<front view of my original nose>after<front view of nose on day 6 after removal surgery><side view of my original nose>after<side view of nose on day 6 after removal surgery>The day-1 review after early removal is in the same board.
Three-line summary
1. I had my first nose surgery at a certain hospital on 02/04, and then 3 days later, on Monday 02/07, I had an early removal surgery for the septal extension at the same hospital. 2. As of today, 5 days after the early removal surgery date (02/07), I went in and had the stitches removed. 3. Current condition: I cannot breathe through my nose / when I wrinkle my nose, there is an unpleasant pulling sensation / the nasal tip is swollen / the tip is lifted upward, but it has settled down compared with the first day. 4. The most important thing is that a highly skilled doctor performs my surgery well, but after that, communication between the doctor and the patient is just as important.
A nightmare-like week has passed.... Why was it like a nightmare? Because of my habit of always assuming the worst-case scenario and preparing for it.
- I asked them to remove all of the septal cartilage from the nasal tip, but what if there is any implant material left behind? - What if they removed so much septal cartilage that the remaining amount became insufficient and my nose turned into a saddle nose? - I heard that even functional nose surgery can cause side effects such as empty nose syndrome if it goes wrong. What if that happens to me?
These three worries had been bothering me all this time. To be honest, even today after the stitches were removed, those three worries are still there.
First, I received and read the operation record, and it said that the septal extension at the nasal tip was left inside the septal cartilage after removal.
When I asked during the brief follow-up with the director, they said the protruding part of the nasal tip had been cut off. I think they meant that the part where cartilage had been added and grafted to extend the septum all the way to the nasal tip, that is, the overlapping cartilage area, was left in place rather than removed. According to the operation record, the extension graft was done only on the right side, so my septal cartilage on the right side is probably thicker than the left.
Of course, the record does not say how much was added, so I cannot know. I will have to ask the director again about that. From what I found online, if something has been added onto the original septal cartilage, then over time blood supply through the mucous membrane does not go well, so the original septal cartilage may gradually weaken. In my case, if the record is accurate, only the right side was augmented, so it is somewhat better, but if a lot was added, that would be troublesome.
I also asked the director just in case there were any other implant materials I did not know about, and was told that there was nothing else left inside my nose. I asked because while browsing through this community, I had seen many cases of doctors with no conscience who stuffed materials the patient did not know about into the nose and stitched everything up. But I definitely said I would not use silicone, and the septal cartilage that had been inserted was also removed separately at additional surgical cost, so I guess there is nothing left...
※ Additional note: I just checked the operation record and found that I had thought septal cartilage had been placed only in the nasal tip, but it had also been placed in the bridge? It seems that this was also removed together during Monday’s removal surgery... I am wondering whether it is normal to place septal cartilage in the bridge as well. On top of that, the director said my nose was low and I did not have much septal cartilage, so if septal cartilage was also placed in the bridge, how much did they actually harvest... I am suddenly scared again...
Next, anxiety about the surgical result.
I heard that as a side effect of functional nose surgery, a saddle nose can occur if the bridge collapses, or empty nose syndrome can occur, making it impossible to breathe through the nose. For now, the director said there was no chance of a saddle nose because of my remaining septal cartilage. So I thought, phew, that is a relief... but then suddenly they said my nose had originally been a saddle nose. I had never heard that in my 30 years of life, nor had I ever thought that myself, so I was puzzled. I have constantly heard that my nose was low, blunt, and ugly, but I had never once heard, “You have a saddle nose.” I attached photos above.
