First surgery > incisional double eyelid surgery, eye-opening correction, epicanthoplasty, revision lateral/lower canthoplasty > incisional double eyelid surgery, eye-opening correction, line reduction (double-line method), epicanthoplasty restoration
When I started looking into revision surgery, my biggest worries were cost and swelling. I had already spent a lot on my first surgery, so I kept wondering if I really should do it again. But because the line was so high, I kept stressing about it on my own.
Even as time passed, the high line never came down. At first I thought maybe it was just swelling, but even after time went by, the area above my eyes still looked puffy and like sausage. It was especially stressful that my eyes stood out too much in photos, and makeup helped only a little. Bare-faced, the surgery was really obvious. I just felt that this line really did not suit me.
I was satisfied with the epicanthoplasty at first too, but as time went on the inner corners started to look too crowded, and I became concerned about asymmetry at the inner corners, so I started looking into epicanthoplasty restoration as well. From then on I asked people around me and searched everywhere. I went to consultations at [Clinic A], [Clinic B], and [Clinic C] because I liked the reviews there, and once I visited several places, the price differences were really huge. Some places were surprisingly affordable, while others were extremely expensive because it was revision surgery. In the end, though, I felt that what mattered more than price was the surgeon's experience and design direction. A friend of mine has already had double eyelid surgery three times, and they said it is not expensive for nothing, because skill differences are real, so I took that into account too. I was also looking only at eye-specialist places.
What made me feel that line reduction was different from ordinary double eyelid surgery was that there was already an existing line and the area had already been altered, so each surgeon explained it differently. Some places said that even if you lower it, the sausage-like look might still remain. That place felt a bit off to me. I wanted the line lowered more than anything... haha.
So later on, more than cost, I started paying attention to how well they understood the eyes I wanted and whether they could explain why the surgery should be done that way in a way that made sense. Honestly, the thought of needing another revision surgery was much scarier than a difference of a few hundred thousand won.
It has been about 2 months since the surgery now, and I still have some residual swelling. Especially in the mornings, my eyelids look a bit swollen, and on some days one side looks thicker. Since it was revision surgery, recovery does seem slower than after the first surgery... Still, compared with before, I definitely feel more at ease. The stress I used to feel every time I looked in the mirror because of the high line has decreased a lot, and my eyes feel much softer-looking than before.
The epicanthoplasty restoration is not completely restored yet, but the impression of the inner corners looking crowded has been eased a lot, and the subtle hooked shape is gone, so I am satisfied. It is still only 2 months, so it is too early to judge the final result, but so far I am satisfied. For people who are worrying about revision surgery, cost is important, but I really think it is right to look most closely at the surgeon's skill and revision experience. I also used to look at price first, but now I think that was not the priority. Especially if you need double-line correction, revision surgery, and epicanthoplasty restoration all at once? Then it is even more important to choose a place with strong eye-surgery experience. Please make sure to visit several places for consultations...