touched and moved my nose from multiple angles and gave a calm, long consultation. It seems like he would make it as natural as possible according to my requests, but he said another doctor would prepare the ear cartilage harvest. The consultant was kind, no pressure at all, staff were very kind, parking convenient.
5. Weverse (Director Seo Seung-jo)
He gave me two options: 1. Preserve the existing septal cartilage as much as possible and reinforce the columella with ear cartilage (+ osteotomy + nostril reduction if I want) 2. Preserve the septal cartilage as much as possible, a little donated costal cartilage + 2-3 mm Megaderm (+ osteotomy + nostril reduction as options) He gave a kind, long consultation, looked carefully at the CT, touched my nose in several directions, and seemed to consider harmony with my whole face. He also showed me before-and-after photos of cases similar to mine. He kindly thought through and answered until I ran out of questions. The consultant was very kind, seemed experienced and neat, staff were kind, parking convenient, no pressure.
6. Epic (Director Hong Jin-myung)
1. Reinforce only the columella with ear cartilage or dermis 2. Donated costal cartilage with dermis + 3-4 mm Megaderm (accounting for absorption) He said he would add dermis under the donated costal cartilage so it feels less hard, and add the pieces of septal cartilage used previously to the nasal tip area. He took his time with the consultation, looked at the CT in detail, and touched my nose from multiple directions. He seemed kind and honest. He said if I’m going to do it, putting some dermis on the nasal bridge and redoing the nasal tip would make it prettier, but otherwise, since it’s not bad now, if I’m only going to do the columella, I should just get filler in that area. It felt like, surgery is fine, but it’s also okay not to do it, so I trusted him. He showed before-and-after photos of similar cases and explained while drawing on my photo. I got the feeling he would do it delicately and cleanly. I was tempted by the fact that the splint is only for 4 days, and he said the director personally handles all aftercare. The consultant was kind, no pressure, staff were bright and kind, parking convenient.
Except for Nose Lab, the quotes from the other clinics were all similar.
Trying to decide on a clinic is making my head feel like it’s going to explode, and I’m also so torn about whether to only reinforce the columella or redo the surgery ㅠㅠㅠㅠ It’s not a pretty nose, and there’s some bulbousness, but anyone would think it’s a natural nose with no surgery, and although the nose itself is blunt-looking, the overall facial harmony isn’t bad. Would it be better to just make the columella come out slightly like this.. Or since opening it up, swelling, and bruising are all the same anyway, should I redo the nasal tip with donated costal cartilage while I’m at it.. I don’t want silicone or dermis on the bridge, but they say that’s what gets rid of the bulbous nose feel, so I’m conflicted about that too. Every day I search donated costal cartilage a dozen times, and I think I should improve it more definitively while I’m doing it, but then when I see all kinds of complication posts, I think, ah, I should just do the columella. Whew, I’m completely like several different people in one.
I’m drawn to Weverse and Epic because the consultation felt good and I think they’d do it the way I want, and I’m drawn to Premier because somehow I feel like they’d make it pretty... Of the directors, I got the best feeling from Director Seo Seung-jo.
Phew.. Which clinic do you recommend more? Was there anyone here who had complications?