It has been a long time since I wrote a post in a cosmetic surgery community, but this third surgery turned out so well that it changed my life. I am leaving this here in hopes of giving hope to people like me who lose sleep over a contracted nose. I have seen many people on this community who had even more dramatic stories than I did, but people who have not gone through this kind of pain do not understand it. I too suffered for a long time because of a botched surgery.
My first surgery was done about 10 years ago for purely cosmetic reasons, using silicone and ear cartilage. Back then I never imagined that the silicone, which is considered safe for most people, would cause contracture in me. At first it seemed fine, but as time passed my nose gradually became harder and seemed to shrink? Rather than shrink, it felt more like it was slowly tightening, getting warm, and clumping together. In the end, less than two years later, I had the silicone removed, and since I was told that removing the ear cartilage too would make the nose even lower... I was told it would be fine to leave the autologous cartilage, so I decided to keep only the ear cartilage.
Even after the second surgery, my nose was still lifted overall, and the columella had sunk in as if it had been cut, causing a collapsed appearance. Every time I looked in the mirror, the stress was unbearable, and it got so uncomfortable and hard that I had to wear a mask every day.
In the middle of all that, I felt I could not keep living like this anymore, and I thought, maybe it is late, but should I consider surgery again now? Enough time has passed, so maybe there are new techniques or know-how that are different from before? With those thoughts, I gathered my courage and decided to look into revision surgery for contracture again. I felt that if I failed again, it would be over, so I searched every place known for contracted nose repair, reconstruction, and revision surgery. Among them, the reason I chose this surgeon was their expertise and confidence.
During the consultation, I emphasized only two things. 1. I absolutely do not want any artificial implant anymore. 2. Please lower this lifted nose and rebuild it in a natural, human way.
Those two things.
They showed many cases of naturally correcting even more complex and difficult cases than mine, which gave me confidence. Not only did they fully understand the two points I stressed, but the surgeon also understood my feelings completely and agreed to proceed using only autologous cartilage, without any artificial implant, release the contracted tissue to sufficiently lengthen the nose, and raise the collapsed columella while shaping the tip naturally without making it blunt.
As shown in the photos I uploaded, the surgery went extremely well according to the surgeon's plan. It has been quite a while since the surgery, and I truly feel like I have been given a new life. The biggest concern, the upturned-nose look, was corrected perfectly, and because there is no implant, I do not feel any foreign-body sensation in my nose and it feels comfortable. Since it was autologous rib cartilage, there is no sense of mismatch either, and just as I wanted, the tip is small and refined, while the overall line has lengthened naturally. More than anything, because the columella was restored, the three-dimensional balance along the side profile of my face changed completely. People around me also say I look much better and smile more lol.
A contracted nose is not just a surgery to become prettier; in a way, it is treatment. For those of you who, like me, have closed your hearts after two or more failed surgeries, do not give up. The surgeon was truly a lifesaver for me, so I am writing this review with real sincerity.
If you have any questions about cost or aftercare, please leave a comment or send me a message. I will answer as best as I can!