I had my first surgery and then revision surgery twice with incisional methods, but both times the fixation strength was different on each side, the eye asymmetry did not improve, and only the back part of the eye-opening correction worked, not the front part. After the first surgery, I did not like how thin the line was, and I wanted the front part of the double eyelid to show and wanted a semi-out look, so for the revision I raised the line and had the upper canthoplasty done. It looks better in photos, but it does not suit my face, so I am thinking about a third surgery to lower the line again and do eye-opening correction so the front of the pupil is more visible. Also, it did not become semi-out, and instead it just became an in-out shape that is easy to see at the front Both the first and second surgeries failed to improve the front part of the eye-opening correction.... I also wonder if my eyes are simply the kind that do not respond to eye-opening correction when opened So I visited 5 clinics, and all 5 said it is possible. Most of them meant that the first and second doctors were indeed lacking in skill. But what worries me is that both the first and second surgeries failed completely to correct the front part of the pupil, so if I go to a skilled doctor for the third surgery, will it really work What if my eyes are just the kind that do not respond when opened? They said the muscles at the front of my eyes are all there. Also, all 5 clinics said they obviously cannot perfectly match the asymmetry, but it can be improved compared with now.
The reasons I want a repeat revision, in order of how desperate I am: 1. Front eye-opening correction, so the front of the eyes opens rounder 2. Uneven eyes 3. The back part is too high and looks harsh (I want to lower the back part of the double-eyelid line a lot) 4. The fixation is deep and there is a slight sausage-like look 5. Make the line thinner
My first surgery was done in my 20s at a friend's clinic in the provinces because I did not know any better, and my revision was done in Gangnam. I did it without properly researching hospitals that are famous for revisions, so I am not satisfied I wrote the consultation visits in chronological order.
1. ㅁㅅㄹㅇ They explained in detail why front eye-opening correction is difficult. They said they can do it. They said that from their point of view, the fixation is not very strong, but a little strong and somewhat sausage-like. There were many reviews saying the doctor is sharp or curt, but rather than harsh, the doctor just felt cool and aloof. They drew several eye diagrams slowly and in detail and explained things clearly and well, so in a way they were sweet. They said there was no extra skin to spare, so excision alone would never work, and if they did a double-line method, it would create a double fold, so that would not work either. They said to cut along the existing line and lower it. The disappointing part is that they did not show me any post-op photos. And if they cut along the existing line, it seems like it would come out in the same shape as the current line, so I do not think I would do it here. I said I wanted to lower the back part of the line more, but they said the back part would naturally come down more on its own, though they did not explain the principle, so pass... The price was also the highest.
2. ㄱㄴㅅㅇ I paid a 10,000 won consultation fee, so maybe that is why it was a satisfying consultation. The director gave off a warm, comfortable neighborhood-uncle kind of vibe, and there was not even 0.0001% of an authoritarian attitude. They used a Galaxy Tab or iPad to take my photo right away and explained while showing me my eyes. They also showed me eye surgery cases they had presented at conferences and eye surgery cases similar to mine. I had about 20 minutes of pure consultation with the director. They told me that if I did eye-opening correction, exposure keratopathy could get worse. But they said that would of course be temporary. They explained in detail, in a way I could understand, the principle behind the side effect of exposure keratopathy from eye-opening correction. They also explained in detail, with drawings, why my eyes have that sausage-like look. They said they could do a good job opening the front part of the eye. After looking at my eyes, they said to lower only the back part of the line and use eye-opening correction for the front. One disappointing thing is that in the reviews here, the photos all looked like the fixation was weak, which I actually liked, but my current fixation is strong and I do not like that, and when they looked at my eyes they said the fixation was not strong.... hmm... They said the harsh triangular-eye look should be fixed by lowering the back part of the line more. They recommended the double-line method because there is not much extra skin. When I asked whether double-line surgery could create a double fold, they said my skin is relatively thick so that would not happen. Lowest price.
3. ㄱㄴ (ㅇㄱㅎ) They looked at my eyes and said on their own to lower the back part of the line more and do front eye-opening correction. They recommended the double-line method. When I asked whether double-line surgery could create a double fold, they said my current incision line does not go all the way to the outer corner, but only to the middle, so the probability of a double fold is low. They said temporary eye-opening correction is highly likely, for about 4 months. The director seems to have a quiet personality. The consultation was neither especially satisfying nor especially unsatisfying.
