Three revision double-eyelid surgeries at a Gangnam plastic-surgery clinic, but ended up asymmetric

I am sharing my experience with double-eyelid revision surgery in 2019. I decided to have revision surgery and, thinking Seoul had better medical technology, searched blogs from Gwangju and booked consultations at three Gangnam plastic-surgery clinics. After finishing the consultations, I asked whether same-day consultation was possible at another clinic, but was told it would be difficult. Since I had come from Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, transportation costs and time made returning to Seoul burdensome, so I chose the clinic I felt was the best among those I had consulted. The revision cost 2 million won, but with a same-day booking benefit it was 1.8 million won. I paid a 200,000-won deposit first and the remaining 1.6 million won on surgery day, and had the revision in June 2019. I had the revision to lower a high crease. The crease was lowered, but asymmetry developed, and excessive taping caused wrinkles on my eyelids, so I had another revision in November of the same year. At that time I asked them to add ptosis correction, so 500,000 won was added. However, after the surgery I felt that only one eye had been operated on during the process of correcting the asymmetry, and ptosis correction had not been done at all. I also felt the asymmetry had not improved. Since my eyes did not seem to need ptosis correction, I felt that it had probably not been performed, yet the doctor and coordinator had spoken as if they would do it after charging me, which made me feel they treated me based only on money. In 2022, I was troubled by the asymmetry. I had endured it because I did not want to complain to the clinic, but I thought sharing my experience online might ease my feelings, so I honestly wrote about it. A clinic coordinator contacted me and asked me to delete the post, saying they would perform another revision, so I deleted it immediately and underwent revision again in November 2022. I was told there would be a 300,000-won anesthesia fee, so I paid 330,000 won on the surgery day. However, only one eye was revised again, and the asymmetry remained exactly the same. On surgery days, I had to leave home at 4 a.m. to travel from Gwangju to Seoul and back. Even for follow-up visits, I had to leave by 8 a.m., so the time and expense were exhausting. Recently I wrote about my surgical experience online again, and the clinic asked me to take it down, saying some expressions differed from reality. During that process, the coordinator explained that the revision had been free. However, I actually paid an additional 500,000 won in 2019 and 330,000 won in 2022, and I still have the card-payment records. The clinic may have meant that they did not charge the surgery fee and only charged other costs, but from my perspective as a patient, it is a fact that I bore those additional expenses. What upset me most was not simply the money, but feeling that the costs I had borne and my dissatisfaction with the results were not sufficiently respected. I expected a sincere explanation, empathy, and an apology, but I did not feel those things and was very disappointed. Wanting an objective medical assessment, I applied for mediation through the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency. However, the clinic did not agree to participate, so the case was dismissed, and I ultimately lost the opportunity to receive an objective evaluation or judgment of my eye condition. That is what I regret most. This post is written to share my actual experience, and I hope it can be useful to people with similar concerns.