I had surgery early this year and am now 7 months post-op. The surgery was done terribly, so I have silicone show-through, protruding columellar cartilage, and the aesthetics are completely ruined. I was extremely stressed, and recently I also developed what seems like an inflammatory reaction, so I am visiting clinics for removal.
I went to [Clinic A] first. The surgeon was personally a very nice person. But the consultation felt more focused on positioning their own career than on my nose, and they said my nose's difficulty was about 0.1 on a scale of 0 to 10. As a patient who has already lost trust in surgery, that did not resonate much with me. I have already experienced a complication that supposedly happens to 1 in 100 people.
Still, being able to learn about my condition in detail and view a CT scan was an advantage. They said it was not particularly meaningful, but having visualized material seems reassuring. They do not seem inclined to say negative things. The consultation fee, including the CT fee, is higher than at other clinics.
I passed on this place because I do not know why they favor dermis grafts so much... After the consultation, I simply felt this place was not a good fit for me. They said they would proceed with an open approach.
For [Clinic B], it seemed right to discuss things assuming the worst. They are conservative. They proceed with palpation and endoscopy, and if you do not prepare questions or information about your condition, you probably will not get much information.
The surgeon absolutely does not over-treat; the vibe was basically, “If you want to do it, do it.” But they clearly say no when something is not possible. Other clinics often have the attitude of “Just trust me; I will make it a success,” so people who prefer that kind of surgeon probably would not have surgery here, no matter how major [Clinic B] is.
Although it is well known for complete removal, they suggested building a support structure...? The consultant even strongly recommended support because my columella is somewhat retracted and said I could end up like Voldemort, presumably meaning columellar retraction. I am getting complete removal because I do not want anything inserted, but I felt they used quite a lot of fear that not inserting anything could cause shape problems.
Still, I think I may have it done here. I am a university student and do not have much money, and there is definitely a price advantage. They have so many successful removal cases and showed photos for every case. That inspired trust.
What I am wondering is: this was my first surgery 7 months ago, with silicone on the nasal bridge, auricular cartilage at the nasal tip using a tip-stacking method, and hump rasping without osteotomy. If I have complete removal through an open approach, will my columella get carved away...? My columella was somewhat retracted to begin with. They said there is no inflammation or contracture on examination.
Another problem is that both clinics said, based on the operative record and consultation details from my first clinic, that something different seems to have been used for the support structure. ^^ The previous clinic seems to be avoiding an answer, and it feels incredibly suspicious now.
If anyone has had complete removal at [Clinic B], or has questions, please leave a comment! I am not an ad. I wish I were an ad; then everything would be settled, seriously.