4. ㄱㄹㅂ(ㅂㅈㅊ) I actually went here during my revision-surgery clinic visits too. Back then I was fixated on a semi-out look, so I visited 5 clinics including this one, and 4 said semi-out was possible, while only here did they say semi-out absolutely would not work and would become sausage-like. As I remember it, they said to do only an incision without eye-opening correction. (But this time, when I went for the repeat revision consultation, I had written down that they suggested eye-opening correction. Anyway, the big reason I skipped it was because they said semi-out would not work.) I kept thinking, how can I fix uneven eyes with double-eyelid surgery alone? Also, I really wanted a semi-out look. But it turned out the doctor here was right. Semi-out would not work, and it would become a thick in-out look with a sausage-like appearance. So I thought the doctor had a good eye, and that is why I booked the repeat revision consultation. So anyway, I told the director that I had done my revision consultation here before, but had surgery elsewhere and there was no improvement, so I came back. They welcomed me gladly and gave an even more sincere consultation than last time. They said there was a little extra skin, so they recommended excising about 0.5 mm. When I asked why not do the double-line method, they said they are good at it and confident in it, but for me they recommended excision. Both the coordinator and the director spoke as if excision was better than double-line surgery. They looked at my eyes and said on their own that I had a sausage-like feeling and strong fixation. At ㄱㄴㅅㅇ they had said the fixation was not strong, and at ㅁㅅㄹㅇ they had said it was not very strong, just a little strong, but this doctor picked up that my fixation was as strong as they had said. And I asked whether they knew why both the first and second surgeries failed to correct the eye-opening correction, why I still had uneven eyes, and why the fixation strength was different on each side. They said if the first surgeon makes a mistake, it is likely that later surgeons just end up following that. They said they are skilled, so they can make the fixation similar. And when I told them the things I wanted, unlike the other clinics, they spoke with strong confidence that they could do everything 100 percent. But in the end, the role of doctors is to get the patient to agree to the consultation and surgery, so I do not know whether that was partly sales talk or genuinely 100 percent confidence. They said they were confident they could make the front eye-opening correction rounder. At the other places, they all told me that eye-opening correction could cause exposure keratopathy, so when I asked if there are side effects, they answered sharply, no. So I asked whether it could happen temporarily, and they said it is just swelling for a month or two and it will close well. We talked while looking at cases similar to mine. The special differences here are a 3-year A/S period and a follow-up visit the very next day after surgery. It seems like they call you in the next day right away in case the eye-opening correction was not done properly and needs to be redone. And unlike the other doctors, as soon as the director entered the consultation room, they bowed their head and greeted me, said it must have been cold and that I had come a long way, then bowed again and apologized for being late because the surgery ran long. Of course, you could see that as the attitude of a businessperson trying to attract customers, but from a patient’s point of view, it is definitely an important factor that creates a favorable impression. Even after finishing the consultation and walking out, they suddenly came back in and said, 'If you end up having surgery here, I will give it my absolute best even if there are other consultations after you.' I do think that is the default mindset for a plastic surgeon, but this was the first person who said it directly out loud. The consultation here was indeed the most satisfying. It was also the most satisfying during my revision consultation, and I wonder what would have happened if I had done my revision here. Still, I have the feeling that even if I had done revision here, the front line of the double eyelid showing would not suit my face, so I probably would have lowered the line again.
5. ㅇㅇㅂ(ㅂㅇㅎ) They said there was enough extra skin, so they suggested doing it with a very slight excision. What I thought was honest here was that, unlike other places, they told me the eye-opening correction might not work properly. They said that if there is messy tissue or scar tissue inside when the eye opens, then even with eye-opening correction, the eye may not open properly. But they also said they explain this to all patients, not just me, and that it will probably work well. They also said that the high back part of the line I wanted to lower a lot and make round at the front might not turn out exactly as I want. This did make them seem less confident than the other doctors, but I could not tell whether the other doctors were speaking with sales-style certainty while this one was the only honest one, or whether the other doctors were genuinely confident and this doctor just lacked a bit of confidence. And they were the only one to mention that it had been less than 6 months since surgery, saying in effect that it would actually be better to wait a bit longer. They said it would definitely be possible after 6 months, but that it would be better to do it after a bit more time. No one else mentioned that. But I had heard the director here was kind and gentle, and yet when I went for the consultation, maybe because they were pressed for time or tired, they seemed to want to end it quickly. I felt like I was being rushed out, so I got nervous and the consultation did not even last 5 minutes. I will probably pass on this one. The coordinator was nice, though...
6. ㅇㄴㅋ(ㅇㅈㅎ) Consultation is scheduled for next week. I will add more after the consultation.
Price ㅁㅅㄹㅇ > ㄱㄴ > ㄱㄹㅂ > ㅇㅇㅂ > ㄱㄴㅅㅇ Consultation satisfaction ㄱㄹㅂ > ㄱㄴㅅㅇ > ㅁㅅㄹㅇ > ㄱㄴ > ㅇㅇㅂ
I am deciding between ㄱㄹㅂ and ㄱㄴㅅㅇ I am leaning more toward ㄱㄹㅂ. If you read the above, you can see that it was the only place during my revision consultations that correctly understood my eye condition, and I do regret not having my revision done at ㄱㄹㅂ. Anyway, I am leaning toward ㄱㄹㅂ, but when I search cafe reviews, I saw a few comments where people exchanged side-effect stories by private message so there is no guarantee that it will not happen to me either. Could people who had surgery at ㄱㄹㅂ tell me how satisfied they were? Thanks for reading this long post.