I suffered enormous stress from infection and contracture after rhinoplasty. Communication with the hospital was not smooth, and I eventually received a full refund of the 3.5 million won surgical fee, but that was not the end of it.
After surgery, the area under my nose and around the columella remained red and swollen. I repeatedly told the hospital that performed the surgery about this even before receiving the refund, but they only said it was a “natural recovery process.” However, my nose looked extremely abnormal and I was anxious, so I had a CT scan at another hospital on September 30, and I was told something different. Signs of infection were found around the columella, and they judged that the silicone implant was too close to the columellar skin and irritating it. The surgeon said it had to be removed immediately because if left in place, the silicone would break through the tissue.
So I had the silicone implant removed immediately on September 30. During removal, they said there was pus collected inside. September 30 was also the 100th day since my surgery. If I had left it until six months, as the original hospital told me to, my nose probably would have rotted...
Before deciding on the refund, I had already repeatedly informed the original hospital about symptoms and conditions suggesting inflammation around the columella and under the nose. Based on my contact history: August 26: I reported a condition suggesting inflammation and necrosis around the columella and under the nose. September 10: I sent information and photos showing that the area under my nose remained red and that necrosis was suspected. September 14: I again reported the symptoms with photos of the columella and surrounding nose and requested a response. September 16: Because I remained anxious about communication and follow-up, with no sufficient progress checks or specific solution offered, I decided on a refund.
In fact, on September 9 I also told them that I was still waiting for a response and sent information and photos about the persistent redness under my nose and suspected necrosis. They later replied that they would check, but I never received specific guidance about what tests I should undergo, how infection would be confirmed, or what treatment or follow-up observation was needed.
With the hospital's replies delayed, it was inevitable that I became anxious and lost trust. During removal, they washed the area and performed a bacterial culture, and I also had antibiotic treatment. This resulted in 770,000 won in medical expenses.
Even more absurdly, when I told the original hospital about this cost, they avoided responsibility. I did not have the implant removed at another hospital simply because I disliked the shape of my nose. Another hospital confirmed signs of infection and skin irritation caused by the implant and removed it for treatment. I do not know whether I am really supposed to bear even those treatment costs as the patient.
Separate from the 3.5 million won refund for the surgery, I ended up spending an additional 770,000 won to treat a problem that developed after surgery. The medical certificate issued on September 30 also states: “signs of infection around the columella,” “the silicone implant is adjacent to the columellar skin and irritating it,” and “removal of the silicone implant, washing, and bacterial culture.”
They said the silicone looked ready to break through the tissue at any moment and had to be removed immediately, so I ended up having it removed on the spot.
If there had been no problem from the beginning, why would I have needed to spend more money to have the implant removed?
I am not simply upset about the 770,000 won. I want to ask whether patients are expected to bear even the costs incurred to treat problems that arise after surgery.
Has anyone had an implant-removal surgery because of an implant problem or infection after plastic surgery, or resolved a hospital and treatment-cost issue in a similar situation? I would like to hear about the experiences of people who have gone through something like this. #Rhinoplasty #RevisionRhinoplasty #RhinoplastyComplications #ContractedNose #NasalInfection