Before<after surgery> before<before> before<before> Crooked nose correction + osteotomy + depressed nose + silicone + donated rib cartilage + deviated septum + rhinitis
(Long post warning)
Hello. I had read many surgery reviews, but I never thought I would end up writing one myself until just a few weeks ago.
Ever since I was a child, I had a complex about my nose because I once slammed it into a soccer goalpost.
It sits right in the center of the face, and in terms of the body, it plays the role of the torso where all the limbs and neck are attached. Just as the trapezius around the glabella should be absent for the neck to look long and the shoulders to look square, and just as the nostrils and alar base, which correspond to the pelvis, need to be balanced for the legs to look long and the waist to look narrow enough to create volume, the torso plays a very important role in the body. After all, all the important organs are in the upper body.
That is why I think the nose plays the biggest role on the face, both functionally and aesthetically.
So when you look at the proportions of cosmetic surgery procedures, the nose takes up a surprisingly large share for men.
Well, until now I had gone along without caring much, but I started thinking about whether to get surgery or not when I was about 24. In the army, I used to envy classmates whose noses stood out sharply when they wore masks, and from above the mask would gather into a triangular shape like a mountain. I was also very interested in clothes, and whenever I saw people who looked good in hats, glasses, or sunglasses, I realized that while face shape matters, the nose is important whether the look is dramatic or natural.
As you can see, I had always been worried about the aesthetic side of my nose. I never even thought about the functional side. I did not want to know it in that much detail either.
By chance, I went to an ENT clinic and had an endoscopy, and the doctor told me I had a deviated septum. Since that place only handles diagnosis, they filled out a referral form and told me to go to a university hospital or a plastic surgery clinic for the surgery.
Coincidentally, because of COVID, I had a bit of extra time, and the nose I had always thought of as a complex started spinning up happy fantasies in my head.
I had already been doing my own research and making a list of clinics for aesthetic purposes, but I instinctively realized that I was also in a situation where I needed functional surgery, and that only then would my currently crooked nose be less likely to bend again later and my rhinitis and deviated septum would not recur.
So I tore up the list I had made through shadow research and rebuilt it as a list of clinics that would do both aesthetic and functional surgery.
If your head is not great, your body ends up suffering. It was my own fault for making a list first without properly identifying my nose’s problems...
When you look around this community and various cafes and apps, clinics that do functional + aesthetic surgery are almost always narrowed down to 3 to 5 places.
P-R-M-?, S-D-R-L-?, B, M-J, etc.
I wanted a somewhat flashy nose. Based on the style of clothes I wear and my facial features... even in photos, I felt that because of my brow ridge, somewhat protruding chin and cheekbones, and broad facial contours, a natural nose would not suit my current face. Of course, if I ever got contouring later, I would need revision surgery to adjust the nose proportions... but I decided to give up the dream of contouring surgery. If you keep reading, you will understand why I truly respect people who get contouring.
1. P-R-M-? was the most famous. Dr. C.
Consultations were booked far in advance, and there were many people who had surgery there too. There must be a reason restaurants are popular, so I definitely wanted a consultation...
But it was hard to make the timing work. That was due to my own personal circumstances. Because of my job and lifestyle, I could not afford to set aside many days and times... I had to get everything done in one shot on a single day.
So I read a lot of written reviews and looked at photos. The shape was pretty and the reviews were good. I really wanted to ask how they would operate on my nose, but unfortunately, from the reviews alone, it was exactly the style I wanted.
2. S-D-R-L-?
S-D-R-L-? was a place I had recently become interested in after searching around. I have private insurance, and S-D-R-L-? reportedly gets 90% coverage... As everyone knows, with private insurance, if it is aesthetic + functional, only the functional part is covered.
But I heard that at S-D-R-L-?, you can get the full surgery covered as functional surgery, so financially it had a lot of merit. They also seemed to prefer a natural result.
I understand that many aspiring entertainers, actors, and model trainees go there.
3. B
This clinic was the second most famous after P-R-M-? for functional + aesthetic surgery. They tend to go for a natural result, so after reading only written and photo reviews, the shape was not really my style, and I deliberated until the end, but in the end I did not choose it.
4. M-J
Like S-D-R-L-?, many aspiring entertainers, acting trainees, and models go there. People seemed to know about it through word of mouth. That alone means they are confident, but I saw many reviews saying they use autologous rib cartilage in primary surgery, so the price quote for a first surgery was almost at the level of a revision surgery...
I thought about getting a consultation at least once, but the consultations were also heavily booked, so I studied through online research instead.
5. Jo & Shin
This was the first time I learned the name of the plastic surgery clinic called Jo & Shin while doing my own research. In truth, I decided on surgery based more on the surgeon than the clinic.
Anyone who has searched even a little about a flashy nose will know these names well: Dr. G at B-R-?, Dr. C at P-R-M-?, and Dr. Y.G.M.
