ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡAround mid-October, I had nose surgery at [Clinic A]. I originally planned to wait about three months before posting a review, but I was so satisfied with the result and so grateful to Dr. A that I felt I should at least leave a review, so here I am. This was my fourth surgery at [Clinic A], and I had a feeling that I had finally escaped the long, terrible suffering caused by my nose, so I came up with the title “My Nose Liberation Journal”. I’m writing this review hoping this will be my last surgery. Since there are not many reviews of [Clinic A] in this community, I hope this helps everyone who has been curious about it. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡAs I kept writing, this became extremely long. For anyone who may find it difficult to read, here is a brief summary first: One nasal bone had collapsed and was deviated, my nostrils were asymmetric, and all kinds of foreign materials—including Medpor, Gore-Tex, and cartilage particles—had been inserted. Contracture-related inflammation was progressing, almost no septal cartilage remained, and reconstruction with autologous costal cartilage was necessary. I also had severe nasal valve stenosis that made breathing difficult. Dr. A at [Clinic A] healed this nose (for me, it was literally healing, beyond treatment). I was so grateful that I wrote this post.
Another reason is that I want people to know about Dr. A’s functional and reconstructive surgical skills, rather than having him be known only as someone who makes attractive noses. This is partly for the doctor, but even more because I hope it helps people who are suffering because of their noses, as I was. Of course, everyone knows that another person’s review is only a reference. A doctor who suits me may or may not suit someone else. Search extensively, visit consultations, meet the doctors yourself, and make your own decision.
In my case, when I met the right doctor in person, I felt a certain something. After having multiple surgeries, I know that more clearly now. Anyway, based entirely on my own experience, I was genuinely grateful and satisfied with this clinic and doctor, so I’m writing this review to offer one more possible option to people deliberating over their noses. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ※ For reference, some clinics offer discounts for posting reviews in this community, but this place has no such condition at all. I’m writing because I want to. It seems they barely advertise. From a patient’s perspective, it was nice that the clinic was not crowded. I may be wrong, but it felt as though they operate mostly by word of mouth. During my consultation, the coordinator said nothing about review discounts or referral discounts, so I asked first. There was no referral discount, and they said they would give a discount of about 220,000 won if I posted a review on [Community A]* and [Community B]** around three months after surgery, but that amount was practically nothing. It felt like, “Do it if you want; don’t if you don’t”. Since this community has no review events at all, there are naturally very few reviews or related posts about [Clinic A] here, and I also felt that [Community C] does not post much. The selfie-review photos were not heavily retouched, and they said the before-and-after photos on the clinic website had not been photoshopped at all. I asked the coordinator. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡI also did not retouch the postoperative photos I uploaded. I took them with the standard selfie mode on a Galaxy phone. It has only been a little over two weeks, so there is still considerable swelling and bruising. The areas that originally had more severe problems seem to take longer to swell down. For example, please keep in mind the swelling above the right side of the nasal bridge in the photos from about two weeks after surgery. I cannot clean up the sebum yet because it has not been long enough, so please excuse the messiness. The shape changed as the swelling went down day by day. Look at the photo taken immediately after the splint was removed. It looks extremely puffy, right? I briefly panicked when I saw myself in the mirror, but I was still happy because it was better than my previous nose. In fact, after the nasal packing was removed, I could breathe so much better than before, on an entirely different level, and the nasal valve stenosis seemed to have disappeared as if it had never existed, so I was simply thrilled. I had been half hopeful and half worried about whether it was even possible, since I had heard that repairing the nasal valve was extremely difficult. My parents may have had even lower expectations than I did; they became teary and said the surgery had gone well and that it was finally enough even after seeing that very puffy nose.
Now look at the photos from two or three days after the splint was removed. The swelling has gone down a lot, right? At that time I liked the round, cute shape of my alar rims and nostrils, but the swelling quickly subsided and the shape changed. The bridge is gradually becoming slimmer. My personal preference is actually a cute nose, but even I can see that a plump, round nose does not suit my face very well. My natural-nose photos also show that my nose was relatively slim. Dr. A said he had made the bridge not too thick. I once saw posts worrying that, because he had been practicing for a long time, his aesthetic sense might be outdated, but I think his aesthetic sense is good. He seems to try to create a nose that suits each individual face. He considers many things so that asymmetry is not emphasized as much as possible. Perhaps that is why the noses in the review photos here differ from person to person. Of course, he may have certain shapes he especially likes.
