In order: before removal surgery, the day of removal, the day the stitches were removed, and the most recent front and side views)
I am on day 9 after removal. I received so much help from this community, so I really wanted to write a post to give back. Thank you so much.
I had a short, upturned nose, and 6 years ago I had surgery with Gore-Tex on the nasal bridge and ear cartilage at the nasal tip. (Later, I found out Medpor had also been inserted without consulting meㅡㅡ) At the time, I did not know about things like side effects, and people around me were getting it done so I got swept along, and I think I was also a bit young. The surgery went well, and I had been living confidently without any problems.
But a few months ago, I started feeling a throbbing sensation in my nose, and I began to feel anxious. Posts about side effects and risks of rhinoplasty that I had been trying to ignore came to mind. Even when I had headaches for no clear reason, I worried that maybe it was because of my nose, and I thought that if contracture was going to happen someday, maybe it would be better to have surgery before things got bigger.
While looking into hospitals, I went through a lot emotionally for several days, and I worried as if the world would collapse if the surgery went wrong. I had no inflammation and I liked the shape, so I wondered whether I really needed to do it... but no matter how much I thought about it, I felt that living with this much anxiety was not right.
I had consultations at three places in total, and I chose the place where the director seemed to have a craftsman-like approach.
To start with the conclusion, I think the surgery went well! The director said I could think of it as my nose becoming somewhere between my old nose and my current nose, and I really think that is how it turned out. The nasal bridge definitely used to be very visibly prominent, but now it is not visible like that anymore. But the nasal tip, maybe thanks to cartilage repositioning, is better than my original nose! My friend who lives with me says it looks more natural than my previous nose and looks fine! For now, I am satisfied that I avoided the worst-case scenario ㅠㅠ
====================================== From here on is the surgery review.
Day of surgery
Went to the recovery room and changed clothes Washed my face The director took photos Consultation about how the surgery would be done Operating room
It was done under sedation anesthesia + local anesthesia, and I was very worried because it hurt when I had surgery before, but once the medication went in, I fell asleep right away haha. When I woke up, it was already over. It did not hurt much on the day of surgery either.
The next day
Bruising and swelling started from the evening of surgery, and this was the peak. My eyes looked pulled together like Avatar, and my nose became really big. I diligently drank pumpkin juice, walked a lot, and took my medication regularly. Then I went to the hospital, had it disinfected, and had the pooled blood in the nasal bridge removed. They removed it with something like a syringe, and I had been worried because reviews said it hurt so much, but it did not hurt much... For me, getting the stitches removed actually hurt more.
One week after surgery
Aside from my nose continuing to run, there was not much major discomfort. I normally wear glasses, but I avoided wearing them to be careful, so it was just that I could barely see? On the seventh day, I went to have the stitches removed, and that hurt a lot haha. After that, I bought ointment to apply so scars would not form and went home.
So far, I like the shape of my nose too, and I think it will be fine once the swelling goes down a bit, but I wonder if it will change if scar tissue forms ㅠㅠㅠ Still, they say scar tissue eventually goes down too, so I should hope this shape stays as it is.
It is funny how people’s minds work. Before surgery, when I was trying to steel myself, I told myself I should not gain confidence from my appearance and should focus on my inner self. But now that the removal went well, I find myself hoping the scar tissue goes down well too. No matter how much it shines, appearance will not last forever anyway, so I am trying to live by looking in the mirror as little as possible and cultivating my inner self haha.
Among those who have had surgery, has anyone had no scar tissue form at all?
Lastly, to those who are so worried right now that they can barely eat. It felt like the world would collapse, but it does not collapse. Before surgery, I even thought about the worst-case scenario, but on the other hand, I thought I was proud of myself. When many people had their first surgery, they probably got swept along by others. But this removal surgery was an even bigger decision. Preparing myself for the possibility of looking worse, not knowing what would happen, still accepting many inconveniences and finding the courage to have surgery, and being sure that it was the right choice, I think that made me bolder. Other people’s gazes are not important. We do not judge others by appearance either. Let’s become people who shine through something eternal, not something that will disappear. Fighting, everyone!!!!!
****I am leaving this because I received questions about hospital information****
To those who asked questions, I do not have enough points, so I cannot send private messages.. I think the post will be deleted if I talk about the hospital here, so I will give hints ㅠㅠ I had it done at one of the famous top three in this community, and it is a place where the director became famous through a blog! The director’s name is the hospital name, and it starts with ㅅ. It is a hospital you can walk to from Apgujeong Station! Would that be enough of a hint?
If you ask me by private message whether it is right and leave a comment, I will answer in a comment whether it is right or not!
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