At first, when I was only thinking about aesthetics, I had these three on my list because I wanted something flashy yet natural and sophisticated. They are really the two major pillars, or rather three if you count them properly. It is not that one doctor is better than another; rather, these doctors are all highly standardized in that field, so I decided I had to visit all three places. But Dr. Y.G.M. left the clinic he had originally been at and took a break for a while, so I also put my nose surgery plans on hold for a bit.
This time, after looking into it, I found out he had moved to Jo & Shin Plastic Surgery. I did not know much about the clinic, but I had spent a lot of time researching and frequently watched the kind of cosmetic surgery knowledge he posted on YouTube, so I definitely wanted a consultation. Dr. G at B-R-? was trustworthy because an acquaintance had surgery there, and I definitely, definitely wanted consultations with Dr. C at P-R-M-? and Dr. Y.G.M. at Jo & Shin.
Fortunately, the consultations were not heavily booked, so I could get one a week later. He checked my nose from various angles and gave an accurate and honest consultation. I did not bring photos of celebrities or SNS stars in the first place, because as everyone knows, when you consider skin thickness and other factors together, their different bodily conditions mean you cannot get an identical shape:)
Of course, this is something most surgeons already know. But Dr. Lee Gyeong-mok goes further and designs the nose to match the patient’s current condition. I will skip the ideal nose design details like the nasolabial angle and nostril size, because there are plenty on YouTube and there are people more expert than me. I also liked that he would design it to suit my face with his own know-how.
Out of the five clinics on my list, including online research, it seems like I looked into about 15 to 20 places. Some of them I actually went to for in-person consultations, and some I could not even consider because of the booking situation.
At least I had narrowed down the list, so you all passed the first gate, haha.
Among the clinics on the list, some staff and doctors were kind and some were not, and some coordinators pushed the deposit too hard while others were considerate and told me not to feel pressured and to think it over carefully. When I experienced firsthand the things I had seen in reviews and communities, I did not feel bad so much as amazed haha. That is their job, so there was nothing that really made me uncomfortable. I could just be blunt and say no if I did not like it. Price was important too, but my priorities were 1. safety 2. function 3. design, so deposit pushes, events, and requests to write reviews were not my business. Because if I was satisfied, I would have planned to write a review voluntarily anyway:)
There were also criteria for choosing a clinic that you probably have seen often too, and I sorted them out for myself as well. 1. Is the doctor a board-certified plastic surgeon? 2. Is the doctor registered with the Korean Medical Association? 3. Is there CCTV inside the operating room? 4. Is a board-certified anesthesiologist physically present at the clinic? 5. Is it not a fly-by-night place that only opened a few years ago? 6. Blacklists, shadow doctors, and so on
+These days, doctors appear all over the place, so I also watched everything they said in articles and on YouTube, and I even did some grind work by changing the initials in Google searches. Just as chefs have their own specialty dishes or ingredients they handle well, I thought plastic surgeons also have nose shapes they are especially confident with, so I tried to learn as much as possible about the doctor’s style too:)
In the end, after narrowing it down to the clinics that passed my own criteria and going to consultations, I also adjusted my leave period and surgery date, and fortunately I was able to go with the doctor I liked best
When I booked the consultation, I wanted to get the consultation quickly and have the surgery as soon as possible... but as the surgery date drew closer by a day or two, I started thinking, 'Maybe I was overthinking it. Should I just live with the face I was born with...' I even considered giving up the surgery deposit and just not doing it. But then I looked at my front and 45-degree photos taken with the iPhone front camera after more than twenty years of stress... and thought, no, I have to do it, and I steadied my mind again.
After booking the surgery, I could contact the coordinator through KakaoTalk, text messages, and so on whenever I had questions or needed precautions. It felt a bit like being cared for with great devotion, like a greenhouse flower at a solid mid-sized company rather than a giant factory hospital.
On the morning of surgery, after arriving at the clinic, they explained precautions and care methods, had me sign the necessary forms, and took the prior steps so that I could comfortably go home once recovery after surgery was done. If a guardian had come with me, these details might not have felt so vivid, but I went alone, just by myself. If you think of it as serious, it is a difficult surgery; if you think of it as simple, it is a simple surgery.:)
Before entering the operating room, I had a final consultation with the doctor. There are always variables, like questions you forgot to ask after the first consultation or changes in aesthetic sense.:)
And as an aside, while searching online I found a KakaoTalk chat room where the doctor himself was the moderator!! I do not know whether doctors from other clinics do this too, but the secret tip was being able to get answers to questions or concerns quickly instead of waiting for days.
Now, finally, the long-awaited surgery
I had heard so many negative things about anesthesia that I just desperately hoped I would be like other people, closing my eyes and opening them again only when I was in the recovery room. I truly, deeply, completely hoped I would not wake up in the middle...
I have never had a knife touch my body in my life... I have zero experience with surgery or anesthesia, including the common LASIK or LASEK procedures. Even the night before, when I went to sleep, I prayed that I would just close my eyes and open them and it would all be over...