After visiting consultations here and there, I found no doctor who examined the patient’s face and nose as carefully as Dr. A. Most of them barely looked, but he really observed and palpated everything closely. It felt as though he was imagining the nose shape that would suit me and planning how to realize it.
I had already undergone several surgeries, and because the inside of my nose was in poor condition and there were limitations, I told him to do what he thought best within a natural, harmonious, not-too-high range. I think it came out naturally. Of course, the shape is still changing as the swelling goes down, so I will need to wait longer to know the final result. My nasal bones had collapsed, my skin had become uneven from old foreign materials, and almost no cartilage remained, but other people’s conditions will probably be much better, so they may be able to achieve an even prettier shape closer to what they want. Before surgery, I showed Dr. A a photo and asked whether something similar might be possible. He bluntly told me that I needed to face the reality of my own nose and that I could not have such a cute nose. Dr. A… if I had not faced the reality of my nose, would I really have lived for nearly 20 years without even daring to look into revision surgery? Could I possibly face reality more than this.
Thinking about it, from the doctor’s perspective, simply restoring a normal nose in such a difficult situation was already a tremendous burden, while the patient was still worrying about the appearance. I genuinely felt that it would be nice if it looked like the photo, but if not, there was nothing I could do. Still, from the surgeon’s perspective, it must have been stressful. When he opened my nose, the condition was even worse than expected, and I felt very sorry. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡFrom here, some parts overlap with what I posted on another hospital-review site about one week after surgery. I could not upload photos there, and it was difficult to write something this long, so I am leaving a more detailed review here. Also, once reviews move down there, they require a premium subscription to view, which makes it difficult for people curious about [Clinic A] reviews to find them. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡI had three previous nose surgeries, making this my fourth, and because my nose was an extreme revision case, more than half of the many clinics I consulted refused surgery. One hospital led by a former otolaryngology specialist looked at my surgical history and CT and said they could not even provide a consultation, telling me to return to the hospital that had operated on me before. At first, I went to a removal clinic because I wanted all the obstructive materials in my nose removed, but they said that my nose would completely collapse if they did that and that it was impossible.
My third surgery had been more than 15 years earlier, and the result was so poor that the doctor at the time even said the surgery had not gone well. Although I had functional surgery at an otolaryngology clinic, I still could not breathe well through one side. I developed nasal valve problems that had not existed before, and my nasal mucosa kept sticking together all day, making me feel terribly blocked and uncomfortable. The foreign-body sensation was also severe. The shape was blunt, long, and uneven; over time, the columella became more deviated, the nostrils became asymmetric and pulled upward, and overall my nose had many problems.
While looking for an experienced doctor with a long career, I learned about Dr. A. Because I had given up on my nose entirely, I only learned later, after visiting consultations, how well-known he was. This clinic also offered a CT scan and a free consultation, so I thought, “I’ll go once; I just hope they don’t refuse to operate.” I had to wait about an hour and a half because surgery was delayed that day, but strangely I was not angry. When the doctor arrived, he calmly reviewed the CT and explained everything. He said my nose would not be easy, but agreed to operate. After looking at my nose, he said, “The goal of this surgery is to keep people from having anything to say about your nose.” It felt as though he understood what had troubled me most. He meant that he would make it so people could not point at my nose and talk about it behind my back. I actually knew that people talked about my nose and had even developed social avoidance because of it, so I almost burst into tears but barely held them back. I think I will remember those words for the rest of my life. Perhaps he said them without giving them much thought, but they were deeply comforting to me. He also said that there were noses worse than mine and offered his own blunt but sincere form of comfort. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡThe deviated septum and nasal valve stenosis would be addressed by reconstructing the septum with autologous costal cartilage and performing a spreader graft, but he repeatedly said he could not guarantee that I would breathe well afterward. One nasal bone had collapsed because previous osteotomies had failed; he said he would try to make it less noticeable with Megaderm. Most plastic surgeons, including Dr. A, said that restoring the osteotomy would put additional stress on bones that were already weak, so leaving it alone was the best option. In fact, the previous clinic never told me that my bone had collapsed, so I learned the truth only after more than a decade, and the shock was impossible to express. One of the previous surgeons had destroyed the bone through a failed osteotomy, roughly filled it so it would look vaguely like a human nose, and never told me. I believe it was the first or second surgeon. The third surgeon also said nothing about the collapsed bone and may have attempted another osteotomy and failed; at another consultation I learned that the bone was currently crushed, fractured, collapsed, and fused in that state. I was so dumbfounded that I felt empty. You can see the collapsed bone in the CT photo I uploaded. Every time I look at it, I become so upset that I cry. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡMost reviews say Dr. A is extremely confident, but he did not tell me that anything was definitely possible. He is someone who clearly says when something is difficult. Strangely, even so, I had an almost certain feeling that he could heal my nose, and an intuition that I absolutely had to undergo surgery there. I usually have good instincts, but I had almost never felt anything so strongly. Since life had been so difficult, I even spent about two more months after the consultation wondering whether this premonition might be a trap or some kind of manipulation meant to push me into even greater suffering.
