1. My nose before reconstruction, in photo order
2. My nose after reconstruction
3. Side view of my nose after reconstruction
4. Semi-side view (the day the stitches were removed)
5. Saddle nose restoration
6. Comparison with my original nose
A lot of you have seen my nose, right? I thought some people might have been waiting, so I’m writing a review of my revision surgery.
I had surgery on the 28th, so today is exactly day 10.
Unlike my first surgery, I had no swelling from the day of surgery, so I thought I’d swell up around day 3, but I kept having no swelling, and after the stitches were removed and the taping came off, it’s comfortable because I can just go around without a mask with peace of mind.
It hasn’t been long yet, so there is some redness, but I think it will be okay with time... My nose had been in such bad condition, and of course I expected scarring, but its condition is really good.
There is no pain either. I do have molding on my ear, but even my ear only feels stiff if I press it. From the first day, I had almost no pain in either my nose or my ear.
There was no bruising and no bleeding either.
It’s amazing how much the condition can differ depending on who performs the surgery.
Right now, the nasal tip is slightly chubby, but it feels about like swelling after eating ramen, so when my family and acquaintances see me, they say I look almost like I used to.
Because I didn’t have enough skin, it was difficult in my current condition to raise the nasal tip a lot, and I didn’t want an implant for the nasal bridge the first time or now, so again this time I just left it as it was.
So the nose itself does not have the clean shape of an implant, so others may not think it is pretty, and it may look low, but I really like it because it has been restored to almost the same as my original nose.
I remember getting choked up when I first took off the taping and saw it lol
And because my previous nose was so severe... even though the doctor did their very best, my nostrils are slightly asymmetric, but when seen from the front, it isn’t a big problem, so I’m okay with it. The doctor said it was a shame, but I said I was okay with it hahaha. It really isn’t to the point that it bothers me, so I’m fine with it.
(And when I looked for photos of my original nose, my alae and lips were actually asymmetric too.)
Looking at the photos, the complete side view is just an ordinary nose that isn’t high lol From a slightly angled side view, even though the nasal tip is still swollen compared with before reconstruction, it still feels more defined.
The columella is normal, but I wonder if it feels like it has come down just a tiny bit more than my original nose. It does feel a little more prominent than before, but once more swelling goes down, I think it may look slightly more tucked in. Because I struggled for two years with such an awful nose shape, this much is just enough for me to say, “Oh my, what should I do?” once, and I’m not as worried as I thought I would be.
During that time, I went to consultations at so many places, and they said it couldn’t be done with ear cartilage, only rib cartilage was possible, and even with restoration, scarring couldn’t be helped. They told me to give up on the columella... I was hurt by all the negative opinions and cried a lot...
I’m truly grateful to the doctor who used cartilage from one ear, even cleaned up the scar neatly, and made me a straight columella ㅠㅠ People who know my condition are all shocked when they see it. They ask if this is really possible ㅠㅠ
To me, that doctor is seriously a god of medicine... lol
Even the severe rhinitis I had after the previous surgery is a little better, which is amazing.
And even though cartilage has been grafted inside the columella, there is less pulling than with my previous nose, and moving my mouth feels comfortable. It was a surgery I worried about a lot, and people around me tried to stop me because they were afraid it would get worse... but I’m glad I got on the operating table.
It’s only day 10 now, so I’ll have to watch it a bit longer, but unless inflammation develops, it probably won’t get worse than my previous nose, right? ㅠㅠ
After my first surgery, I learned about early removal and made a rushed decision, and then I struggled because my nose ended up even more damaged... I’ve come to think that removal alone is not necessarily the answer... Please be really careful with removal...
(Oh, right! I had reconstruction with ear cartilage for the support strut + filling the depressed saddle-nose area, and I did not place any implants in either the nasal bridge or the nasal tip.)
Now I’m going to live with this low but comfortable nose and think about it less.
An expensive experience where I paid a large amount of money to return to my own nose... Now I’m going to stop with my nose and focus on anti-aging instead.
I was harmed by a doctor, but in the end, the one who would fix it was also a doctor, so after my first surgery was botched, I didn’t rush straight into surgery. For two years, I went to consultations whenever I could and searched for a doctor who suited me. That period was really hard, though...
For those of you who are now facing revision surgery and are worrying a lot and having a hard time... I truly hope you go to many consultations and find a good surgical method and a good doctor that will not put strain on your body.
Like 20