Hello. This is my same-day review after having 3 types of facial contouring surgery with Director Yujihan at Note Plastic Surgery because I was worried about my 45-degree cheekbones and facial asymmetry.
I hope this helps anyone considering 3-type facial contouring surgery like I did.
Surgery day timeline - AM 09:00 Start of 8-hour fast (including water restriction) - PM 14:30 Arrive at the hospital - PM 15:30 Final consultation with Director Yujihan - PM 17:30 General anesthesia and surgery start - PM 22:30 Surgery ends and recovery begins - AM 01:00 next day Walk for swelling management
- Starting around 1 a.m., they recommend walking to help reduce swelling. Since I could not go outside as a patient, I kept walking the same route in the hospital hallway instead. I moved around for about 40 minutes. - Water intake became possible at 2:30 a.m. the next day
Surgical plan This surgery was not simply about shaving down the face, but focused on balancing the center of the face. - Chin: moved the crooked chin tip to the center with an "S"-shaped osteotomy - Cheekbones: reduced the protruding 45-degree cheekbones - Square jaw: focused on smoothing the uneven line
Real discomfort I felt right after surgery (things to watch for) Right after surgery, there were quite a few unexpected discomforts.
1. Extreme thirst: I could not drink water for more than about 17 hours combined before and after surgery. Because of fasting before surgery, they said I should not drink water for about 4 hours after surgery either. So my throat was extremely dry and I kept swallowing saliva for no reason. This was probably the hardest part for me. When I drank water, I really felt alive again.
2. Nosebleed running down: Blood pooled around the cheekbones from the surgery would run out through the nose when I bent my head or moved my body. - The nurse said tissues are not 100% clean, so blocking the nose with them could raise the risk of infection. So do not plug the nose with tissues; just gently wipe away the blood that flows out.
3. Slurred speech: Because of the oral incision and the swelling across my whole face, my pronunciation did not come out properly even when I tried to speak. It was hard to tell the nurse or doctor what I wanted.
4. Sleeping at a 45-degree angle: To prevent swelling, I had to sleep propped up at a 45-degree angle so that my heart stayed below my face. - Because of the swelling inside my mouth and the constant nosebleeds, it was hard to fall into deep sleep, and I woke up almost every 1 to 2 hours. - A sleeping pillow and eye mask helped a lot with sleep. The sleeping pillow supported my neck properly even at a 45-degree angle, so I could at least lean back a little. I did not know the window blinds could be lowered, so I did not lower them, but I had an eye mask, so I could block the light and sleep.
It has now been 2 weeks since surgery, and I still have swelling around the lower jaw. My mouth does not open very wide because I have not been doing mouth exercises much, and my smile still feels awkward, but I expect it to improve more. Of course, the overall swelling has gone down a lot, so daily life is possible.
The 2 weeks after surgery were hard, but I am satisfied because the 45-degree cheekbones and jaw asymmetry that stood out before seem to have been improved a lot.