Hi, it has been a really long time since I posted. Almost 5 years, haha. I had functional nose surgery about 5 years ago. They used silicone for the bridge, and septal cartilage plus ear cartilage for the tip. But starting around year 3, my bridge got puffy like an Avatar nose. At first the bridge was sharp and slim... I did not like the shape, but since there was no major problem, I just lived with it and kept shading it.
Then around last September to October, a problem started. The bridge became red and swollen. I was shocked and thought, what is this, but I brushed it off, telling myself it was probably because my condition was bad or that it was temporary. (I really should have gone to the hospital right then.. I regret it so much T_T)
Then it got a little better, but the red, swollen bridge gradually did not go away and kept continuing..? I was in denial. I told myself it must not be a problem, maybe just a pimple or something on the bridge.. because I used shading every day ^^; But it really was a problem.
I decided to have it removed one month ago. My nose is still swollen, so the side view looks really strange. There is no contracture at the tip, only the bridge is puffed up, so from the front it looks triangular? square-like, and from the side there is almost no boundary between the forehead and the bridge, so it is basically an Avatar nose.. lol
Darn.. the introduction got a bit long. I will share the reviews of the places I visited for consultations. For reference, my nose is an inflamed nose and is in a somewhat serious...? state.
1. [Clinic A] Non-open removal of only the silicone, keeping the autologous cartilage at the tip You might be thinking, huh? Where is that? There was not much mention of that clinic on this community or other plastic surgery cafes. I found that clinic through YouTube. I work a regular job, and I wanted a non-open procedure with quick recovery so I could use only a short amount of leave without my coworkers knowing. So I searched for non-open silicone removal, found that clinic’s YouTube channel, and was drawn to it. It also had a blog, and when I looked at the before-and-after photos, I saw someone with a side profile similar to mine who had gotten a clean non-open removal, so I decided to go for a consultation.
They took CT scans and photos from the front, side, and angled side, then I consulted in the order: manager -> doctor -> manager. The manager was kind and listened well. The doctor felt very cynical. When he looked at my nose condition, he suddenly asked something like, did you just come back from overseas? When I said, huh? no?, he meant, why did you come only now.. lol T_T Then he asked if I had maybe been pregnant. I said no to that too.. and then he asked why I had not gone to a hospital until now.. (Every clinic I visited asked me the exact same thing, word for word.. ^^) So I said I tend to avoid things, I was scared, and it took time for me to make up my mind.. and so on.
Anyway, while looking at the CT images, I was told there was inflammation all around the area above and below the silicone that is currently in my nose. They showed me before-and-after cases of people similar to me and even did a virtual simulation in Photoshop, saying my side profile would look like this if it were removed. The doctor answered my questions, but he was not the type to explain things in great detail.
2. [Clinic B] Non-open total removal, plus Megaderm added for shape Since I felt I should visit at least one of the big three removal clinics, I chose [Clinic B] from among them. It seemed to be mentioned the most on this community and other plastic surgery cafes. I also saw posts saying they do the non-open method I wanted, so I went for a consultation.
No CT was taken. They only took a front-facing photo of my face, and the consultation proceeded in this order: doctor -> manager. The doctor had a good impression haha. Maybe because he looked slightly older? He applied gel to my nose and used ultrasound during the consultation. He said, as expected, that there was inflammation everywhere, and that it needed to come out as soon as possible. He said my skin is rather thick, so it has been holding up, but no one knows when a problem could break out. He even suggested removing it that Friday right away (I went for the consultation on Wednesday). So I said, um.. I am an office worker, so this week is difficult right away.. I was thinking maybe around the end of July, but he said that would also be too late. Since night surgery was possible on Friday, he said I could have surgery after work on Friday and then remove the splint the following Monday. He also said it would be a non-open total removal, and that Megaderm might be added. I asked, since I really do not want anything artificial, is that Megaderm..? I do not want it added.. but he did not answer ^^; Oh, and he asked me to bring my natural nose photos too, so I showed them. He said my original bridge was on the higher side. It was not at all like that...? I was really someone with basically no bridge.
I had written down the hospital where I had my first surgery, and after seeing the name, he said the doctor there is a bit rough-handed, and that many people who had surgery there come back to remove it ^^^^ Tlqkf~ But I am really sorry to the doctor, because the first-surgery doctor and he were around the same age? and had a similar impression.. (The first-surgery doctor also had a good impression.) So personally it felt a bit awkward lol It seemed like there was more talk about other things than detailed explanation of the surgical method.
3. [Clinic C] Open total removal It was not one of the big three, but it was one of the clinics that get mentioned a lot. I was deciding between [Clinic D] and [Clinic C], but I was less drawn to [Clinic D] because they also recommended septoplasty.