Still, I could not rely only on intuition, so I read many reviews from many clinics. [Clinic A] had the most genuine extreme-revision cases, quite a few reviews saying that patients could breathe well afterward, attractive nose shapes, relatively little evidence of Photoshop, and both frontal and profile photos rather than only profiles, which are easier to make look good. Overall, the clinic gave me the impression that it did not use tricks and faced things head-on, which appealed to me. There were also many cases of correcting deviated noses and asymmetric nostrils, and the changes looked definite rather than half-hearted. Anyone who has had multiple surgeries or studied nose surgery knows how difficult those corrections are.
As you can find with a little searching, there were also negative reviews of Dr. A’s former workplace. I read everything and worried about it too. However, since he has performed so many surgeries, there were also many positive reviews, and recently there seemed to be very few negative ones. I decided to overlook that part to a reasonable degree and trust my instincts. Everyone has to make that choice for themselves.
After surgery, Dr. A had an extremely difficult time because the previous clinic had inserted far more materials than they had ever told me about. Even when I returned to ask what materials they had used recently, they did not tell me the truth. I had believed for more than a decade that I had been operated on using only donated rib cartilage, but there was Medpor where I thought donated rib cartilage had reconstructed the columella and septum. Inflammation related to contracture was already progressing because of the Medpor, so he said he removed as much of the affected surrounding tissue as possible. The inside of my nose was so severe that it tested his patience, but he removed everything he could. Thank you.
There was also Gore-Tex remaining on the bridge, although the previous clinic had said it had removed it. On top of that, something deformed—possibly donated fascia—wrapped in cartilage particles had been placed again. Several materials known to be difficult to remove had all been inserted into one person’s nose. The left nasal bone had collapsed, causing the upper lateral cartilage to collapse as well; the left side of the bridge was sunken and the right side protruded. I had a deviated nose, facial asymmetry, asymmetric nostrils, and almost no alar cartilage. Almost no septal cartilage remained, so it had to be strongly reconstructed with autologous rib cartilage, and a spreader graft was necessary because of nasal valve stenosis.
In short, he cleared out a ruin filled with garbage and built a new house, including the interior design. A university-hospital professor whom I consulted elsewhere shook his head and said that even correcting only the uneven bridge would be difficult, but Dr. A handled that long, exhausting, difficult process alone. The surgery took six hours. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been. Yet when he came to tell me about the surgery, I asked what had been inside my nose and how symmetrical my nostrils were. I was still groggy from anesthesia and later felt terribly sorry. I had become somewhat obsessed with nostril symmetry. If the surgery went wrong, I could at least cover the bridge with glasses, but there was no way to hide the nostrils. That is why I asked. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡAs a result, my blocked nose opened up and, for the first time in my life, I could breathe freely through both sides! I was incredibly happy. I originally had nose surgery so I could breathe through my nose, but after going in circles I finally could, decades later. People who breathe well through their noses probably do not know what a great happiness that alone is. For a few days after the packing was removed, it sometimes became blocked and then cleared, perhaps because the mucosa was still swollen or because of the collapsed nasal bone, but now I can breathe well every day.
