Review of breast augmentation with Mentor Xtra at Etone Plastic Surgery (long post warning)

I had surgery with Mentor Xtra at Etone Plastic Surgery on March 11, 2025, and already 2 months have passed~! After the first month, I didn’t have any major discomfort, and there was really no~ impact on my daily life, so I had almost forgotten about it, but time has already gone by like this... This was a surgery I had also thought about for several years before deciding, so I’ll write my review in hopes that it helps those who are considering it :) [Surgery information] Mentor Xtra, subfascial, armpit incision, Moderate Plus (left 350/right 370), general anesthesia [Before surgery/consultation] I made up my mind to have breast surgery 5-6 years ago, and at the time I went to consultations at several large hospitals but couldn’t make a decision. After a long period of researching, I prepared my budget with “Mentor” implants in mind and went for consultations at two hospitals in total. At the first hospital I visited, they did not recommend Mentor because I have dense breasts, but at the second hospital, Etone, they actually said that even if I hadn’t brought it up, they would have said, “You may want to consider Mentor as well.” The hospital is not small, so there was a little waiting here and there during the consultation, but the hospital itself was very pleasant, and because I had been consistently watching the YouTube channel “Jomok Jomok TV” and had developed a huge inner sense of familiarity with Director Cho Jung-mok, after thinking it over a bit after the consultation, I contacted them that same day and booked the surgery haha (For those considering breast surgery, I highly recommend “Jomok Jomok TV” and “Saseum TV”!! I’m truly a real subscriber...) During the consultation, they also asked what made me decide to have surgery, and when I said, “I had been planning it for a long time and had been to hospital consultations too, but I couldn’t do it because my mom was against it,” he said, “Ah... If you were my daughter, I wouldn’t allow it.” lolololol He kept confirming until the end, saying, “You’re sure this is okay, right?” and among all the hospitals I had visited so far, he gave the most meticulous yet simple and clear consultation (it seemed like he checked with ultrasound, 3D simulation, and something like a laser..? for symmetry as well). He also said that if the accessory breast tissue removal commonly recommended at other hospitals was not something I usually felt bothered by, I didn’t necessarily have to do it. It’s hard for me to believe myself, but because my skin thickness and tissue were sufficient, I was recommended the “subfascial” method, and since I’m quite tall, he recommended a size between 350-370 even before trying them on. As expected, when I tried them on, anything smaller than 350 felt ambiguous, and even though I didn’t say anything, the director immediately read my expression and said, “As expected, this one isn’t it. My prediction was right.” lolololol I think I was drawn to the fact that he understood the patient’s preferences without unnecessary conversation and seemed to aim for minimal physical trauma. The consultant also explained kindly without excessive pushing! [Day of surgery] My surgery was scheduled for 3 p.m., so I fasted from the night before, including water, wore comfortable clothes, and headed to the hospital. Including the preoperative consultation, design, surgical preparation, surgery, and recovery, I think I left the hospital a little after 7. I asked my friends to come with me, but when going home I could have taken a taxi alone, and I could move around for the most part, but just in case of an unexpected situation (+ my friend also went to the pharmacy for me), I think it would be good to have one person go with you!! After I finished changing clothes and all the surgical preparation and was guided into the operating room, the medical staff came in all at once, attached various machines, and the anesthesiologist also reassured me not to worry haha. Because it felt like everything was proceeding systematically and smoothly, I actually felt more at ease. I had experienced sedation anesthesia before, but when I had surgery at Etone, I didn’t even count numbers; I was just lying still, and when I opened my eyes, the surgery was over lolololol After I regained consciousness, nothing hurt at all, but inside my mouth there was a very strong smell of anesthetic? gas? To prove(?) that my mind was clear, I kept blinking my eyes, and the nurse checked on me and told me that I needed to breathe deeply for the gas to come out well haha. Nothing really hurt at all, and maybe because I had general anesthesia, at first after waking up my body felt extremely heavy. It felt like I had no torso and only my arms were hu~~ge lolololol As I started wiggling my fingers little by little and breathing, the director came and checked my condition, and I was able to go home soon. Aside from the fact that I couldn’t raise my arms above 90 degrees, there wasn’t anything greatly uncomfortable, and after arriving home, I took my medicine, sat and rested for a bit, then piled up a lot of blankets and pillows, leaned against them, and fell asleep. [After surgery] - Daily life: I went to school classes from the very next day after surgery, and since it was 10 minutes from home and just a one-hour