Everyone, hello! I started going around to clinics to get my nasal tip surgery done using my summer vacation! This week, I had consultations at two places, ㄱㅅ and ㅋㅂㅈ, and I’m planning to have consultations at three more, ㅊㄷㅊ, ㅁㅇㄷ, and ㅋㅇㅍㄹㅅ! I put this together in detail while reading everyone’s reviews, and I’m leaving it here in case it helps as much as it helped me!
Let’s make our nose surgeries succeed...! (˶ ̇ ̮ ̇˶)
◆ My concerns - From the front, bulbous nose (round and blunt), nostrils visible, flared alae, deep groove at the nasal tip - I feel like my skin is on the thicker side - From the side, blunt nasal tip - No columella (sunken)
◆ Desired surgical approach - I don’t really want to touch the bridge; I want more changes to the tip, columella, nostrils, and alar shape! - Low willingness to use donated rib cartilage or silicone - Willing to use autologous costal cartilage ○ - I want to create a columella because I don’t have one, but I also prefer a shorter nose length and my philtrum doesn’t seem especially short, so I’m conflicted - I’m also considering alar reduction (I’m somewhat negative about scars)
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◈ ㄱㅅ, in its 3rd year since opening, 1 medical staff member Director ㄱㄴㅅ, board-certified plastic surgeon / plastic surgery specialist at Chung-Ang University Hospital
The clinic was very quiet and clean. I liked that I got to see the director right away after waiting. There was only one other person waiting besides me. It was my first surgery consultation and first consultation overall, so I asked all kinds of scattered questions, and he seemed a bit tired ㅜㅜ The consultation with the director lasted about 30 minutes! Since it ran long, the manager came in. No pressure to pay a reservation deposit at all, no review discount Consultation fee: 10,000 KRW
- CT scan No. They took three photos of my nose from the front and side, and I lay down on the bed while they shone a light on my nose and examined it closely with tweezers.
- My nose condition and surgical method/materials ① Nasal tip: ear cartilage The shape of my nostrils is such that they can be pinched well during surgery, so he said he probably wouldn’t be able to raise it very much. (He said nostrils that are clearly visible from the front, like mine, are usually like that, and he showed pre- and post-op photos) He said it would be good to make the tip a bit sharper. (He used Photoshop to extend only the nasal tip in the side-view photo and showed me) He planned to use cartilage from one ear, and if that isn’t enough, both sides could be used. Q. I previously had a piercing on the inner part of my ear (inner conch). Would that be a problem for using the cartilage? A. No! (He said this twice, but didn’t look very closely... maybe because it really has nothing to do with it) ② Bridge: no need to do much, if anything ③ Lowering the columella: ear cartilage My face is on the longer side, so if the columella is lowered too much, it would look even longer, so it would be lowered only to the point of looking natural without lowering it too much (he showed pre- and post-op photos) Q. I heard ear cartilage is softer and weaker than other cartilages. Is it okay to use it for the nasal tip and columella? A. The softness is an advantage. No matter which cartilage is used, the limit of how much the skin can stretch is the same, so he prefers using a material with some mobility. My own septum seems weak and probably isn’t usable well. People with a sunken columella usually have a weak septum. ④ Alar reduction: it seems like it should be done together. Both outer and inner incisions are made. Alar reduction leaves scars, but since my groove below the nostrils is deep, it would be advantageous (he showed pre- and post-op photos). I should have asked whether improvement would be difficult if only the inner incision were made...
- Anesthesia method After sedation anesthesia, local anesthesia. I might wake up during surgery, but I won’t feel anything.
- Before-and-after reviews similar to my nose He broke down parts of my nose and showed me several similar before-and-after photos! (Really detailed and good) Maybe because this is a place where many people come for revision surgery, there were a lot of photos of overcorrected noses restored to their original natural shape. Overall, the vibe was extremely natural, like your own nose? I wondered if it might be too natural...? but it matched the direction I wanted, so I kept nodding as I looked. Most seemed like improvements of about 10-15% from the person’s original nose.
- Explanation of limits and side effects Possible side effects he mentioned: 1) When ear cartilage is used, some people can’t wear earphones after surgery. (About 1 out of 10 people) 2) Alar reduction can leave scars. He showed a photo of a patient 2 months out, and there was still a somewhat red line. 3) With alar reduction, because the thickest part under the ala is removed, from below the nostril line it can look a bit abruptly cut off.
- Recovery period They say it takes about 10 days to 2 weeks to fully heal, but since it varies from person to person, they tell people 2-3 weeks.
- A/S period They said there isn’t one. Requests such as nostril asymmetry or wanting the columella to come down a little more are about the shape you want, and that can always change, so they can’t do everything. For those kinds of things, you have to pay extra. If a serious problem occurs, they do provide A/S, but they said that kind of case doesn’t really happen.
- Other things I asked Q. Aside from precautions until healing after surgery, what should I keep in mind long-term while living with the operated nose? A. There isn’t much, like not touching it or anything like that. Q. After surgery and before discharge, could the surgeon check my condition and explain the operation? A. Of course, yes. (I wondered if that wasn’t really a question for the director? I felt like I asked something unnecessary.)
