Before-before<Before>after<After (week 3)>after<After (week 3)>I’d always felt disappointed with my low nasal bridge and small nose, so while I was searching hard online, I watched the surgical process on YouTube and thought, “This is exactly it,” so I booked a consultation at B&Young Clinic. I’m very scared, so I absolutely did not want silicone inserted, and that’s why I liked that this surgery uses autologous cartilage.
At the first consultation, they took photos and I consulted with the director. Because my nasal bridge was very low, he recommended building up the bridge with silicone or costal cartilage and using ear cartilage for the nasal tip. Since I absolutely did not want silicone, I decided on autologous costal cartilage. When you search online, autologous costal cartilage isn’t often used for a first surgery, and there also aren’t many reviews, so honestly I was worried. I think the reason autologous costal cartilage usually isn’t used in a first surgery is probably the risk of sedation plus general anesthesia, but the director said harvesting autologous costal cartilage was possible with sedation alone. I really liked the fact that general anesthesia wouldn’t be used.
On the day of surgery, I only asked the director to make it as natural as possible, and I didn’t mention detailed requests like a straight-with-slight-curve nose or a straight nose because I couldn’t get a sense of what would naturally suit my face. I completely followed the director’s opinion. Fortunately, I really liked the director’s design, but looking back, this is the one point I personally wouldn’t recommend as a method, and I think it’s important to have at least one nose shape you want in mind yourself.
After that, I apparently talked a lot of nonsense while being anesthetized, but the nurses in the operating room treated me so kindly that I was grateful and sorryㅠㅠ. In the recovery room after surgery, I had definitely had rhinoplasty, but my nose really, really didn’t hurt at all, so even while I was groggy, I kept asking the guardian who came with me whether the nose surgery had actually been done. My nose truly didn’t hurt at all to that extent, and from the day of surgery for about four days, the area where the costal cartilage was harvested felt achy when I woke up, coughed, or sneezed.
It has now been 3 weeks since surgery, and according to the director, more than 90% of the swelling has gone down. All sutures were removed one week after surgery, and subjectively, about 70% of the swelling had gone down by week 2. It seems like swelling between the eyebrows goes down last... Now that I have a nasal bridge I didn’t have before, I feel proud every time I look at it, and I really like my side profile, so I think I did the right thing..♡