I got a lot of useful information through this community, and because I hoped my write-up would help someone else, I am bringing this clinic-hopping review!! (I hope none of them were black-market brokers)
At first, on large Naver cafes and similar places, it felt like there were so many brokers that I could not tell them apart, so I ended up doing as much online research here as possible and narrowed it down to four places.
I wanted to go mainly to clinics that took a more conservative approach, so I decided to focus on places that would only recommend repositioning, and I came with a common question list.
* Fixation method for the surgery (internal or external) * Whether fat grafting is needed, and whether fat removal is also done * Whether the aegyo-sal will remain visible, or whether it will just become flat * Anesthesia method * Recovery period * Whether taping is used * Possibility of recurrence * Post-op care period * Side effects (whether the eye shape could change afterward) * Surgery schedule
1. Clinic A - Doctor A There were a huge number of people waiting, and I was already a bit startled from that point. It felt very factory-like. I thought, how good do you have to be for there to be this many people? Consultation order was doctor, then coordinator. The doctor was neither especially kind nor especially cold, more like he wanted to finish quickly? lol A sort of "I will take good care of you~" vibe. He just glanced at my eyes briefly, without even touching them, and it felt like he was reciting only the prepared script with no real emotion.. It seemed like he was so busy that he looked exhausted lol They said he does not particularly recommend fat grafting, and for me too they said repositioning alone would work. Still, they said it would not look as flat as when fat grafting is done, and that the lower part might look a little sunken. Even the before-and-after photos showed that. The under-eye area was not glossy! plump! like that, but it was very natural lol Internal fixation, orbital septum reinforcement O, fat grafting unnecessary General anesthesia, no waking up in the middle, surgery about 30 minutes An anesthesiologist is on site Taping for about 3 days, then remove it yourself, recovery in 2-3 weeks When I asked about side effects, they only said not to worry because they would proceed carefully.. One session of swelling laser treatment was available for free I remember the coordinator in charge being extremely kind Of course, the doctor may be highly skilled and do the surgery well, but I cared a lot about how closely the doctor looked at my eyes, whether he touched them, and whether he examined them carefully, so I put down a deposit but eventually canceled the reservation (100% refundable) Oh right, I was also supposed to post a review There was no consultation fee.
2. Clinic B - Doctor B They changed my consultation time over the phone twice, so my first impression was not great. But the coordinator consultation was detailed and really kind, and they seemed to understand the surgery pretty well. I already knew this clinic was the kind that recommends fat grafting, and they recommended it to me too! They said my existing fat would not be enough. They said they would collect a tiny amount from the abdomen, and I would need to come back once more after ten days to remove the stitches from the belly. It was nice that they explained not just the under-eye fat but also the hollowing in the groove and the boundary, and what causes it and how to improve it. The before-and-after photos definitely looked flat and plump. Because the muscles used when smiling cannot be touched, they said the aegyo-sal area cannot really be changed, only the fat portion can be improved. As with the others, they did not place much emphasis on side effects. Taping O, for 2 days Not external fixation, not internal fixation either, but they said the doctor uses a special needle developed by the doctor himself for the surgery and fixation. That part was good, but.. between the fat-grafting recommendation and the price, it felt expensive, so I planned to skip it and just left after the consultation. There was no consultation fee.
3. Clinic C - Doctor C They took photos first as soon as I arrived. The order was photo shoot, coordinator consultation, doctor consultation, then coordinator consultation. This was the consultation that left the strongest impression lol The doctor was very realistic and friendly. He looked at my face closely and said, "It is not severe, so it probably will not change much, right??" I had not visited many places, but no one had said something like that, so I was actually taken aback lol "If the puffiness sticking out is what stresses you out, then do it. But know that the improvement will really be exactly that much." That was the tone. Fat grafting unnecessary Since my front cheek is not hollow even now, they said if I get fat grafting, only the upper area will gain volume relatively, so the nasolabial fold area might look even more hollow, which is why they did not recommend it. That was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to hear I wanted a consultation that looked not just at the under-eye area but also at the overall harmony and caught things I had not considered.. So I fixed my decision not to do fat grafting here. And they clearly drew the line on what can and cannot be done, which I liked. Conjunctival incision, internal fixation They said it would be done under sleep and local anesthesia, and I would wake up slightly dazed after 30 minutes. They explained that under-eye fat repositioning is not the kind of surgery where you have to be asleep the whole time. Maybe because this is a one-doctor clinic, there was no anesthesiologist? Local anesthesia alone was possible, but most people do it under sedation. They do not use taping here. They said taping is meant to suppress swelling, but the doctor did not really see much need for it. They said they would do it if I wanted. The before-and-after photos were in a booklet, so it was nice to compare my own eyes with similar cases as we talked. Here, they really touched my eyes all over, looked from far away, lol It may have been the most sincere consultation. There was a 10,000 KRW consultation fee, and no obligation to post a review.
4. Clinic D - Doctor D I consulted with a male doctor, and the order was coordinator, doctor, coordinator. No photos were taken. The doctor was calm and kind, and although the consultation was not long, he was sincere. Internal fixation, no taping. He said the muscles might feel a little pulled and the shape might look like a lower canthoplasty, but that it would disappear within 6 months. He said it would take about a month of recovery before my own eye shape would fully show. Surgery time was 40 to 50 minutes, under sleep plus local anesthesia, and I would not wake up in the middle. I asked about fat grafting, and he said it was not necessary, and that I should first just do repositioning, then after recovery and once things settle down, decide whether to do it or not. Because once you add it, you cannot take it back, so it is better not to do everything at once, he said. Like Clinic C, they pressed with a cotton swab and said improvement would be limited to that extent. They also said that when I frown, it is a muscle issue, so complete improvement would be difficult. There are no stitches, and I would need to come back after 1 or 2 weeks to check the progress. The style felt similar to Clinic C, and it was not bad! There was a 10,000 KRW consultation fee and a review-writing requirement.
I think I understand now why people say you need to visit many clinics. It seems better to go to as many places as possible before deciding. Every clinic says something different, and there were facts I learned for the first time, so it was more useful than I expected lol I hope my write-up helps a little bit with your own clinic search!!!!