<Complaint submitted to the hospital about dissatisfaction with the shape and displacement of AlloDerm, and their reply.> *This post was written for the public interest, not for defamation, and was written after consulting with a lawyer. These are my extremely subjective opinions, written for those who are planning to have cosmetic surgery in the future. The photos were provided by the hospital and were not edited separately. I will not disclose the hospital information. Even if asked, I will not tell you. The photos were taken at 4 months post-op.
Purpose of the surgery 1. The bridge of my nose was broad and my nostrils were large, so I wanted an overall reduced look. I wanted something natural. 2. Because of a deviated septum, the tip of my nose was slightly crooked, so I wanted correction as well as improvement of my rhinitis. 3. I wanted to refine the slight hump on the bridge, and I specifically asked for no implant material, and told them not to place anything on the bridge. 4. I showed them a photoshopped image of the nose I wanted and asked them to make it like that. 5. I wanted ear cartilage, but based on my past history and the judgment that my septum was weak, rib cartilage was recommended. I was told they would need to open the nose to know for sure, but even right before lying down on the operating table, I kept asking for ear cartilage.
After surgery 1. In my subjective opinion, I am dissatisfied with the shape. I did not even know what a straight-line nose was, and I never asked for that, but the tip of my nose is overly elevated, which seems to emphasize the shortcomings of my face shape even more. The columella also looks cut down, and the result is different from the Photoshop image I showed them and wanted. 2. The hardness of rib cartilage... I think "hardness" is the better way to describe it. It is uncomfortable. 3. They said I could even do weight training 4 weeks after rib cartilage harvest, but... I could not do anything for 2 months. (My job requires physical work.) 4. AlloDerm on the bridge... I learned about the existence of AlloDerm only after surgery. I did not even know what AlloDerm was... I hate silicone too, but would I have wanted them to lay down chemically processed cadaveric dermis? 5. I raised my dissatisfaction with the shape to the director, and they said they would do a revision surgery without extra cost, but another hospital said it could be done with ear cartilage, so I am planning to decline revision at the same place.
In the end, I am looking into removal as my main option because I want to return to my original nose. Because my face has a long midface, I think that is how they performed the surgery, but as a result I ended up far from the image I had in mind, so I am removing it because I am dissatisfied. I no longer even feel the desire to become prettier, and I just want to live as I am... I sincerely hope I can return to my original nose.
The purpose of this post is: 1. Please carefully check the consultation record and the surgical consent form. Right before surgery, you're nervous and overwhelmed, and you may think you should not read negative posts like this... But in the end, any side effects caused by surgery are something only you have to bear. I hope you will think it through thoroughly before making your decision. With the hospital's consent, I recommend taking separate photos. (After surgery, when I raised an objection about my subjective dissatisfaction with the shape, I looked again in detail and was shocked.) Please also be sure to check the consultation record before surgery. I was unable to check it. 2. Check whether the aesthetic standards of the hospital director match yours. No matter how much a place pursues naturalness, if you go to a flashy clinic and say, "Please make it natural," it will not be easy for the result to come out in the shape you want. This is my personal experience. Check the hospital website and before-and-after photos (not selfies) before deciding. 3. Decide exactly what implant material you want for your nose surgery before proceeding. Saying things like "you have to open it to know"... that may happen for revision surgery, but for a first surgery, I hope you clearly understand the implant material, what will be inserted into your nose, and what variables may arise, and go in with the director's consent. 4. I hope you will visit at least 6 to 10 clinics in person, not just browse online, before deciding. (I visited 3 places before deciding.) Be cautious about hospitals that say they will give a discount if you book on the same day. Choosing what surgery to have is up to you, and therefore the side effects or other problems you have to bear may also be your responsibility. Do not rush into a decision based only on a price discount and regret it later. Through enough consultations, carefully compare and analyze the technique and shape you want, as well as the aftercare. 5. You need to think about the permanent losses that can result from nose surgery. For example, osteotomy of the nose, cartilage incision for a hump nose, or shape recovery becoming impossible due to nostril deformity... I visited many different hospitals to look into revision surgery... When I realized that permanent losses can never be restored, tears suddenly came to my eyes. I wrote this in the hope that college freshmen, students, and office workers who are making surgery reservations with an excited heart for the New Year and looking forward to becoming prettier will get good results. This is not to say that surgery is unconditionally bad. But I wrote this long post in the hope that you recognize how truly difficult nose surgery is, meet a good surgeon, and get the result you want.