Review

Hi everyone. It feels like just yesterday that I was searching online and going around to clinics to get my nose implant removed, but now I’m already almost 3 weeks post-op. Please understand the blackheads in the removal photos, since I still haven’t been able to manage my sebum properly yet^^.. At first, I didn’t know anything about removal, so I searched on Naver cafes and things like that. After I found this community, I think I kept doing most of my research here. I also got a lot of help from everyone here, so after surgery, I wanted to share even one more thing with people who asked. Because of brokers, I got so confused choosing a hospital that I felt like I was going to lose my mind, but that was resolved right after surgery🙃!!! As I write, this review might get a bit long, so if you don’t like reading long posts, please skip it. First, to describe my nose before surgery, it was a nose that had only been getting filler. My nasal bridge was low and my nasal tip was round and bulbous, and I really hated that. Since it’s the center of the face, I wanted it to become more defined so my facial features would look sharper. That’s why I ended up getting surgery. The surgical materials were 5 mm silicone for the nasal bridge, and mesh + septal cartilage as support! At the time, the doctor did say he would use mesh. I was really ignorant I just thought it was a commonly used material. I should have looked into it, but I didn’t.. The surgery was already done, I had fully recovered, and later, when it came to mind, I searched it up. By my standards, mesh was the worst material..? From then on, I started feeling anxious, thinking that a problem would come someday.. Then after 1, 2, and 3 years, the columella side of my nasal tip started looking like a butt-shaped nose, almost like cartilage showing through, and it started bothering me. While searching to see if anyone had symptoms like mine, and looking at photos and posts about contracture or inflammation symptoms, I started getting scared. So I decided I should first look for hospitals and get a consultation to see if there was a problem! And if they said there was a problem, I decided I would get removal surgery, not revision surgery! So I started searching for removal hospitals rather than revision hospitals. I did worry a lot about whether I should give up on the cosmetic aspect. But if I couldn’t give it up and got revision surgery, I hated the idea of being trapped in that anxiety again during recovery, worrying, “What if another problem happens?” And later, whether it was contracture, inflammation, or anything else, if I would end up having everything removed anyway, I thought my recovery speed would be better now than later. Considering shape changes caused by the mesh, I felt now would be the optimal time. I heard that the longer mesh is left in, the worse the adhesions get and the harder it is to remove. Since I live outside Seoul, I had to set aside specific days for consultations, so I narrowed it down to 3 hospitals, stayed one night in Seoul, and went to consultations over two days! Travel time was an issue too, and I didn’t want to rush through consultations. Of the 3 places I consulted, 2 said it wasn’t contracture or inflammation, and that I probably had a butt-shaped nose originally, and as my skin became thinner, the butt-shaped nose was showing again. They gave the same opinion. The remaining place said they wouldn’t know until they opened it up. The people who commented on my previous review probably already know which hospital I ultimately had surgery at. I think people may ask in the comments again this time too, but if you’ve searched a lot, I think you’ll know right away from just the basic keywords. It’s a hospital in Sinnonhyeon, not one of the “top three,” and it’s a hospital that’s been coming up a lot recently for removals! For surgery, I had total removal of silicone, mesh, and septal cartilage as much as had been used, plus cartilage repositioning and complete capsule removal! Because mesh had been used, they said columellar depression or deformity could occur, so honestly I worried and thought about it a lot. But in cases like this, there is a probability; it doesn’t mean it will definitely happen or that the probability is 100%! So I trusted the doctor and just went for it. It was my fault for having surgery even while knowing mesh would be put in.. My surgery was scheduled for Monday morning. Since the day before was Sunday and the surgery was on Monday morning, I went to the hospital worried, wondering what if the doctor’s hands weren’t warmed up yet! I’m the type who worries quite a lot I fasted for 6 hours and went in. Following the instructions, I changed into a gown, washed my face, gargled with disinfectant, took photos, met the doctor, went into the operating room, had my nose hair trimmed, had disinfectant applied, and from then on my body started trembling little by little It was probably more because I was cold and scared! Anyway, the anesthesia must have worked well, because surgery was already in progress. They woke me up in the middle, so I was conscious, but it felt a bit dazed, like being inside a maze. I think I kept worrying, “What if the local anesthesia wears off quickly?” I thought it would be so scary if I felt pain in my nose.. So my surgery ended well, and I was in the recovery room applying cold compresses. Then the doctor and consultant came in, told me the surgery went well, explained the surgical details, showed me the removed materials, and left! I went to the hospital twice to have stitches removed, and each time they gave me a swelling laser treatment, and the doctor came to keep checking my progress. I’m originally the type who swells a lot, but right after surgery I didn’t have major swelling. Then, as expected.. on days 3-4, I completely looked like a steamed bun man, with swelling from my eyes, glabella, and forehead that looked like it was about to burst It was to the point where I wondered, “Is this normal..?” I kept drinking pumpkin juice and water, and from days 4-5 the swelling gradually went down. Around week 2, most of the major swelling was gone, and now only minor swelling remains! For pain, I feel a slight zzzzzing~~ sensation, like fine trembling? Sometimes it pokes a little too, but it’s not painful or sore, so I’m just living with the thought that the nerves that had been cut are recovering~ Currently, I really, really like the side profile of my nose. There may still be some height because of the minor swelling But from the front, the nasal tip is no longer blunt and round, so I sincerely think it’s better than my original nose.. The consultant also looked at it and said it turned out well, and said the doctor tries to shape it as prettily as possible when repositioning the cartilage. People say that if you stay at the height of a surgically altered nose for a long time, it won’t become completely just as low as before. So although it can’t return exactly to my original nose, I do think there’s a good chance it can become a better nose than the original. From the front, the nasal bridge area is definitely gone, and I’m trying to get used to it haha Compared with when my nose was more defined, my impression has also become a bit softer. I’m not sure if the contraction phase has started, but it does look a little lifted. It’s not enough to bother me much, so I’m living while wearing a mask. I think choosing removal instead of revision surgery was such a good choice. And above all, the anxiety is gone, and my nose feels so much lighter. That’s the best part, seriously Before removal, my right side would get blocked easily and breathing was difficult, but now there’s no blockage. I’m hoping my recovery continues well just like this Since there are also cases where problems suddenly appear after there had been none, I think it would be good to watch it for 6 months to 1 year after removal. As of now, I haven’t developed columellar depression, and on CT there was a slight saddle nose, but maybe because of the swelling, the saddle nose isn’t visible yet, so I’m satisfied Anyway, I hope everyone who is considering removal goes to consultations, chooses a hospital well, and gets good results! I’ll keep checking periodically and come back to write another review.