They took CT, front, side, and top-view photos of my face, and the consultation went in the order: manager -> doctor -> manager. What was unusual was that the manager also came into the doctor consultation and listened in. Some people may dislike that, but I thought it was good that the manager was there too. The doctor explained the surgical method in detail. When I said I wanted non-open, he was very firm and definite that it had to be open. He said many people who tried non-open removal and then had problems later came to him for open consultations. He even used hand gestures while explaining the nose’s structure? I do not remember the details. haha But I could really feel the expertise.
They also asked me to bring my natural nose photos, so I showed them. Before my first surgery, I had taken multiple photos of my natural nose from the front, side, angled side, and from below, as if I were taking before photos at a plastic surgery clinic. Both the doctor and the manager said, wow, you took very detailed photos! so I felt a tiny bit proud.. lol And looking at my natural nose, they could tell it was a difficult nose. I already knew my natural nose was difficult. All five clinics I visited before my first surgery said it was a difficult nose. They recognized that I had all the bad features: bulbous nose, arrow nose, hump nose, and blunt nose, so the surgery must have been difficult. They said that if everything is removed, it would return to my original nose, and they would do a little refinement through cartilage repositioning. After the doctor consultation, I spoke with the manager again, and the manager also explained the surgery method in detail. Usually managers only explain things like the price, scheduling, and aftercare, but the fact that she was sitting in during the doctor consultation really was not for nothing.
I also wrote down my first-surgery hospital here, and the manager said many people who had surgery there also come in for consultations? Wow, darn~~^^ One thing I liked was that they showed me photos of the materials removed from inside my nose. They also said they do not take consultation reservations on the day of surgery itself, so I would not run into other people. They also offered swelling laser treatment as part of aftercare.
4. [Clinic D] Non-open removal of only the silicone, keeping the tip. And surgery refusal...^^ After visiting [Clinic C], I really started wondering: is it really right that my nose needs open total removal? Could not I just remove the silicone non-open? Since I still had lingering feelings, I booked a consultation at [Clinic D] too. They did not take CT there, and I only consulted with the doctor. The doctor at [Clinic D] gave the longest consultation. I also heard some terrifying things about the condition of my nose.. T_T My mental state took a hit..
First, he said the inflammation in my nose was so severe that treatment for the inflammation should come before surgery, and that I should go back to the hospital where I had my first surgery to do that;; Honestly, who would want to go back to the hospital where they had the first surgery.. So I said I did not want to go back there, and that usually people look for a new clinic, and that the previous clinic I visited said removal would be enough. (I spoke carefully, not in a sharp tone.) The doctor replied: with my nose condition, removal alone would not improve it. Other hospitals might say they can remove it, but they would not care anymore about what happens after removal. My current nose has inflammation that has spread to the skin, so removal alone would not help it. No clinic would want to take on that risk, so I should go back to the hospital where I had the first surgery. Hm.. but what was a bit hard to understand was that? At first he said inflammation treatment should come first, not removal, but toward the end of the consultation he said that silicone removal itself is one part of inflammation treatment, and that after removing the silicone I would need to continue inflammation treatment such as injections and medication for several months.
Also, he said that if everything were removed, contracture would occur and the tip should be left in place. I had gone after reading dozens of consultation reviews for [Clinic D], and they all said the same thing: do not do total removal; only leave the tip behind. So I had more or less expected it. Anyway, his stance was that he could not perform the surgery, so I had nothing more to ask. I may sound negative, but the doctor was not rude or anything. In fact, I am glad I went for the consultation.
In the end, I decided on [Clinic C], and my surgery is next Friday. At first I was only thinking, non-open, remove only the silicone! But I really think you have to go and consult in person. My mind changed to open total removal. I just want to end this fake-nose life and go back to my own nose, even if it is less pretty, as long as it is comfortable. If I do it at [Clinic C], I will have to give up the cosmetic side of things, but now that I am in my 30s, I decided to let go a bit of my obsession with appearance.
I wrote a footwork review when I had my first surgery too, but back then I decided on a place and did not write a surgery review afterward. When you read surgery reviews, at best they are only a few months after surgery. If I had said I was satisfied after a few months and then other people viewed that hospital positively and its business got better, I think I would have been jealous. In reality, I was somewhat satisfied for 1 to 2 years and had no major discomfort, and now I dislike the hospital where I had my first surgery so much that I almost curse it, so I think it was good that I did not write a review. But the reason I wrote that I decided on [Clinic C] is because, first, I really hope this revision surgery is truly my last one. Also, cosmetic nose surgery and nose removal are completely different in nature, right? Everyone on this board is in a desperate state.. so I wrote honestly for the sake of data.
Thanks for reading such a long post, and I hope it helps. If you have any questions, leave a comment! I will answer as much as I can.