First of all, I had double-jaw surgery 7 years ago, and my first nose surgery was 5 years ago. Since this is a revision, the septum had weakened a lot because of the double-jaw surgery, so most places said I should use rib cartilage.
1. ㅅㅇ (one director, one doctor from the Mar Clinic)
Recommended surgical method (materials, incision method): open approach, the septal cartilage is very weakened from the double-jaw surgery so rib cartilage is needed, ear cartilage (as secondary support for the tip), the tip should use autologous dermis (they said autologous dermis can make the nose look a bit bulky, so they recommended alar reduction), and the bridge should use silicone (lower than my original height)
Before/after photos: Same as on the website. During the consultation, the director showed me the photos on his own.
Surgery method (anesthesia): 5-minute sedation, local anesthesia
Surgery time: 4 hours (adds 1 more hour if alar reduction is done)
Director's nose surgery experience: 11 years
Whether CCTV viewing is possible (including whether a fee is charged): Possible only after filing a police report. A guardian can sit next to the CCTV. Instead, they said they would photograph everything used during surgery and show it to me.
Aftercare (things like swelling laser or sebum care): 3 visits after surgery, swelling care at each visit
AS period: No separate set period, but if inflammation occurs and there is no history of it, the hospital will proactively suggest it
Number of surgeries per day: 2 (morning, afternoon)
Cost: 8 million won if I agree to photo use; an additional 1.7 million for using autologous rib cartilage; an additional 1 million if alar reduction is done
There was absolutely no pressure to book. I could feel that the consulting manager was being genuinely detailed and sincere. They repeated the important points several times. I was satisfied with the hospital atmosphere, the director, and the manager, but the price was a very big downside.
- I was satisfied after the consultation, but after looking at the premium reviews from this community, I saw there were some not-so-great points, so my excitement cooled off a lot...?
2. ㄹㅅㅌ
Recommended surgical method (materials, incision method): silicone for the bridge (lower the starting point), autologous rib cartilage, alar reduction, complete incision (below the tip and below both nostrils) - my skin is not particularly thin
Before/after photos: They said there was a computer error, so they had none. They told me to check Babitalk and Gangnam Unni.
Surgery method (anesthesia): sedation for the full 3 hours
Surgery time: 3 hours
From when skincare is possible? (such as extractions or cryo care): From one month later
Director's nose surgery experience: 17 years
Whether CCTV viewing is possible (including whether a fee is charged): Possible
Number of hospital visits after surgery: 3
Aftercare (things like swelling laser or sebum care): Swelling laser
AS period: 2 years
Number of surgeries per day: 2-3 cases
Cost: 6.9 million won, or 6.5 million if you contact them by mid-February
The front desk staff were very chatty. The staff did not feel particularly kind. The director was kind and drew directly on my face photo to show the direction the nose surgery would take. The consulting manager felt like they wanted to end the consultation quickly; they only answered my questions and were very passive. I liked the director, but I did not like the staff, so I lost the desire to go through with it.
3. ㄹㅁㅌㄷ Recommended surgical method (materials, incision method): For the tip, autologous rib cartilage or donated rib cartilage + ear cartilage as cover; for the columella, autologous rib cartilage (the director's recommendation) or donated rib cartilage + septal cartilage. For the bridge, they recommended adding donated dermis over silicone. Overall, they generally recommended donated rib cartilage or donated dermis as good materials.
Before/after photos: They showed me the website photos.
Surgery method (anesthesia): Sedation (for the entire surgery)
Surgery time: About 3.5 hours if donated rib cartilage is used; about 4-5 hours if autologous rib cartilage is used
Director's nose surgery experience: About 14 years
Whether CCTV viewing is possible (including whether a fee is charged): Possible only if requested in advance
Aftercare (things like swelling laser or sebum care): Since it is a one-doctor clinic, there is nothing separate, but in cases like a bulbous nose, scar tissue tends to last longer, so they give scar tissue injections for free
AS period: 1-2 years
Number of surgeries per day: 2
Days until all stitches are removed: 14 days, and washing the face is possible from day 7
Cost: donated rib cartilage 7.04 million / autologous rib cartilage 7.7 million
This was the first place that brought up asymmetry. They said that since my face itself is slightly tilted, either left or right, even if I do nose surgery, the asymmetry improvement would not be 완전히 perfect. The director and all the counselors were kind, and the hospital atmosphere was fine, but the nose shape in the photos they showed me was not my style.
4. ㅊㄷㅊ Recommended surgical method (materials, incision method): columellar incision, silicone for the bridge (2.5 mm), and for the tip, septal cartilage and ear cartilage, or rib cartilage (the septal cartilage seems okay in size, but it may be a bit weak, and because the tip needs to be raised, rib cartilage will likely be used)
Surgery method (anesthesia): Sedation anesthesia for the entire surgery
Surgery time: 2-3 hours
Whether CCTV viewing is possible (including whether a fee is charged): Only available for submission purposes; viewing is not possible
Aftercare (things like swelling laser or sebum care): Swelling care injections, bruise cream, etc. Their aftercare system was the most diverse
AS period: 1 year
Number of surgeries per day: 2
Cost: 9.5 million for autologous rib cartilage; with actual insurance, you could get about 2.4 million back
My consultation was at 10 a.m., and there were a lot of people waiting. Before the consultation, they played an explanatory video about nose surgery. They checked the inside of my nose carefully with cotton swabs to assess the septum, which gave a thorough feeling. The director was very kind. The manager strongly emphasized that the director had done double-jaw surgery at ID Hospital and that I was the optimal case. There was a slight push to book, and the manager's confidence was intense. But on the website this hospital showed 2 directors, yet it felt like almost everything, from consultations to surgeries, was concentrated on one famous doctor. Since they said CCTV could not be disclosed, it somehow made me suspicious of a proxy surgery concern for no good reason...? Also, this was the first place that insisted on doing functional nose surgery together no matter what. I had no real discomfort in daily life, but the manager said that was just because I had adapted to it. I regret not asking the director whether functional nose surgery was really necessary.
Out of the 4 places, honestly ㅅㅇ and ㅊㄷㅊ were the ones I liked, but the cost was the cost, and after reading the premium reviews from this community, there were a few posts about side effects, which really deflated me... Honestly, these days it's consultation season, so I could only go to one clinic a day and I'm exhausted. I'm wondering whether I should make more consultation appointments and keep visiting places, or just give up... hehe... I hope my consultation tour review was helpful... Finding a hospital I truly like is honestly like plucking stars from the sky.