Review of visits to four clinics for double eyelid surgery, medial canthoplasty, and sunken eyes with existing double eyelids!

This would be my first surgery, and I already have double eyelids (not a hidden crease but an outer crease, although the line is very narrow). Because of my sunken eyes, wide distance between my eyes, covered inner corners, and heaviness in my upper eyelids, I wanted to expose the inner-corner line and lengthen the inner part of my eyes, so I visited clinics considering incisional double eyelid surgery, medial canthoplasty, and upper canthoplasty! There are photos in my previous post. My left inner corner is more covered than the right, so in photos my left eye alone looked crossed and inwardly focused, which also concerned me. Although not as much as those two issues, I was also bothered by my upturned outer corners, so I was considering lateral and lower canthoplasty as well. I originally wanted a thin in-out to semi-out line, but after deliberating for a long time, I decided my current line is not that bad, my eyes and eyebrows are close together, and opening it wide into a semi-out line would be too ambitious, so I chose actress Shin Se-kyung's eyes as my role model... I visited [Clinic A] in Sinnonhyeon, [Clinic B] in Gangnam, [Clinic C], and [Clinic D] in Sinsa. I decided on [Clinic A] and booked incisional double eyelid surgery, medial canthoplasty, and upper-eyelid fat removal for Thursday! I hope it goes well... Dr. A at [Clinic A] I am also planning to have rhinoplasty at the end of the year. Since I liked both the eye and nose results at [Clinic A], I also received a nose consultation from Dr. B. I plan to compile and post a review of my rhinoplasty clinic visits later! I arrived at 10 a.m. and there was no wait. I was nervous because it was my first consultation, but the coordinator was so kind and put me at ease, though I still stayed cautious. They took facial photos from various angles, I told the coordinator what I wanted, and then waited for the doctor to come in for the consultation. Since we discussed my nose too, the consultation was fairly long, though I think the eye consultation alone was also quite thorough. Double eyelids: The doctor recommended an incision because my eyes are deeply set, my forehead and brow bone project, and my skin is thick with a lot of fat. Personally, I liked that they explained it as deeply set or prominent eyes rather than rigid labels such as sunken eyes or protruding eyes. The distance between my eyes and eyebrows is close, my eyelid-opening strength is fine, and my desired line is not wide, so the doctor did not recommend ptosis correction. Upper-eyelid fat removal was recommended. Medial canthoplasty: This was the most important point. They measured the distance between my eyes with a ruler and said my eyes are far apart. In particular, the left inner corner is heavily covered by skin, so medial canthoplasty is essential. I was worried that if I later had rhinoplasty and raised the nasal bridge, my eyes might look too close together, and I wanted to ask, but they explained it before I even asked... They said my eyes are about 5–6 mm farther apart than average, so they would almost never look too close; if someone were close to average, they would adjust according to the nose, but I am not, so it would be fine. Before I asked about asymmetry, they immediately noted there was a difference between my left and right eyes, that the left inner corner was more covered, and that medial canthoplasty would resolve how only my left eye looks inwardly focused. Lateral and lower canthoplasty: Not recommended. Since the inner sclera is already much narrower than the outer sclera, widening the outer sclera would disrupt the proportions; and since the lower eyelid line is not upturned, opening the covered inner corner would prevent it from appearing upturned. Overall, I liked that they centered the consultation on what I wanted and clarified what was and was not possible, and what was and was not necessary. The downside was that the coordinator pressured me to book and have same-day surgery. Since it was my first consultation, I managed to say I would look around elsewhere first... In the end, after visiting all of them, I chose to have surgery here and booked it, lol. Dr. C at [Clinic B] It is a private hospital specializing in eyes, and I loved the review photos, so I visited, but the consultation was very disappointing. Their manner was kind, but the substance did not inspire much confidence. First, when I entered, the coordinator seemed to praise the doctor excessively, which I did not like. Double eyelid surgery: Since I already have double eyelids and have no dissatisfaction with the outer line, they suggested doing only the inner part with a partial incision? They first gave a long, complicated explanation about a technique called a hybrid incision, saying it combines the advantages of incision and non-incision methods. Medial canthoplasty: They quickly moved on after holding, pressing, and stretching my eyes, saying, “So this is the shape you want; if you are having rhinoplasty, I will adjust it appropriately.” Lateral and lower canthoplasty: I said I was considering it but had been advised against it elsewhere. They said that was only because the other doctor lacked confidence, and “I can do it.” This doctor combines lateral and lower canthoplasty into a procedure called circular canthoplasty, but honestly it felt like upselling. They repeatedly emphasized it was special know-how only the doctor could provide, which made me trust them even less. It also felt as though they just bragged that many influencers and famous people visit... I mean, how many people undergo surgery in Gangnam? Rather than focusing on my eye structure and what I wanted, they kept talking about the hospital, the doctor's skills, and aesthetic sense, and I felt this was not right. The coordinator also continued praising the technique and doctor until the end, leaving me with an uneasy feeling. Dr. D at [Clinic C] Neither the coordinator nor the doctor was unfriendly, but both were dry. Maybe because they thought I would not have surgery there. Since I already have double eyelids, they recommended a non-incisional method. Rather than double eyelid surgery, they prioritized medial and upper canthoplasty, suggested opening the eyes refreshingly into a semi-out line, and recommended ptosis correction. I went in expecting an incision, and every other clinic had also recommended an incision, so I wondered about the non-incisional approach and whether ptosis correction was really necessary. For lateral and lower canthoplasty, I was told that my inner corners are covered and my eyes are not naturally upturned, so the front absolutely needs to be opened first. The aftercare period is one year, and the price was relatively low. They said they would use sedation anesthesia and wake me once midway to check the crease line. Still, the consultation was very short and the clinic seemed busy, so I was not drawn to it... I got the impression that my eye structure and the need for medial canthoplasty were the common conclusions. Dr. E at [Clinic D] It was a little farther away than the others, and the review photos were merely decent, so I had initially ruled it out while researching online. I had planned to visit only three clinics, but still felt a little unsatisfied after seeing them all and had time left, so I booked 30 minutes beforehand and went, accepting that there might be a wait. Both the coordinator and doctor were kind. They suggested medial and upper canthoplasty, and said that because my upper eyelids are heavy, we should perform an incision for the double eyelids and ptosis correction as well. When I asked why ptosis correction was needed, they said it was because my skin is thick, my eyes are deeply set, and my brow bone is prominent, so the crease line could loosen easily. The explanation itself made sense, but the line they showed me looked rather thick, which made me anxious. The aftercare period is two years, and I liked that they provide IV fluids in a private recovery room and thorough postoperative care. Since I live in Japan and can only visit my family home in Korea once or twice a year, and my family home is not even in Seoul, I could see why [Clinic D] has good reviews in Japan. Many foreigners visit. There was pressure to book.