This post is not intended to defame any specific hospital. I wrote this to document the fact that even after a surgery that is perceived as relatively simple, like lower eyelid fat repositioning, an unexpected emergency can occur, and that the response system in an emergency is also extremely important. It focuses on the actual course I experienced and the recovery process, and I hope it can be a reference for those considering the surgery.
1. After lower eyelid fat repositioning surgery I had lower eyelid fat repositioning surgery on January 27. Because the swelling in my face after surgery was relatively severe, I slept with my upper body elevated for about two weeks, and on the night of February 8 I tried to sleep lying flat normally for the first time.
2. The sudden emergency Around 10:30 p.m. on February 8, immediately after I lay down, my right eye started swelling rapidly. The swelling progressed to the point where it almost covered the eye, and at the same time blue bruising, strong pressure, and pain appeared. At the time, it felt as if the pressure inside the eyeball was rising sharply, and I was extremely anxious that my vision might be affected. I tried contacting the hospital where I had the surgery and the consultation coordinator right away, but could not get through. I also asked two emergency rooms near my home, but was told that plastic surgery and ophthalmology-related emergency treatment would be difficult. After that, I was guided through 119 to information on operating emergency rooms, and after checking for a hospital with nighttime care available, I went to an emergency room in Sinchon.
3. Emergency room visit and emergency surgery I arrived at the emergency room around 11:30 p.m. After examining my condition, the medical team explained the possibility of retrobulbar hemorrhage and said that if treatment was delayed, there could be a risk of vision damage. Until the surgery began, I tried contacting the hospital where I had previously undergone the lower eyelid fat repositioning in every possible way. I waited for an immediate connection with the original surgery hospital, but it was not possible, and the eye swelling and pressure continued to worsen. I could not keep waiting while accepting the risk of vision loss, so in the end I underwent emergency surgery at the emergency room in Sinchon. The emergency surgery procedure began around 12:10 a.m. on February 9. Procedure name: 1. Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis 2. Emergent orbital decompression The surgery took about 2 hours. After the emergency surgery ended, I checked my phone and found a text from the original hospital asking me to come in the next day.
4. Visit to the lower eyelid fat repositioning hospital I visited the original hospital the next day. The hospital explained that it had been difficult to contact them because it was nighttime and a holiday period at the time. They also asked me whether there had been any external pressure or impact, and I told them there had been absolutely no situation in which I injured or pressed on my eye area. Later, during the interview, I was told that the retrobulbar hemorrhage I experienced usually occurs immediately after surgery, and because cases occurring 2 weeks after surgery are rare, it is difficult to conclude a direct connection to the lower eyelid fat repositioning. I also asked about the possibility of reimbursement for the emergency surgery costs, but on that point they also explained that choosing the emergency room and proceeding with emergency surgery had been the patient's judgment. In the end, I was told that reimbursement for the emergency surgery costs would be difficult.
5. Why I am writing this Through this experience, I strongly felt that even procedures or surgeries that are considered relatively simple can still lead to unexpected emergencies. In particular, I thought it was necessary to fully check not only the surgery itself but also points such as the following:
Types of side effects and the possibility of them occurring How the patient should respond if side effects occur Whether the hospital can respond at night or on holidays The medical team's contact system
I also had not deeply considered these matters before surgery, but after experiencing the actual situation, I realized that the emergency response system is also a very important factor. This post is not meant to defame any specific hospital, but to document the situation I actually experienced and the recovery process. I hope it can be a small reference for those considering similar surgery or procedures.