I got a lot of help from reading the reviews on this site, so I thought that if I ever had surgery, I should definitely write a review too.
<Reason for surgery>: First, my original nose was very short, low, and the nostrils were clearly visible from the front. 5 years ago, I had surgery at a university hospital using silicone for the bridge and ear cartilage for the tip. After the first surgery, I felt it looked prettier than my pre-op nose, so I was satisfied, but the people around me didn’t react that well, and many said only the glabella had become higher. Still, I lived without major complaints, but in the 3rd year and 5th year after surgery (recently), I had inflammatory reactions where the starting point of the silicone at the glabella suddenly swelled up. When I first got inflammation, I went to the hospital where I had the surgery and asked whether the silicone had to be removed. They said there was no need to take out something that had been difficult to put in, and prescribed antibiotics, which I took, and the swelling went down. When the inflammation happened a second time, I looked closely at my nose and saw that the columella was bent and the nostrils were severely asymmetric. At the hospital, they said something like, “It doesn’t look like there’s a problem on the outside? If the shape changes (contracture), then remove it and take medication for now.” So I decided to just have the silicone removed at another hospital. I can’t live for the rest of my life with the possibility that, because of overwork and stress, my nose might suddenly swell one day and then go back down. (For those reading this who are planning their first surgery, unless you’re extremely, extremely complex about it, I hope you won’t get surgery and just stay out of cosmetic surgery altogether.. I think this is only worth reading if you’re someone planning a safe revision without an implant at this clinic)
<Reason for choosing the hospital>: I only had two months of free time for surgery, and since the inflammation had already happened years ago, I wanted to get it done quickly. Also, since inflammation had already occurred once, I wanted to do it safely without an implant. I read many reviews and blog posts from this community and from this doctor, and I only consulted at one place. Their opinion matched my needs, so I decided on this clinic. Also, in a capitalist sense, I thought the clinic’s skill was proven by the fact that it has lasted for over 15 years without advertising or even a website, while being a 5-minute walk from Apgujeong Exit 2.
<Consultation details> Removal of silicone, filling the bridge with fascia from behind the ear, ear cartilage at the tip, nasolabial angle correction, (+ recommendation for masseter Botox) I thought I might be refused surgery, but instead both the doctor and the nurse recommended it. They also said that my eyes are pretty and everything is pretty, but my face is broad, so even if it doesn’t suit me here, I should try masseter Botox.. They said the one side of my nose lacked strength and couldn’t support the columella, which caused the columella to shift to one side and the nostrils to become very distorted. Looking at my nose before surgery, there was bridge starting at the root, but the bridge disappeared like a saddle nose and there was no tip. They said I had already inserted unnecessary silicone forcefully into an overly short, small nose. So for the revision surgery, they said they would remove the silicone, fill the sunken bridge with fascia, and raise the tip a lot with ear cartilage, And if the fascia is absorbed later, they would fill it with silicone.
At the first consultation, I was told about my current condition, the surgical method, and the cost. At the second consultation, I asked the questions I had before surgery.
Question: Could the before-and-after difference be big? If the difference is so subtle that I can’t really feel it, then I’d just remove the silicone and, if I’m still dissatisfied, fill it with filler. Answer: They don’t know whether the patient will be satisfied. If they said they would make someone 100% satisfied, that would be a scammer’s claim, but from the doctor’s perspective, they can say it will be better than it is now. They said it would be fine from the hospital’s perspective if I did no surgery at all or only removed the silicone, and that I could even postpone the surgery date, so I should think about it slowly.
After hearing that, I said I would go ahead with the surgery. And before surgery, I showed them IU and Kim Hee-sun’s noses.. (small and low by my standards, but beautiful noses) I don’t remember exactly, but the director said something like, “Since that’s the case, it makes sense that you’d want a nose like this.”
<Surgery> I had seen a post in the reviews saying that if they had seen the operating room before surgery, they wouldn’t have gone through with it because the OR was so bad, so I had mentally prepared myself, but it was clean. It wasn’t all stainless steel and shiny like a university hospital, but it was just a plain operating room with white walls and a white floor. Lying down, having my ears wiped, and getting each injection was explained step by step: “Now I’ll do this,” “We’re not anesthetizing yet,” “The anesthetic is going in,” which reassured me. After the anesthetic, while happily listening to an IU song, I drifted into a hazy state and fell into hallucinations.. They asked how much I could drink and said they would give the anesthetic according to that. I said I could drink a bottle of soju, but maybe I overclaimed. I kept thinking all sorts of things in endlessly swirling colors, and then when I could feel my body again, they were taking cartilage out of my ear.. It was not an experience I’d want to repeat. The time spent on the ear felt longer than on the nose. Maybe ear 40, nose 60 by feeling? It didn’t hurt, but I got bored and kept wiggling my toes, and they said, “The ear takes quite a bit of time too, doesn’t it?” And they asked, “Did you have a dream?” and said this anesthetic tends to be love-it-or-hate-it. I didn’t like it, so after that I was just awake.. After the surgery, the nurse supported me to the recovery room, and after lying down and resting for a while, I got up and went home by subway.
Right now it’s day 4 after surgery and I’m still wearing the splint, but my nose seems a lot higher than what I was told in the consultation, so I’m kind of bewildered.. I really like it.. Maybe it’s because of overcorrection plus swelling. It’ll probably come down more than this, right. Also, while cutting the nasolabial angle, I clearly heard them say to the nurse, “What meaning would this even have, though..” but my mouth has gotten so much prettier.. I like that the corners of my mouth are lifted
I think I know why there aren’t many reviews for this hospital. People who prioritize safety and have conservative surgery probably don’t bother posting their subtly prettier faces online.. I also got a lot of help from this community site, so I wanted to post photos out of gratitude, but now that it’s time to do it, I’m reluctant to upload them. Later, once all the swelling is gone, I’ll trace the lines on my iPad and upload a before-and-after line comparison.
If you have questions, I’ll answer them whenever I can!