Hello, I am writing to leave my one-month review after undergoing incisional ptosis correction surgery with Dr. Ham Ki-won at [Clinic A]. Unlike what I saw in the mirror, my eyes looked small in photos, and hearing people around me say that my eyes were small made me feel a bit self-conscious. I also often used my forehead muscles to open my eyes more clearly because of my sleepy-looking impression, to the point that faint forehead lines started to appear.
So I looked into it and learned that many men undergo ptosis correction surgery. I researched many places, and among the final three clinics I narrowed it down to, [Clinic A] was one of them. What led me to choose Dr. Ham Ki-won there in the end was partly because the consultation coordinator was very kind, but I think the biggest reason was that I felt confident after my consultation with the doctor.
1) When I explained what I wanted, he clearly told me what could be done and what could not be done, for example making the two eyes exactly the same size. 2) At every other clinic I visited, they all recommended epicanthoplasty as well. But Dr. Ham Ki-won said, 'It would be fine to do it, but it is also perfectly okay not to do it. Your eyes are not the kind that absolutely need epicanthoplasty.' He also lightly touched the area around my eyes and showed me what it would feel like if I had epicanthoplasty. At the other clinics, they only said I should do it, and no one showed me what it would actually feel like. At [Clinic A], after seeing what epicanthoplasty would feel like, I strongly felt that it was not the impression I wanted, so in the end I decided not to have it. Because of that, I felt that this doctor was not someone who recommended unnecessary or excessive surgery for profit, and that built trust. 3) When he used a thin stick to show me the double eyelid line directly, the line Dr. Ham Ki-won drew looked prettier and more appealing than the ones I had seen elsewhere.
On the day of surgery, before the operation, I again met with the doctor and used a thin stick to map out the double eyelid line one last time. After checking one final time whether epicanthoplasty would be okay at that time, the doctor said that if I liked my original impression and did not want to make a big change, he recommended not doing it, so I decided against it.
The surgery itself passed quickly without any pain. Once I was told that the anesthetic would be administered through an IV, I drifted along in a dreamy state, and before long the surgery was over. That said, you do not fall completely asleep during the surgery; you stay with your eyes closed, and when the doctor tells you to open your eyes once in the middle, you need to open them.
After the surgery, I sat in a recliner in the next room and rested for about 30 minutes while applying a cold compress to my eyes. After 30 minutes, I felt normal again without any lingering effects from the anesthesia, so I was discharged right away. But if your condition is not so good, they said you can rest longer before leaving.
About an hour after discharge, as the anesthesia wore off, I gradually started to feel stinging and pain around my eyelids. So I kept using the cooling eye mask I received at discharge to continue cold compresses. That level of pain lasted for about a day, and after that, even though the stitches were still there, there was almost no pain. Until the stitches were removed five days later, I could not let water touch the surgical area and I had to avoid pressure on my eyes, so even washing my face was limited and I could not wash my hair. The discomfort from not being able to clean myself properly was honestly worse than the pain. Still, having the surgery in winter was better than doing it in summer.
About two weeks after the surgery, I started social activities again, and people who had not seen me in a while said my impression had changed somehow and looked better. People meeting me for the first time, after I told them I had surgery, said it looked so natural that it did not seem like I had done it only two weeks earlier, and that it looked well done.
At around one month, it felt so familiar that I could barely remember my old eyes. When I open my eyes clearly, the double eyelid folds tuck inward as the doctor said, becoming almost invisible, and it feels like the shape has settled naturally without looking greasy or awkward. Also, I no longer need to tense my forehead to open my eyes clearly, so it feels more comfortable and less tiring.
Some people might ask whether I regret not having epicanthoplasty, but even now, one month later, I like the gentle impression my current eye shape gives, and because it looks natural, I do not regret it at all. I am very satisfied myself, and people around me also often say I look more handsome, so that adds to my satisfaction too. I hope anyone reading this gets surgery from a doctor who does not recommend excessive procedures and whom they can trust. To me, Dr. Ham Ki-won seems like that kind of doctor.