I had a consultation on November 2 and booked the surgery. On the 3rd at 7 p.m., I underwent mini lower eyelid surgery with Director Shin Soo-hye. I had originally planned to have only fat repositioning, but considering my age, lower-eyelid sagging, elasticity, and other factors, I was told that fat repositioning alone would result in considerably low satisfaction. A lifting lower eyelid procedure was recommended, but because of the overall burden of the surgical scale, invasiveness, recovery period, and cost, I chose the compromise option: a mini lower eyelid procedure, involving partial fat repositioning and an incision at the back part of the lower lash line to remove and tighten loose skin.
I arrived at the clinic at 6 p.m. on the 3rd. Since the pharmacy would close soon, I received two prescriptions in advance and bought the medicine. After changing into patient clothing and washing my face, I entered the operating room around 7 p.m. My heart pounded intensely at the operating-room scene I had only seen in medical dramas. Seeing yellow disinfectant drops scattered on the floor, I thought, “Oh, this is really happening;;;;;;”
A large monitor directly in front of the operating bed displayed a familiar-looking face from the front and side. Huh? That was me. lol. Seeing it enlarged on such a big screen made the bulging fat under my eyes and the deeply sunken tear troughs look incredibly clear and three-dimensional. T_T
After a while, Director Shin appeared and explained the design while connecting dotted lines under my eyes with a water-based marker. She explained that the fat would be placed downward through here, and that the back part of the line would be incised and pulled toward here, and so on. She kindly answered my additional questions. Then came the IV injection... and I went to another world with sedation. When I regained consciousness, I asked a nurse the time, and she said it was 8:16. I lay in the recovery room for a while, then went home feeling slightly dizzy, trembling.
The first night I barely slept through the tight soreness. On the second day, the pain went back and forth between throbbing and soreness. It was not unbearable, thankfully. Today, the third day, the pain has become mild, so I am taking only the antibiotic and skipping Tylenol. I trusted the director because she gave kind, accurate explanations and did not excessively recommend fat grafting. I was anxious and asked all sorts of detailed questions, but the clinic manager always answered quickly and kindly, which I really appreciated, haha.
Having passed the hardest hurdle, I am now extremely excited to see how the under-eye area will change after the stitches are removed and the swelling goes down. ^0^ I do not yet know what the final appearance will be, but so far, so good! I will post another realistic review and photos once the swelling has gone down more. *Please note that I have not been able to wash my face for several days after surgery, so I look very unkempt and am extremely swollen.