But for some reason, perhaps because I slept too deeply and was too tense, although I was given sedation anesthesia, I was anesthetized but did not fall asleep... so I was able to leave you this vivid review.
When you enter the operating room, they give you a cup of water mixed with red antiseptic and tell you to gargle it... The taste, smell, and appearance are all the worst. Anyway... okay.... Then you lie on the bed and they tie your body down. Umm... okay, okay.... Finally, they cover your eyes.... Before covering my eyes, they inserted an IV into my right arm and waited for the doctor to come. When the doctor arrived, he administered the sedative, and the nurse and doctor said, 'You will fall asleep soon~' At that point, if I had just fallen asleep, everything would have gone according to the scenario I had imagined, but instead I felt like I was being sucked into some other time and space, and then it stopped. Because I was so tense, I did not fall asleep... I was seriously panicking here... Still, since it was my first surgery, it was a good experience... I could hear the doctor asking the nurse for surgical tools and hearing in detail what materials were being used and how many millimeters of what, so I definitely felt that this was not the kind of surgery many people worry about, with a shadow doctor and a doctor telling only themselves what is going on, not knowing the materials or the silicone mm...
Ah, the surgery process and sensations are so vivid that I really could not do contouring surgery even if someone paid me. I genuinely respect people who have done it...
The first thing they did was an osteotomy. They shaved the bone and tapped it lightly with a hammer, and I felt nothing. People call it the pain of cutting bone, but fortunately bones have no cells or sensory nerves that feel pain... The most painful parts of nose surgery are the anesthetic injection and when they use suction to pull out the bleeding deep inside the nose... They say that when tools are inserted deep into the nose, it feels like your eyeballs are rolling, and that is absolutely true... And I realized for the first time how wide the inside of my nose actually was... Because they also cauterize with a laser now and then during surgery, the smell of grilled dried squid on hot pebbles came and went, and since I had fasted since the previous evening, I was craving squid.
For those who have had ptosis correction with local anesthesia and had to tense their eyes while the doctor worked with them to set the line by opening and closing the eyes, this will be easier to understand.
No matter how much I counted in my head or tried all kinds of tricks, I could not fall asleep, so I just gave up. I just had random thoughts about music I like or work I still needed to handle after leaving. I could not really feel the surgery itself in my nose because of the anesthesia; it just felt like someone had sprinkled pepper in my nose and it was spicy. For military veterans, imagine chemical warfare training; for those who did not serve, imagine pool water with way too much bleach going up your nose and stinging. Since the surgical bed had the upper body slightly higher than the lower body, I really wanted to pee and just finish quickly so I could go to the bathroom...ㅎㄷㄷㄷ
Because I also had the functional part done, whenever the doctor changed instruments during surgery I would subtly inhale to see whether air was coming through both nostrils. At the beginning of the surgery one side was blocked, but as it progressed I started to feel air passing through both sides, and that felt so good.
Fortunately, toward the end, while they were suturing the columella, I fell asleep for about 10 minutes... I did not feel dizzy after the surgery either. I came by public transport because I was told I might get dizzy, but I think I could have driven myself home too haha.
After taking a mock exam, you are most curious about the score, right?? I went into the bathroom to change clothes and took a photo right after it was over:) Phew, thankfully I am very satisfied... I hope I manage it well so I never have to undergo revision surgery... If you do not know, you do it once; twice is just ugh....
I have written out as much of my story as possible, from the more than 20 years of stress I had about getting nose surgery to the years I spent seriously thinking and studying whether to do it or not. In cases like mine, there are only photos, and it is hard to find truly real reviews from people who actually had the surgery So I am writing this in detail while leaning back in a chair at home with a bit of responsibility:)
The most painful parts of nose surgery were... the anesthetic injection and trimming the nose hairs before surgery (tears)... Honestly, it seems less painful than the dentist... But everyone is different, so it will not be like this for everyone:)
Finally, some of you reading this may be wondering why I chose Jo & Shin Plastic Surgery for the functional + aesthetic route when its data is noticeably lower than P-R-M-?, B, and S-D-R-L-?. The decisive factor was one line Dr. Lee Gyeong-mok said on YouTube.
'In nose surgery, the most important thing is the surgeon's anatomical understanding.' 'To prevent complications such as inflammation or infection, perfect hemostasis and a fast procedure are necessary.' These were the two points. Of course, once the columella is opened, infection starts from that point, so perfect hemostasis and a fast surgery are indeed good. But if you do not create a structurally perfect result in anatomical and design terms and simply cover it with silicone so that there is no control at all after surgery, then what? It would all be for nothing.
Dr. Lee Gyeong-mok said on YouTube that he has a bit of perfectionism and obsession, so even if the surgery time gets a little long, he only closes after it is safe and perfect. That made me feel I could trust him with my nose as well:)
What I felt while getting nose surgery is that it is no pain, no gain:)
If there is some response, I will also upload recovery and progress photos from 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3-4 months:)
Thank you for reading this long post.