class, there was no issue at all. As expected, there was no pain or anything, but when walking it did feel like my breasts were going to spill forward lolololol Since something that wasn’t there before had suddenly become full... But if after surgery you feel like they’re about to burst and it’s painful, definitely contact the hospital (possibility of bleeding)!! I was worried that lying down and getting up would be hard, but I piled up several blankets and large pillows and slept leaning at about 40-50 degrees, so it wasn’t difficult to get my body up. Maybe because I had surgery through an armpit incision, for about the first week, when I pressed the breastbone? area below the clavicle, there was a gurgling sound and slight pain. Since that was the path where the incision went in, I guess it was part of the recovery process. When I asked the director, he said it could happen because of swelling and that the pain would soon disappear. Oh, and for a while I didn’t know well because I didn’t lie flat, but when I went to the hospital for care at the one-week mark and lay down completely, the breast skin felt more stretched than I expected, heavy and tight!! Now I don’t feel anything at all haha - Bra: Even before surgery, I was the type who didn’t feel uncomfortable wearing bras, so I actually worried that the compression bra and the sports bra the hospital put on me might be too loose lolololol When I asked the director directly, he said it was okay not to compress too much and that I could adjust it to a level that wasn’t uncomfortable. Rather than feeling stuffy, the upper band held the breasts in place so they didn’t move, and it felt less painful, so I think I actually wore it quite tightly lolololol When I visited after 2 weeks had passed (week 3), he said I didn’t have to wear the compression bra anymore and told me I could wear a Venus V-Fit bra, but I bought and started wearing the V-Fit bra from after 3 weeks had passed (week 4)! - Care: I had also bought swelling medicine (Newvein) in advance, but they said it would be better to take the hospital-prescribed medication for the first week and then start taking it afterward. They said I should pay attention to moisturizing for the tissue to soften quickly, but I didn’t buy a separate stretch mark cream and instead applied body lotion often. When I received care at the hospital, they also did a breast pack, and my breasts really did become softer after the pack! The hospital provides care at one-week intervals until week 4, but I think it’s important to apply enough cream at home and steadily apply scar ointment too. And what you need is a bit of indifference(?)... Observing closely every day is good too, but they say breast surgery continues to settle gradually for up to 1 year afterward, so if you take your mind off it a bit, time passes faster and you can wait without feeling impatient haha Still, it’s best to move within a range that doesn’t strain your body and be careful!! So that I could raise my arms well, I also practiced raising my arms little by little against the wall every day haha If you’re unsure, “Can I do this level of activity?” definitely ask the hospital!! The director answers kindly haha - Scars: After surgery, maybe because I was pressed by the compression bra, the armpit area became extremely swollen, and when it didn’t go down well, I asked the director and he said bio-bond had formed during the recovery process. He said pressing the armpit well with the upper band would help, but it didn’t stay fixed as well as I thought, so from around one month onward I just waited for it to disappear with time. Now that two months have passed, it has mostly gone away, but a little remains right next to the incision scar, and on the area going from the armpit toward the breast, I can feel a small lump about the size of a 10-won coin. I started applying the silicone ointment they provided to the incision scar after one week, and after one month had passed, I started applying silicone sheets that can be purchased at the hospital! I’ll also attach current photos of the scar haha Since they said that when I visit the hospital for a checkup at 3 months, they will also provide scar laser care, I’m not too worried. - Pain: Even immediately after surgery, there was almost no breast pain (about the level of abdominal muscle soreness?), and I intermittently feel a tingling sensation as sensation returns. During my period, my breasts oddly ached and prickled all day, so I asked my friends, and they said breasts are originally tingly during menstruation..? I was going to contact the hospital if it continued, but it disappeared after a day or two. Other than that, there is only very mild pain felt occasionally, and I have never had severely stinging nipples or breast pain. I guess I got lucky with being pain-free... haha And sensation seems to be returning gradually from the outer side; currently, sensation has returned except around the nipples and the lower part of the breasts. They say this will also gradually improve with time!! Since I wrote as things came to mind, I think this became a long, disorganized post, but if there is anything I missed or anything else you’re curious about, you can ask!! Now I’m exercising carefully and living without any discomfort haha After 3 months pass and I visit the hospital again, I’ll come back with a new progress update >-<