From what I have read, noses with functional problems often alternate between opening and becoming blocked after surgery. There are also quite a few cases in which the problem returns after several months, so I need to watch it carefully and remain cautious. But based on what I feel, my nose now feels firm and securely supported, somehow different from my previous surgeries. It would be a lie to say I have no worries at all, but it does feel sturdy. Since I can breathe well, I seem to smell better, walking for a long time is much less exhausting, my head does not hurt, and I feel somewhat clearer mentally. I was born with a deviated septum, and three doctors with otolaryngology backgrounds operated on me, yet I never once breathed freely. Even after they had made my nose a complete mess, Dr. A made me breathe freely for the first time under these terrible conditions.
The nasal valve problem, which is supposedly so difficult to fix, disappeared as if it had never existed. The foreign-body sensation around my glabella had been severe, especially making it difficult to open my left eye, but that sensation also disappeared. My nose is still swollen, so the final shape is not clear, but the bridge is straighter than before, and the severe deviation and nostril asymmetry have improved significantly. Since my collapsed bone could not be completely corrected and my face itself is asymmetric, some limitation was unavoidable. For now, I can only hope that the Megaderm placed in the collapsed area is absorbed as little as possible. Correcting a deviated nose and asymmetric nostrils is extremely difficult, yet he addressed those issues while reconstructing everything else. Making me breathe, preventing my nose from becoming contracted, and resolving the nasal valve problem already exceeded my expectations. I am also grateful that he made the appearance suit my face. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡThe biggest thing was that I could feel how cleanly the surgery had been performed. My previous noses felt displaced, messy, blocked, and unpleasant all day. Even while wearing the splint, this nose felt better than the previous one. The tip and columella are still hard as a rock, perhaps because of the autologous rib cartilage or the swelling. That is unavoidable when rib cartilage is used, but even so, my nose feels much more comfortable than before.
I had read that Dr. A used to be known for making beautiful upturned noses. But based on my experience, he seems to be good at functional rhinoplasty too. With a spreader graft, for example, the position and amount of cartilage—down to differences of a few millimeters—determine the foreign-body sensation, the maintenance of the airway, whether the nasal valve remains open, and the visible width of the bridge. His surgical judgment and sense for controlling those factors seem excellent. The reconstructed septum also feels comfortable. If autologous rib reconstruction is done poorly, it can cause pain or a foreign-body sensation. The more I learn, the more I realize how difficult nose surgery is. It is a complete balancing act.
If the rib cartilage used for septal reconstruction is carved even slightly too thick in the pursuit of strength, the patient may suffer from foreign-body sensation, pain, and airway obstruction. If it is too thin, the nose may deviate or collapse. If severe facial asymmetry is also present, there are even more variables. Everything depends on the surgeon’s skill, sensitivity, experience, and judgment within the narrow structure of the nose. In my opinion, the surgeon’s ability and luck both matter. It is not for nothing that doctors say among themselves that nose surgery is the number-one surgery to avoid and that it is difficult.
To raise the nose, septal extension is usually necessary, which means adding cartilage to the existing septum and inevitably obstructing the airway to some extent. If the surgery goes wrong, a chain of problems can occur: difficulty breathing, progressive deviation, a saddle nose, collapse, deviation of the columella, and worsening nostril asymmetry. The nose is made of different types of cartilage for a reason. In my case, previous surgeries had removed almost all my septal and alar cartilage, so the only materials available were hard autologous rib cartilage and the small amount of ear cartilage remaining after both sides had already been used. Each part of the body was made with material of an optimal strength, elasticity, and texture, but I had no choice but to use the next-best option, and I alone have to bear the resulting discomfort and side effects. That is why nose surgery must be approached very carefully.