- Post-op care [Manager] During the 10-14 day treatment period, they have patients come in 5-6 times, so they tend to have patients visit often. Each time you come, you’ll usually see the director before leaving.
- Is CCTV viewing available?
- How many surgeries per day? They said exactly 1.
- Price Nasal tip 400 + alar reduction 150 = 550
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◈ ㅋㅂㅈ, in its 2nd year since opening, 1 medical staff member Director ㅎㅅㅁ, ENT specialist
The clinic was clean and nice. Right away, I had a brief consultation with the manager, then after waiting about 2-3 minutes, I saw the director. Besides me, there was one mother waiting for her daughter, who was in consultation. While I was waiting, that person came out after finishing the consultation (it seemed like they were there for a follow-up; her nose looked very natural and pretty). The director came out to the lobby, talked warmly about how nicely the nose had turned out, and sent her off, which left an impression on me. The director was kind and warm. Overall, the consultation was good, but I couldn’t ask about side effects and other things, which was disappointing... I was a little concerned because he’s an ENT specialist, but I liked the consultation content and the photos I saw quite a bit, so I’m thinking of visiting the remaining clinics and getting a second consultation. Discount when paying a 100,000 KRW deposit (includes consultation fee of 10,000 KRW), no review discount
- CT scan: No
- My nose condition The nose length is on the short side, and the nose is not especially large compared to the face. The bridge is good. No need to touch it. It doesn’t seem like it needs alar reduction either (I was surprised here). The angle of the nasal tip is also not bad. If the tip were lifted a little and the columella lowered, it would already look sufficiently improved. The alar wings are hanging down quite a bit, so raising them with alar-wing surgery would probably help, but my philtrum is long, so I’m debating whether I should do it.
- Surgical method and materials ① Nasal tip / lowering the columella: mainly use the septum; if insufficient, ear cartilage can be used (pre- and post-op photos shown) He took a photo of my side-view nose and used Photoshop to show the before-and-after feel. Q. People say that noses with a sunken columella like mine have a weak septum. Is it okay to use it? Won’t it be insufficient? A. (He looked into my nostrils with a tool and light) It’s fine. If it’s not enough, ear cartilage can be used. ② Alar wings (pre- and post-op photos shown) He showed several photos, and interestingly, there were not many scars left. He said it’s not a surgery that leaves a lot of scars. He colored in the incision area on the photos to show me. Rather than cutting the outer side of the ala, as in alar reduction, the incision goes through the middle of the line visible when viewed from below. When I said I had been considering methods like raising the sagging alar wings or alar reduction because I didn’t like how the alar wings (nasal alae) were hanging down, he thought about it and said that if it were him, he wouldn’t recommend it right away. (I’ll explain below)
- Anesthesia method Sedation anesthesia for the nasal tip; the alar-wing surgery afterward can be done under local or sedation depending on what the patient chooses
- Before-and-after reviews similar to my nose He showed similar reviews with hanging alar wings and a sunken columella. There were before-and-after photos by case, and overall the feeling was natural. It seemed like a 15-20% improvement from the person’s own nose? He showed photos of cases where only the nasal tip was improved, and the line improvement looked beautifully close to what I wanted, so that looked good.
- Explanation of limits and side effects Since alar-wing surgery cuts skin and can’t be undone, he didn’t want to recommend it right away. He said to first do the columella and tip, and if I still want it later, he would do the surgery then (he said only the anesthesia fee would be charged). He mentioned there had been a similar case just a few days earlier. Q. If the septum can’t be used and ear cartilage is used instead, won’t it be too weak and cause the nasal tip to droop? A. The septum will not be insufficient. Even if ear cartilage is used, it can be folded and used, so it should be fine. Q. Aside from precautions until healing after surgery, what should I keep in mind long-term while living with the operated nose? A. In surgeries that use implants, inflammatory complications often happen, but since you would be having a no-implant surgery, there shouldn’t be much to worry about. Just manage inflammation well for one month after surgery (no drinking, no smoking, no excessive exercise, absolutely not). I had a lot I wanted to ask, like about pinched noses, but I was too flustered and couldn’t ask... I plan to look around the remaining clinics and get another consultation ㅜㅜ
- Recovery period Usually, after about 2 weeks, people won’t notice.
- A/S period 3 years. For cosmetic A/S, they can do it for just the anesthesia fee.
- Post-op care [Manager] You need to come for a blood test at least 3 days before surgery. Q. Could the surgery be canceled at the blood test stage? A. Yes. Even young people these days often drink a lot or take diet pills, and many have very high liver enzyme levels, so the director won’t operate. Please take good care of your health. Come the day after surgery for disinfection and to have the gauze removed, then swelling management for 2 weeks afterward? (I don’t remember well) Each time you come for a follow-up, you will definitely see the director before leaving.
- Is CCTV viewing available?
- How many surgeries per day [Manager] Exactly 3 per day only (said this before I asked)
- Price [Manager] 440, and if you pay a deposit of 10, it becomes 370 (the deposit includes the consultation fee). You can get a refund of 90,000 KRW excluding the consultation fee at any time! However, if the surgery date has been scheduled or if you’ve already had the pre-op blood test, a refund is not possible.