I could not ask, “Could I develop empty nose syndrome?” The director left after 2 minutes... When the nurse removed the dried mucus from my nose, she said that right now the mucous membrane inside my nose was very swollen, which was why I could not breathe through my nose. After the crusts were removed, I could breathe shallowly through my nose for several tens of seconds, but then it quickly became blocked again, probably because blood crusts formed again. What is most uncomfortable right now is not that my nose is so swollen that I look like a stuffed-nose mascot, but that the nasal mucosa is so swollen and tightly blocked that I have no choice but to breathe through my mouth. Now that functional nose surgery is also over, I hope I can breathe through my nose soon. When I read rhinitis surgery reviews, everyone says they removed the cotton packing from inside the nose and saw the light at the end of the tunnel~, but it has been a week since my nasal packing was removed and I am still completely blocked. I want to see that light too as soon as possible.
Over the past week, after coming to this hospital several times, I became certain that even today, when checking my surgical progress, I would not be able to have a deep conversation with the director. So I made an appointment in advance with a plastic surgeon at another clinic nearby. I wanted to ask about anything I could not ask during today’s follow-up...
As expected, the follow-up ended in 2 minutes, and since I could not get detailed answers, I ended up visiting another hospital with my operation record. This was the person who had the biggest share in helping me decide on early removal of the septal extension, and after reading their writing carefully, I was deeply impressed, so I visited.
With no shame, I went to see that doctor and asked the questions I had been curious about. Of course, since the doctor had not performed my surgery, they answered based on general cases and after reviewing my operation record.
Since they are not an otolaryngology specialist, I could not ask about empty nose syndrome. I plan to visit a local ENT clinic for that.
When I asked whether I could develop a saddle nose, they answered that normally it is okay if the bridge does not sink in when pressed. They also said that rather than patients coming to the hospital first because they are worried about saddle nose, it is more often discovered when they return for revision surgery without realizing it. Because I had the septal extension inserted and then removed, my nostrils are currently very swollen, so it is hard to judge accurately. I will have to wait until the swelling goes down... I hope it is not a saddle nose.
When I said that the right extended part remained because the septal extension was not completely removed, they said it should be fine if the area is not large. So I felt relieved. My nose was small and low, so if the septum had not been harvested excessively, they probably only took a small amount, and the extended part they had added for lengthening probably was not large either. Also, the operation record says only the right side was done... For reference, they said cartilage cannot be checked by CT or X-ray, so only the surgeon who performed the operation knows how much was added.
After looking at photos of my nose before surgery, they said it had not originally been a saddle nose. By American standards, it might look like a saddle nose, but by Korean standards it is definitely not a saddle nose. If this were a saddle nose, then everyone would be a saddle nose. So I inwardly had the reasonable suspicion that the director who performed my surgery may have been trying to pull a switch and say my nose had originally been a saddle nose.
The pulling sensation and foreign-body feeling that still remain in my nose were probably because I had surgery. They said that what had been added onto the septum originally would not even be felt... so it may gradually get better.
And since the water has already been spilled, they said to wait and observe the course. They said it is not easy for the worst-case scenario to happen. I asked bothersomely for about 30 minutes, but I was really grateful that they still answered kindly. The consultation fee was only 10,000 won... A lot of my anxiety disappeared. It was the smartest spending I made this year.
Oh, and after removing the tape and checking the operated nose shape, there is still some swelling, but it is similar to my original nose, so I am satisfied for now. I hope it stays like this, with no upward lift, and only the swelling goes down. Both the director who performed the surgery and the doctor I consulted with said the nose can be lifted upward, so I am worried...
On the way home, I felt the importance of communication deeply. If there had been enough communication at the hospital where I had surgery, I would not have rushed into septal extension surgery, and even if I had undergone it, I would have made the decision more carefully, so at least I would have regretted it less than I do now.
And as I wrote in my first post, it is also important to study nose surgery thoroughly yourself. I went to the hospital with the easy-minded thought of wanting a little alar reduction and a slightly slimmer nasal tip, and now I am suffering severely... I think it is right to study carefully on your own and decide clearly what you absolutely do not want and what you definitely need before going to the hospital.
Thank you for reading this far. This is the day-6 record after early removal of the septal extension, and I will post weekly updates on the progress.
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