There are probably many people who, for one to three months after surgery, are extremely stressed and spend all day in related communities. I was the same, and now that things have stabilized somewhat, I’m writing a 2-month review and a few thoughts I had after reading thousands of posts during that period.
1 Looking at most reviews, many people seem more shocked than satisfied at the 2-week follow-up point. Reviews like “I feel like I became an Avatar,” “I feel like my nose became too long,” and “I feel like I became a plastic surgery monster” are mostly written by people around weeks 2 to 3. I was also extremely stressed during that time and took more photos then than I had taken in my entire life, but the saying “Break every mirror and just sleep until one month has passed” is the truth. Of course, there are some people who really did have problems and had removal surgery, but after people write posts like that at weeks 2 to 4, most of them do not post follow-up reviews. In the end, time resolves it. If there are no special problems like inflammation, it is okay to wait 90 days before removing anything. Even if you remove it after about 3 months, it does not cause as big of a problem as we worry about.
2. My nostrils are uneven, they became an “11” shape It does improve to some extent over time, but I think there are far more people for whom it is not completely resolved than people for whom it is. It seems more common to either leave it alone or have revision surgery. From the beginning, there are often structural reasons such as asymmetry, and even if the patient clearly emphasizes it in advance, there seem to be many cases where this still cannot be fixed. Usually it looks less severe when taking selfies or looking in the mirror, but many people feel it strongly in certain situations, such as when someone else takes a photo or when looking from below. It seems common that we perceive it twice as seriously as other people do. I think either having revision surgery or letting go to some extent may be better for your mental health.
3. I had functional nose surgery, but one side is extremely blocked. Will it get better later? This case really seems to vary a lot by individual. Of course, many people improve to some extent over time, but there were also quite a lot of people who did not. For me too, after surgery, my left nostril was blocked for almost a month and a half, and now it has almost improved, though I still feel some unnaturalness. But considering the progress so far, I am not too worried.
4. There is no 100% success, so bet on higher odds The doctor’s aesthetic sense is not completely irrelevant, but in the end, surgery is in the realm of mechanical technical skill. Going to a doctor who has performed many surgeries is inevitably better both psychologically and in terms of probability. Since they are not shaping and sculpting a nose out of clay like a sculptor, once they are holding the scalpel over the operating table, what matters is how accurately and mechanically they proceed with the surgery. So when you are considering several doctor candidates, I hope you think among doctors who have performed many surgeries. There are many people who visit dozens of places, receive consultations, put in a lot of legwork, and still fail and have revision surgery. There is no 100% success. Even if other people say it turned out well, if you yourself are dissatisfied, there is a high chance you will have surgery again. Everyone probably knows that no matter what others say, if you feel it is not right, it does not resonate. So I did not even consider hospitals without CCTV in the operating room, and because I saw the shape immediately after surgery and the process, it helped me wait a little more.
5. Factory-style? vs private clinic? Hospitals commonly called factory-style have people in charge who specialize in each step, so because the division of labor is clear, they perform an enormous number of surgeries per day. That is probably why people compare them to surgery factories. The advantages of large hospitals are clear experience and number of surgeries, relatively affordable prices, clear manuals for the surgical process and problems, and fast responses. The advantage of a private clinic is that because there is less change in the doctor in charge throughout the entire process, from the first consultation to monitoring your progress after coming down from the operating table, they give more attention and care to each individual patient. I do not think there is a right answer here. You need to choose according to your own thoughts and standards, based on what you prioritize more.
5. 2-month review Even thinking back, someone with a very sensitive personality like mine should not have surgery. When the splint was first removed, the shock was so big that I went to the hospital often and even said unpleasant things to the doctor. And now that time has passed, I am satisfied. Honestly, I really hope this was my last surgery. I do not have the confidence to go through this kind of experience ever again. People who have already been through it will relate, and there are probably many people going through that process right now. But once water has spilled, whether you scoop it back up or wipe it up, a certain amount of time is needed, and during that period, the only thing you can do is take care of your own mental state. That is why I thought I definitely had to leave a review after some time had passed, and I am also leaving my review of my director and hospital.
Manager ㅇㅇㅈ at ㄷㅇㅇ was in charge of me, and I had septal surgery + nose surgery with Director ㅎㅅㅈ. After the splint was removed at week 2, I made a huge fuss, and I remember taking more photos within 3 days than I had taken in my entire life, for almost 4 weeks. I looked through every related community, even posts from years ago, and felt I could not live like this, so I tried to have it removed, but they firmly told me no and told me to wait. Usually, when you talk about removal, some doctors will do it right away and some will not. I think this part depends on receiving surgery from a doctor who suits the patient’s own style, but I accepted it because they explained why it could not be done and said no. From the first consultation and adjustment process, based on the maximum of what I requested, the doctor explained in very great detail what was possible and where the excessive parts were firmly not possible, along with the reasons. What cannot be done cannot be done, but they explain the reasons in a way that we, as non-specialists, can understand. And the manager who was in charge of me, conversely, gave me all the care I wanted. From communication to post-surgery management, I think I received 100% care. Because of that, I got through the so-called mentally difficult period, and for me, the hospital and director who performed what I hope is my last surgery, and the manager who gave me 100% mental care, were the best by my standards.
6. Which doctor and hospital are the best in Korea? Even at this moment, there are probably people staying here, searching before and after surgery, people who have had surgery and are enduring the mentally difficult phase, and people who truly did not get good results and are preparing for revision surgery. Even if a doctor performs surgery well on a thousand people, it may not go well when it is my turn. In the end, I think the hospital and doctor of the last surgery that does not lead to another surgery may be the best doctor for us. On the internet, where endless personal speculation and viral marketing run rampant, even if you look up as many reviews as possible and receive consultations in person, the final choice is ultimately stamped by you. So I think you can be the most satisfied only if you establish standards you can accept and enter the operating room.
I hope everyone reading this has their final surgery.
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