My third surgeon was actually famous for functional surgery. But as the person who underwent it, I can feel that it is not even comparable to this surgery. Someone might say that it was simply because the surgery was long ago, but the difference is far greater than that. The operative record suggests that the doctor performed a spreader graft then too, yet I developed nasal valve stenosis and suffered tremendously in both body and mind for more than a decade. People with functional problems should not simply go to an otolaryngology clinic for functional rhinoplasty; they should come here and receive both function and appearance. His surgical skill is good. Of course, I cannot guarantee anything. There are too many variables—each person’s nasal condition, luck, the surgeon’s skill, and physical condition. I also had three bad outcomes. Still, it seems to me that this clinic has a higher chance of success; that is all I am saying. Dr. A seems quite conservative about functional rhinoplasty, so he will never make guarantees. He repeatedly told me he could not guarantee that I would breathe well after the procedure, and I still asked him to do it. I also do not know whether this good condition will last, but that is my responsibility to bear. It cannot be helped. I should either never have started nose surgery or should have had the first surgery done well. Regretting it now is too late. So please make your decision very carefully. The cost also seemed reasonable compared with other clinics. Considering the doctor’s experience, it may even be cheaper. In my case, there seems to have been an error when the surgical fee was calculated, but judging from his personality, he could not bring himself to change it. Even though this was my fourth surgery and he worked extremely hard, it was definitely cheaper than at other clinics. I am sorry and grateful ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡDr. A is not especially soft-spoken. He can seem blunt and cold, but if you ask questions, he answers almost everything even while saying that I worry so much I will never be able to undergo surgery. He is like a tsundere. He can also be funny sometimes. When everyone else avoided my difficult, exhausting nose, he did not turn away and operated on me. On the day of surgery, he may even have been more nervous than I was. I think he is a real doctor who does not ignore or give up on difficult patients and instead treats them with his best effort. ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡHonestly, what I recommend most is not having nose surgery at all. I hate the hard foreign-body sensation and discomfort. Although everyone is different, whether I used ear cartilage or septal cartilage, my nose always felt hard and blocked. Living my whole life worrying whether my nose will be okay makes me wonder what I am doing. If I could go back, I would simply live with difficulty breathing through one side and never touch my nose at all. I lost too much of my life because of my nose. I could not enjoy ordinary happiness when I was young, I was always depressed, and I kept my distance from people because I was afraid they would look at my nose and notice it. I came to hate having photos taken so much that it felt terrifying. Looking at myself in a photo felt like confirming once again that my nose was abnormal, and that frightened me. I still have not completely overcome it.
But if you feel that you absolutely must have nose surgery no matter what, or if you have already had nose surgery and your nose is in poor condition, try consulting Dr. A once. If you feel that you fit well together and that this is your clinic, then you can have surgery with Dr. A.
Anyway, normally I would never write something this detailed or upload photos so soon after surgery. I am still recovering, tired, and generally unwilling to do anything that might influence someone’s important decision and leave me feeling responsible, even unintentionally. Yet here I am. I am surprised too........ This may be the hardest I have worked on a post in recent years @.@;;.
Especially to everyone suffering from an extreme revision nose like mine: please do not endure it foolishly for decades as I did. Even if it is difficult, actively research, ask for help, and try to find hope and courage. I sincerely thank Dr. A at [Clinic A]. I hope you stay healthy and happy. I will always support you 😀🙂 ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ* Additional note: On YouTube, Roju and Saiyuyo are people who had surgery at [Clinic A], so everyone may use them as references. If you search YouTube for “Roju nose surgery,” there is a detailed video documenting the surgical process. Almost every part of my process was similar, but there were a few differences. Harvesting the rib cartilage was naturally quite painful for me, but it was bearable and not as painful as Roju described; this probably differs from person to person. I also had only slight bruising inside my lip, which disappeared quickly. My nose ran a lot too, but I think that was because I learned after surgery that the inside of my nose had been filled with all kinds of foreign materials, became angry and devastated, and kept crying.
* I also had ear cartilage harvested, but my ears did not hurt much. Both sides had already been used for cartilage, and I had worried a lot because the left ear used during my first surgery still feels strange, but fortunately the right ear harvested this time is fine.
* Starting the day after surgery, they gave me three antibiotic IV infusions. The number will differ depending on each person’s condition. I had essentially had the entire nose dissected, dismantled, and rebuilt, and contracture was already progressing, but so far I have had no problems and feel fine. I am writing this because some people are worried about inflammation.
* The anesthesia was sedation, probably propofol. I went into the operating room, fell asleep almost immediately, and woke up in the recovery room. I felt much better after waking than I did after general anesthesia. The nurses were kind and found my veins easily.
* If you want, they will show you accelerated CCTV footage of the surgery the next day, with no extra charge. I had not planned to check it, but the coordinator told me I would be the only surgical patient that day, and when I arrived, someone else was entering the operating room; my thoughts became complicated. So I said before surgery that I wanted to see the CCTV. It turned out that person was having a procedure that took only 10–15 minutes, and they left quickly. I was too lazy to watch it the next day. Anyway, use this as a reference.
That’s all for now! I hope everyone has a successful nose surgery!