Hello. I left a short post before surgery yesterday, and many people cheered me on. Thank you. :) I wanted to write right after I got back, but I wasn't in the right state of mind, so I'm writing now after coming to my senses. I have renewed respect for people who write posts from the surgical recovery room! A lot happened from symptoms to surgery, so this may get a bit long.
First, to explain my condition, - Surgery timing: about 14 years ago - Implant: Silitex/Gore-Sili (an implant close to an L-shape, extending to the nasal tip) + ear cartilage - Height: From the CT this time, it seems to be about 3 mm. (Not an exact measurement) - Original nose: No nasal bridge between the eyes at all and overall a very small nose. Small alar base, with nostrils slightly visible, but not to the level of an upturned nose.
Symptoms - Slight onset of symptoms from about 6-7 months ago - A protrusion like a bone in the middle of the nasal dorsum - Implant showing through from between the eyes to the right nasal sidewall - Intermittent skin pulling and tightening, and a pressed sensation (on days like this, the nasal tip would lift slightly and then come back down repeatedly)
For the past 14 years I lived very comfortably without even small problems, so at first I didn't think much of it. Then I happened to see posts in a community, and it didn't seem like symptoms I could just ignore, so I went to a GP. As I mentioned, I don't live in Korea, and the medical system is different, so before finding a specialist such as an ENT doctor, I needed a diagnosis from a GP, meaning a general doctor. If I go into too much detail the story will get long, so if anyone is curious about this part, please message or comment separately and I'll explain.
Consultation - ENT specialist (a doctor specialized in ear, nose, and throat), close to an otolaryngologist in Korean terms. - Cosmetic doctor I was recommended these two and had consultations. First I consulted the ENT specialist, and this doctor was also qualified as a plastic surgeon. For overseas Koreans as a reference, the cosmetic doctor mentioned above and a plastic surgeon are different. Many locals also don't know the difference. A cosmetic doctor is a doctor specialized in cosmetic procedures, while a plastic surgeon is a doctor who can perform surgery including reconstruction. A cosmetic doctor cannot perform reconstructive surgery. A plastic surgeon includes the work cosmetic doctors do, so you can think of them as being at a higher level than doctors who only do cosmetic surgery.
Back to the main point, ENT - No inflammatory findings on CT - Confirmed that the implant extends to the nasal tip - Implant has rotated to the right - Still difficult to diagnose it as contracture - The round protruding area in the middle of the nose may be calcification from an old implant - When removing the implant, the autologous cartilage would not be removed; only the implant would be removed
Cosmetic doctor - Overall the same opinion as the ENT - But would remove the ear cartilage as well
Both of them commonly said that, in fact, my first rhinoplasty was done very well. They said the implant had stayed attached well for a long time, and that it shifted to the right naturally along with the bone shape. To be honest, I also liked the shape, so I wanted to avoid removing it as much as possible, and neither doctor strongly recommended it. However, the intermittent symptoms kept getting worse, and I thought that if I delayed further, I might need a bigger surgery later, so I decided on nose implant removal. After consulting both doctors, I decided to prioritize the health of my nose over the cosmetic aspect, so I chose the ENT surgeon. Since this doctor also does reconstruction, I felt somewhat more reassured. One difference I noticed while consulting here compared with Korea is that here they absolutely do not force cosmetic surgery unreasonably. Even when talking about the sense of loss and deformation after nasal implant removal surgery, they did not recommend operating right away. The reason was that for revision surgery, healing of the nose must come first, and the nasal condition needs to stabilize so that movement of the implant, inflammation, and the resulting side effects can be minimized in the next surgery. However, one thing I felt is that here, there are more surgeries to make a large nose smaller than augmentation rhinoplasty to raise the nose, so if we are strictly talking about case experience, I do think Korean doctors have more surgical experience.
The surgery ended well under sedation anesthesia for about 2 hours, and I am recovering. At first I wanted to have it done by an experienced Korean doctor, but now I actually think it was fortunate. During my first rhinoplasty and a childhood surgery, I had woken up from anesthesia, so I was worried about this part, but I consulted the anesthesiologist before surgery and there was no major issue. Where I live, the medical system protects patients well, so I had the surgery with peace of mind. For reference, during surgery there seemed to be a total of 5-6 people including the anesthesia team and surgical team, with a specialist doctor on each team. In the recovery room, 1.5 nurses cared for me by my side until I woke up. The surgery took less than 2 hours, but including the admission/discharge process, I went in at 12 and came out at 7;;
Honestly, after symptoms appeared, I wanted to go to Korea and have the surgery there, but the country where I live was blocking citizens from traveling overseas, so I couldn't, and it was very frustrating. For overseas Koreans like me who cannot go to Korea, please don't suffer too much, and I think looking into local hospitals can also be one option. Even if it doesn't lead to surgery, meeting a doctor in person for consultation and diagnosis helps a lot mentally and also in deciding whether to have surgery and what direction to take. At first, I also used online consultations with several places including well-known clinics, and one of the doctors even asked me to send photos, consulted me for free, and sent me an extremely long email, so I was very grateful. I felt sorry and said I would at least send a consultation fee, but they wouldn't accept it. If I had gone to Korea, I wanted to receive treatment from that doctor, but in the end I couldn't go. Still, thanks to that doctor, I felt some peace of mind for a while, and even now I feel grateful.
What I want to say is: meet several doctors, and once you choose a doctor, have trust. Doctors are people who have studied, practiced, and gained experience for more than 10 years. Like other people, I also read many posts in a community and, dozens of times a day, repeatedly felt anxious and then reassured. Everyone's nose shape and condition are different, so use posts only as a reference, but don't be swayed too much. That is better for your mental and physical health too. Have trust, everyone!!!!!ㅎㅎㅎ
Since it is still only day 1, it is difficult to say rashly whether the surgical result is this or that. It was an open surgery, and they sutured the stitches nicelyㅎㅎ There is a cast on my nose so I can't see it, but the nasal tip that is slightly visible is quite lifted. Still, it is only day 1, so I plan to watch it without getting too stressed. After the stitches are removed, I will leave another review.
*For reference, since you may be curious where I live, I am a resident of Australia.