Hi, I had complete nasal implant removal surgery today. I received help from this community from when I first started considering removal, through deciding on my consultation list, and up until this morning, so I wanted to write this post, haha. (I actually planned to write the consultation reviews in advance, but kept saying I would and never did, haha.)
[First surgery] 1. I had my first and only previous surgery in 2014. 2. I was undergoing orthodontic treatment at the time, but suddenly my nose looked bad to me, so I had surgery very impulsively. I really regretted it! 3. The procedure was simple: 4-mm Surgiform (Gore-Tex) plus ear cartilage at the tip. (*It is the hospital that appears when you search for Surgiform.)
[Why I had surgery] 1. Fortunately, even after 12 years, I had no contracture or inflammation, and it seemed fairly natural. However, while going to consultations this time, I noticed that the tip cartilage was becoming visible. ^^ (I was also told several times that it had been done using a somewhat old-fashioned technique, lol.) 2. Because I had done it impulsively, it became aesthetically acceptable, but I had regretted it all along. Would people meeting me for the first time realize that I had an augmented nose? lol. Also, since the implant had been in place for so long, I had an unnecessary feeling of anxiety. 3. Then, this summer, I suddenly felt strongly that I had to remove it. I looked through online communities and this community and went to consultations, thinking, “Let’s do it before it gets any later!” 4. Since I was doing it out of anxiety, I only considered complete removal!
[Consultation list] I’ll list them in the order I visited.
1. [Clinic A]: Key information — consultation fee 10,000 won, ultrasound, closed approach, 4 million won. I do not know who called it one of the three leading removal hospitals, haha, but I went because it was said to be famous. On my first visit, I met someone who had just finished surgery, and quite a few people were waiting for consultations with me. (This was the only place where I actually saw someone who had undergone surgery.) They examined the condition of my nose by ultrasound, and the surgeon and staff were kind. Although the implant was Gore-Tex, it was not contracture, so they said it would not be a difficult operation, and the surgeon seemed very confident. Although it was not contracture, the tip cartilage was showing and the nose had begun to look slightly pinched, so contracture seemed likely to develop soon. They said a closed approach would be possible if I had surgery this year, but an open approach might be necessary next year. Surgery could be booked starting two months in advance, so when I visited, no appointments were available.
2. [Clinic B]: Key information — consultation fee 27,000 won, CT, open approach, 3.3 million won. (After insurance for functional nasal surgery, the out-of-pocket cost would be about 2 million won.) The reviews were all very similar, so I thought they might be promotional, but I visited anyway because I had only recently started researching. It was the only one among the three hospitals I initially booked that offered CT imaging. The surgeon here was also extremely confident. As mentioned above, they said the procedure was very low difficulty because I was removing it simply due to anxiety: 0.3 out of 10. After consulting with the surgeon, I spoke with the coordinator, who asked which hospitals I had booked and what they had said. They also discussed the possibility and cost of additional procedures during surgery, as well as reimbursement for functional nasal surgery. Although it was the best financially, some of these comments felt a little negative to me.
3. [Clinic C]: Key information — consultation fee 10,000 won, palpation, open approach, 3.8 million won. (4.18 million won including VAT.) One of the three leading hospitals. The surgeon was somewhat cynical and very active on a blog. The consultation was based on palpation by hand, and they showed me photos of actual cases. [Clinic B] mainly showed extreme cases, so it was hard to get a sense of what to expect, but this clinic showed cases similar to mine, which I liked. As I had read in the reviews, they did not say only positive things. They said I could never return to my original nose, that my nose would become less attractive than it was now, and explained very frankly where it would spread and what might happen. Perhaps they were considering the worst-case scenario. (But what they said was all true. How could a nose that has been operated on return to its original state?) The coordinator also repeatedly told me to think carefully because people who undergo surgery simply out of anxiety like me may regret it.
4. [Clinic D] ([Doctor A]): Key information — consultation fee 30,000 won, palpation, open approach, 4.6 million won for same-day booking. (Regular price: 5.04 million won.) One of the three leading hospitals that recently moved. They had decorated the place so well it rivaled a hotel. When making the appointment by phone, I had to deposit 30,000 won for the appointment to be confirmed. I found it a little odd that they charged 30,000 won for palpation. They said they would explain everything in great detail, but the consultation actually took about the same amount of time as elsewhere, and I had to wait a little while because the surgeon took another call. Still, the consultation was kind, and since it was my fourth visit, I asked many questions and came away, lol. They showed an actual case, but only photos of one person. They also gave me coffee and the service was excellent, but I tend to think that all of this is reflected in the price. It was genuinely more expensive than the others.
5. [Clinic E]: Key information — consultation fee 30,000 won, CT, open approach, 4.7 million won with photo consent. (Regular price: 5.2 million won.) A hospital I have been seeing a lot lately. On my way home after the fourth consultation, I suddenly called [Clinic E] and made an appointment. At first they said consultations were available in October, but a cancellation opened up, so I successfully booked for August. (I suspected the waiting list might also be a marketing tactic, lol.) The surgeon also said mine was not a difficult nose and that it would be a simple operation. The explanation of the surgical method was actually quite similar to the other places. Looking at the CT, they said my nasal bones were originally slightly deviated, so surgery would not make them symmetrical. They also said I could return to daily life immediately, which was reassuring. My knowledge had increased again, lol, so I asked about things like the contraction period and scar tissue before leaving. And it was really expensive!
[Hospital I chose] After consulting everywhere, I ultimately had surgery at [Clinic A], lol. What I liked most was the closed approach, and I think I trusted the consultation style and the hospital staff the most. Many people were worried that there were no photos, and I was too. But the photos they show would all be their best cases anyway, and I thought that if their skill were poor simply because they had no photos, they would not have survived until now, haha. I also went for a second consultation after booking the surgery, and someone who had just finished surgery was there that day too. This was the only place where I actually saw people coming out after surgery. Today, after my surgery, I saw people waiting for consultations. I wondered whether they were also from this community~~ Anyway, after deciding, I quickly had the surgery about three months later. I’ll rest today, and if I can, I’ll also leave a review of the first day after surgery tomorrow!! As I mentioned, my previous surgical method was simple and this was my first surgery, so I think the cost was relatively low; please keep that in mind~! (No columella or septum work.) I tried to write as much detail as possible. If you have more questions, leave a comment, and for information sharing, please leave a public comment rather than a private one!