I had my first surgery in June 2022 and had the removal two days ago
◎Surgical methods◎ 5.5 mm silicone Osteotomy and correction of a hump The septal cartilage was removed extensively, leaving only the bare minimum, then cut into pieces Layered, stacked nasal tip onlay graft using ear cartilage and septal cartilage Nasal tip strut with donated costal cartilage Spreader graft with two layers of donated costal cartilage
◎Reason for removal◎ Severe foreign-body sensation and breathing problems after surgery, blood vessels showing through because of the silicone, headaches, tenderness, and pulling pain. The shape wasn’t bad, but the foreign-body sensation was severe and it was too high
From one week after surgery, I looked into early removal, but two hospitals talked me out of it, saying that because I had an osteotomy, it would be better to wait until the bones healed before operating, so I gave up Then from 3 months after surgery, I started going for consultations again
I went to 13 hospitals for consultations If I were to give tips on choosing a hospital, if there are no functional problems and the manipulation was simple (for example: ear cartilage at the nasal tip and silicone on the bridge), anywhere probably won’t be too bad But if that’s not the case... First, the most important thing is knowing exactly what surgery you had and how it was done Depending on how the surgery was performed, some hospitals will suit you and some won’t Whether you had a spreader graft, how many layers were placed, what material was used what the condition of the septal cartilage was, how much was removed and how much was left whether nostril lowering was done whether osteotomy was done, and so on....
The surgeon who did my primary surgery showed me open-rhinoplasty photos of my nose, photos of the cartilage harvest, the cartilage condition, and the surgical method, so I was able to receive consultations more smoothly
Among the 13 hospitals, some said to leave the spreader graft alone, and some said it could be removed Since mine was donated costal cartilage, I wanted it removed no matter what. I even expected the possibility of replacing it with autologous cartilage The hospitals I consulted said things like: grind the harvested cartilage and reinforce the shape, harvest new cartilage, reconstruct the septum, if everything is removed the nose may collapse, place dermis, and so on. The surgical methods and styles were all different, so I agonized a lot
Then I decided to do it at a hospital that said they would try complete removal, and if a saddle nose occurred, they would reinforce it with ear cartilage The spreader graft... I had such a hard time because of this
Anyway, in cases like this, it was good to have several possible plans, like if this happens then do this, and if that happens then do that I asked a barrage of questions, and they listened until the end (From the patient’s standpoint, I was suffering because of the previous surgery and had been burned by the experience, so of course I couldn’t help being sensitive, but there were hospitals that criticized me for asking too many questions)
I wasn’t hoping for my original nose. It hurts, but my nose had already been thoroughly messed with inside, so how could removal alone bring it back to its original state? If it looked upturned, then upturned; if it drooped, then drooped if it became lower, wider, and blunt, then so be it.. As long as complete removal was possible.. I felt I would be grateful if it just had the form of a human nose with no functional problems I simply prioritized consultations for complete removal, including removal of the spreader graft!
◎After deciding on the hospital◎ We decided on complete removal with capsule removal, harvesting ear cartilage for reinforcement if there was a saddle deformity, use of absorbable sutures, and for the nasal tip, depending on the situation, not tying it if it wasn’t severe After the surgery, I saw the doctor, and he explained the condition while showing me surgical photos
In my case, he said the nasal bridge had been shaved down a lot and had become broad and flat, so he shaved it down a bit The donated costal cartilage spreader grafts were bilateral, and after removing them, a saddle-nose pattern appeared, so he pulled up and positioned the collapsed cartilage on the bridge side and tied it with absorbable sutures Thankfully, that alone restored it, so he did not harvest ear cartilage. I’m so grateful ㅜ (When I went for consultations before surgery, I had heard from a few places that it seemed like I had developed a saddle deformity... but actually seeing a photo of my nose with a saddle nose... was shocking. I’m going to curse the primary-surgery hospital that made my nose into a saddle nose)
And the primary surgeon had butchered the harvested septal cartilage into pieces and placed it here and there. The doctor said it wasn’t providing support, and it had been placed in areas where he couldn’t understand why it had been put there. He said he didn’t know why the surgery had been done that way I’m trembling with anger
They used donated costal cartilage for the nasal tip strut and donated costal cartilage for the spreader graft too, so why on earth... did they remove so much of my septal cartilage that it caused a saddle deformity? Primary surgeon. Damn it
I didn’t have a splint or packing, and yesterday, the day after surgery! Blood had collected between my eyebrows, so I went and had it drained Even the blood drainage was done without any real pain The doctor personally did the postoperative care too, and I was really touched that he checked my chart before coming into the treatment room I could feel that the doctor’s personality is extremely meticulous and delicate Compared with my first surgery, there is zero pain Back then I was bruised everywhere and swollen like a tight fish cake Now there isn’t much swelling and it doesn’t hurt
The nasal mucous membrane is swollen, but compared with before surgery, breathing has become easier, the foreign-body sensation is gone, and my nose feels incredibly light
I’ll have to keep watching, but for now I feel only gratitude toward the doctor I’ll monitor the progress and come back to write another review
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