I really didn’t want to have revision surgery, but I don’t want to keep getting stressed about my eyes anymore, so I’m looking into revision-surgery clinics thinking this is my last chance! I had consultations at a total of 4 places.
For reference, my eyes are asymmetrical, I don’t have much strength when opening them, and the fold also needs to be lowered, so it’s a difficult case. At 3 hospitals they said double-incision double fold, and at one place they said I’d need an excision... I don’t have much tissue around the eyes even as I see it myself, so I didn’t want excision, but they said if I do excision there is a slight risk of lagophthalmos, and if I do double-incision double fold, there could be an overlapping fold, so it seems like I’ll have to take one of those risks.. lol I went around after carefully preparing a question list, thinking I was looking for my very last hospital.
(Long post warning) ㅇㅇㅇ: single-doctor clinic Consultation flow: manager -> director -> manager Manager consultation: 상담 based on before-and-after photos of real cases / In the second consultation, it was based on photos related to cost, anesthesia method, and the consultation with the director Director consultation: asked if I had a photo of the eye I wanted -> I didn’t, so we drew the line and discussed it Reservation time: about 1 hour 10 minutes total (manager consultation about 20 minutes / director consultation about 20 minutes) Waiting time: 25 to 30 minutes in between Surgery time: prep time (2 hours) + surgery time (3 hours), total 5 hours Surgery method: incision + fat repositioning / eye correction Sedation/local: sedation + local anesthesia Swelling: since the fold is lowered but surgery time is long, there may be a lot of swelling AS period: depending on the situation after surgery, retouching (free) may be included Number of visits: the day after surgery, 3 to 4 days later, 7 days after surgery (stitch removal) Scars: scars may form (they did not say there definitely would be no scar) It depends on how adhesions form If there is a lot of fat left, it’s fine, but if there isn’t, they would need to bring fat in, and if there isn’t any fat to bring in, they said that if they judge it will become a double fold, they may need to excise a little between the existing line and the newly made line Consultation fee: none CCTV: yes, I signed a consent form for CCTV before the consultation Reservation pressure: none Consultation feeling: they looked at the line many times, checked whether I open with my forehead, how the line sits, and drew it repeatedly to see what line would suit my eyes; the director was very meticulous They kept drawing the line until the end to show which line they would proceed with Because the surgery time was long, I liked that the director was trustworthy and clearly explained what could and could not be done. They explained things at a level that matched my understanding. They asked until the end whether I had any more questions, so it seems better to prepare a question list in advance. Clinic: small scale, clean, many people waiting
ㅌㅂ Consultation flow: manager -> director -> manager Manager consultation: brief initial consultation (4 minutes), then a short explanation of the consultation with the director and questions about anything curious (5 to 10 minutes) -> manager consultation Director consultation: first checked the eyes, then set the line while talking and explained how the shape would be formed after surgery. They explained why my eyes had loosened, rolled, and lifted. They showed actual surgery cases. Reservation time: 35 minutes including consultation and waiting time (manager consultation 10 to 15 minutes / director consultation 15 minutes) Waiting time: 5 minutes here and there? (not long) Surgery time: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours Surgery method: incision + eye correction + double-incision double fold Sedation/local: sedation anesthesia + local anesthesia / while sedated they plan to check midway and adjust Swelling: may be a lot AS period: 1 year Post-op care: after stitch removal, come back in 2 to 3 months, and retouching (surgery) is done if needed. Retouching may be paid depending on the surgery method Number of visits: stitches are removed after 7 days Side effects: the eyes may be slightly lifted / may not close well (they said it should close after the immediate post-op period to about 2 months later) Scars: double-incision double fold scars may remain Consultation fee: none Reservation pressure: there was some, but I declined Clinic: one clinic per floor, clean and spacious Clinic feeling: the doctor and manager were kind, and they gave many positive comments, which made me feel reassured in some ways, but I wasn’t really drawn to it
ㄴㅅㅎ Consultation flow: manager -> director -> manager Manager consultation: 진행하면서 looking at photos Director consultation: drew the eye line and a sketch of the eyes, and explained the direction in which the surgery would be done. Seemed very experienced Waiting time: about 5 minutes, not long, consultation took place at the reserved time Surgery time: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours Surgery method: tissue excision + incision + eye correction The director did not favor double-incision double fold and recommended eye excision They explained that if the eyes are excised, lagophthalmos can occur, and that if double-incision double fold is done, an overlapping fold may form Sedation/local: sedation anesthesia + local anesthesia AS period: 3 years Side effects: if double-incision double fold is done, there is a high chance of an overlapping fold; if tissue is excised, the eyes may close less when sleeping (lagophthalmos) Scars: swelling similar to excision Consultation fee: none, but if you consult with another director, a consultation fee is charged Reservation pressure: none Clinic: very large, waiting customers present, systematic, the director looked tired, but explained the questions in detail, manager consultation was kind, yet I wasn’t drawn in and felt overwhelmed
I got a bit overwhelmed there, so I booked an additional consultation
ㅇㅎㅅ: single-doctor clinic Consultation flow: manager (6 min) - director (26 min) - manager (7 min) Total consultation time took about 1 hour Waiting time: 5 to 10 minutes (not long) Manager consultation: desired line, why I decided on revision surgery, recommended canthoplasty (recommended -> but I said I didn’t like it) After the consultation, we talked while looking at related surgery photos Director consultation: photos were taken of my eyes open and closed, and the consultation was based on those photos Explained that because the eye muscles are asymmetrical, the loosened side may loosen again Measured the double eyelid line in advance, planned to make it symmetrical, and drew the line several times Explained the excision method and double-incision double fold method in detail, along with what should be done There were points I was worried about, and because it was a difficult case the consultation became long, but it was explained in detail at my level, and I could feel confidence in double-incision double fold / revision surgery Double-incision double fold - there can be an overlapping fold, but if it is only slightly thick, there may be no reason to feel stressed. There is a high chance of needing buried-suture surgery later Excision - if excised, it cannot be reversed If you are unsure, it is better not to cut. Everyone’s eyes are different, so a perfect prediction is impossible; you only know after going into eye surgery Surgery time: 1 hour Surgery method: double-incision double fold + incision + mild eye correction Sedation/local: sedation anesthesia + local anesthesia Swelling: because the eye-opening correction was not strong and the fold would be lowered, the swelling was somewhat predictable; it would be lower than the current eye within a month, then after 2 to 3 months There was not much price discount, and the price was the highest AS period: if asymmetry / line difference occurs they will do AS, but an overlapping fold from double-incision double fold is not covered Number of visits: stitches removed after 7 days Side effects: overlapping fold expected Consultation fee: none Reservation pressure: none Clinic: somewhat small, not many waiting customers Anyway, the doctor confidently said it would be better than now, which relieved a lot of my worry If you get too ambitious with eye surgery, it changes a lot, so you need to refine it safely and balance it out. They explained the consultation in detail -> they thoroughly addressed the parts I was worried about
I wrote down what I remember from the places I visited so I could refer back to it, but honestly I’m not really sure what to do.... Since I went for consultations, I understand my eyes to some extent, but even though there are clinics I’m a little drawn to, choosing a place for revision surgery is not easy.. Should I keep visiting more places, or if you have any clinics you’d recommend for eye revision surgery, let me know!!
---> I got a consultation for surgery and then decided immediately afterward to have the revision surgery done