After the first nose surgery, I have absolutely no functional side effects. If I had to pick one, maybe a runny nose when eating hot stew? As for design-related side effects, the tip of my nose drooped. That’s basically it.
The reason I want a revision is that I’m honestly not happy with the shape of my nose, and I’ve felt that dissatisfaction since not long after the surgery. Anyway, my nose looks kind of puffy and wide, so I went all over the place for revision surgery consultations to improve it.
I’ve been debating surgery for years now, and since I’m working full-time, I couldn’t find the timing. But this year I finally got a real chance, so I’m thinking of setting a date and doing it.
1. Made Young They recommended using autologous costal cartilage. They said that even if I don’t reduce the alar base and only raise the bridge, it should improve well. The revision price range is a bit high. Both the manager and the surgeon were kind during the consultation, and they took a CT scan and analyzed my nose condition. They were honest that it would be hard to get exactly the nose shape I want, and that they would match it as much as possible, but the shape would probably still be different. They were confident that because they would use autologous costal cartilage with minimal incisions, the scar would be smaller than at other places. They said ear cartilage or septal cartilage is too weak to support the tip, so it’s hard to build enough height with those. In such cases there may not be a problem, but it would be difficult to raise the nose high. They advised against donor rib cartilage, saying that after 3 years it often becomes soft and gets absorbed, and that product quality varies a lot. They also advised against alar base reduction, saying it involves cutting away tissue, so the shape won’t be satisfying and scars will remain.
2. Naturalism They said widening the starting point of the nose is not risky and is possible. They said that when inserting silicone, you can add a bit more shape while placing it. They said you can build out the shape with cartilage, or something like that. When I said donor rib cartilage seemed better, they emphasized, “The patient said they would choose donor rib cartilage themselves~.” This place was also expensive. No CT scan.
3. JT Before the consultation, the before-and-after photos in the booklet were mostly flashy noses, so 참고 if you don’t want an obviously operated-on look. They said the frontal effect is already almost fully achieved now, so there wouldn’t be a big difference. The surgeon answered questions well, and the consultation manager listened carefully too. CT scan included.
4. AB They said they were considering osteotomy to narrow the width of the nose, but then said no, maybe just raising the bridge would be enough. They also recommended alar base reduction. There were many other people waiting, and it took some time. This place was also fairly kind. CT scan included.
5. Obje Dr. Lee Kyung-mook. When I had the consultation, he talked to me comfortably and kindly like a friend, with no sense of rushing. Autologous costal cartilage is the best, but considering the downsides, donor rib cartilage is not bad either, though he said it can calcify. He said that with his surgical method, the absorption rate is not much different between autologous and donor rib cartilage. He said there would definitely be a frontal improvement effect. The best part was that since they fully stop the bleeding on the day of surgery, they don’t need to pack the nose with cotton, so breathing is easier. I experienced how uncomfortable it is not being able to breathe after nose surgery the first time, so just not having cotton packed in there was already a huge plus for me. He said CT would be omitted because when the nose is actually opened, the condition can be different. He first said alar base reduction would be good because it can leave scars, but in the end he said it would be better not to do it.
6. Banana The surgeon consulted together with the consultation manager there. There is a CT scan, but no CT fee. If you decide on surgery that day, there is a discount. There were quite a few people waiting, and some patients needed post-op treatment too, and it seemed like there was only one surgeon, so they seemed really busy. Even during the consultation, they couldn’t spend a long time, probably because post-op care and other tasks were backed up. They said that even if the bridge is raised, alar base reduction would probably still be needed, and that during surgery they would handle the scar so it would remain in a less noticeable area. They said they would correct the nasolabial angle, and initially overcorrect it to prevent the tip from drooping. My impression was that if you want a flashy style and clear correction, this hospital could be a good option.
7. Hanabi The surgeon was an ENT specialist, and when I went there, I already saw people coming in to check their post-op progress. The hospital was clean and quiet. The waiting time wasn’t long, and the surgeon said that patients need to come in having a concrete idea of the shape they want for the consultation; that leads to higher satisfaction after surgery. At first I honestly didn’t pay that much attention to this, but while studying through YouTube, I started to understand why he said that. You need to organize the design you want and the things you want to avoid, then hand that to the doctor. The doctor can then look at it, give additional opinions, and decide the direction more easily, so it really is essential. I had been too careless. They also recommended alar base reduction here. They said it looked like they could raise it about 1 mm more. If you say 1 mm, it sounds very small, but they said that 1 mm difference can still change the overall impression. In the end, they said that for aesthetic surgery, the patient needs to have a clear idea of the nose shape they want in order to avoid dissatisfaction.
8. Heat There was some waiting time, but it seemed to be because the surgeon was giving detailed explanations to the people before me. Anyway, I didn’t mind much. (Because the consultation rooms are next to each other, you can hear voices, even if not everything that’s being said.) They took a CT scan and also did a separate internal nasal examination with instruments. (This was the first place that did an internal nasal exam.) During the consultation, I felt trust in them, and because I had organized what I wanted aesthetically and explained it, they told me how the procedure would proceed. They talked about correcting the nasolabial angle and tying cartilage, and they advised against alar base reduction because my skin type seemed likely to leave prominent scars. (They explained the reason scars might remain to a certain degree by analyzing my skin type, so it was easy to understand.) I really liked that they explained things in an easy-to-understand way. They said they would overcorrect at first, considering the tip might droop later. They said it would be hard to get exactly the nose shape I want, and that it would be better to adjust the angle and height to this degree to match that shape instead. (To prevent side effects or a pencil-like nose.)
9. It’s B They listened to the design I wanted and then explained how the procedure would go. They said alar base reduction would probably be better, but since scars can remain a lot, the patient should decide on that. This was the first place that pointed out one of the dissatisfaction factors other hospitals hadn’t diagnosed and explained it, and also suggested how to compensate for it. The scar length from autologous costal cartilage is a bit concerning. Since a large amount has to be harvested, they said the incision is somewhat large. They also said the reason the price is high is that they tend to use a lot of material without cutting it into small pieces. The price is high. The consultation manager’s explanation was detailed. Aftercare is possible, and compared with other hospitals, they tend to have more follow-up visits after surgery, so I liked that they keep checking the progress of the nose surgery. Putting everything else aside, they recommended autologous costal cartilage because of the absorption rate of donor rib cartilage. There was a 10,000 won consultation fee (but they additionally checked the inside of the nose directly with instruments besides the CT scan).
10. Premier There were many people waiting and the waiting time was extremely long. The consultation manager was pretty. The surgeon seemed busy, so a long consultation wasn’t possible. They said the silicone is already visible in my bridge now, so they can’t raise it any further. Instead, they recommended lowering the silicone height, restoring the fallen bridge, and doing alar base reduction. (At other places, they said the silicone isn’t visible.)
A few places have been narrowed down, but the clear conclusion is that before the consultation, it seems best to organize the nose shape you want and the things you want to avoid, and explain them. Before, I would just go in blindly and say this is what I dislike, please do a design like this, but now that I’m going in with specific points organized, the consultation details stick in my head exactly. (I’m thinking of skipping alar base reduction unless absolutely necessary. That scar issue makes the downside seem too clear.)
After organizing the design I want, I’ve only consulted at 2 hospitals, so I think I need to go around some more for additional visits. And Louvre is so booked up that apparently it’s only possible after June ㄷㄷㄷ