Review of revision rhinoplasty in my 40s using autologous costal cartilage

My nose was short in length and had a low bridge, which had been a complex of mine as I grew up. About 30 years ago, through an acquaintance’s recommendation, I had my first rhinoplasty at a plastic surgery clinic in Apgujeong-dong, using L-shaped silicone through a closed approach. I had the surgery right away without any information about rhinoplasty, and even right after surgery, the silicone nasal bridge was slightly crooked and the nasal tip had not come down much. Still, rather than focusing on the overall shape, I was just happy that I had a nasal bridge that I hadn’t had before and that it was a little higher. At some point, I became aware of the problems with my nose and developed a complex about it again. Things like my short nasal tip, my side profile that looked like an upturned nose, and nostrils whose shape I didn’t like being plainly visible from the front. One day, I came across the word “contracture” through media, and while searching, I learned a lot of information. First, I dug through revision rhinoplasty reviews on several communities, mainly looking into well-known and frequently mentioned hospitals, and later narrowed it down again based on reviews I liked. I felt resistant to noses with tips that were pointy like Pinocchio or overly flashy, and my ideal was a nose with a rounded tip that looked natural yet refined. I narrowed it down to 4 hospitals and went around for consultations in October. The prices and consultation contents varied widely, and it was quite an interesting experience. Hospital A: They said this couldn’t be done and that couldn’t be done, but if I still wanted to do it, go ahead. I lost motivation and the consultation was over in 10 minutes. Hospital B: If I said what I wanted, they said this is possible, yes, that is possible too. They also gave me a very long consultation. Hospital C: They emphasized their confidence in handling costal cartilage extremely well, and the consultation ended more with the director’s own narrative than with my surgical plan. While digging through reviews again and gathering materials, I realized there were many photos from a certain clinic, so I decided to have surgery there. I went back for another consultation to confirm my questions and whether improvements were possible, then booked for January. (There was an additional consultation fee of 10,000 won, which is deducted if you have surgery^^) I had passed on it at first because it was the most expensive, but as time passed, I became convinced about Director Kim Hyun-joo, and I felt like I wouldn’t have regrets only if I had it done there~ Director Kim Hyun-joo’s surgical plan: autologous costal cartilage nasal tip (rounded). Silicone nasal bridge (glabella height -1 mm, straight-to-slightly-curved line). Donor dermis (to cover the implant). Short nose correction. Nostril lowering. Columella lowering. Alar reduction. And right before surgery, I also added two types of functional nose surgery for rhinitis. I went into the operating room full of hope that things would change. When I opened my eyes, I was in the recovery room. As soon as I woke up, my nose hurt, my throat felt burning and uncomfortable, and I drank two cups of water. The director asked which side hurt more, and I said the rib area was uncomfortable but my nose hurt more. When I told them I could breathe a bit through my nose even with nasal packing, they said it was possible because it hadn’t been packed completely tight^^. The consultant took care of various things for me, and I got home safely by public transportation. The pain from the autologous costal cartilage didn’t cause any problem with movement, but it was most difficult when getting up after lying down or leaning back. I slept sitting up, but because of the nasal packing, it felt like I woke up once every minute all night. After having the nasal packing removed the next day, I slept deeply. From the evening, I walked for an hour to reduce swelling, and I walked 2-3 hours every day. I usually swell a lot after surgery, so I had bought Newvein and Faceliner swelling products in advance, but they told me not to take them while I was taking the hospital medication for 2 weeks, so I couldn’t take them and just endured it. Strangely, only the cheeks around my nose swelled slightly, and that was it. (Don’t buy swelling products in advance like I did^^) On day 2 after surgery, I saw a faint bruise next to the splint, so I applied bruise cream. The autologous costal cartilage pain was a little worse the day after surgery, and rather than pain, it was more like discomfort. I wore the abdominal binder diligently for a week. My nose felt hard and did hurt, but I didn’t need to take any additional painkillers. Maybe because of the intubation, my throat felt scratchy and uncomfortable for about ten days. The hardest part was that darn runny nose!!!! Still, from day 11 after surgery, the runny nose decreased sharply, so I felt like I could live again. Now that it has been over 2 weeks, a lot of the swelling has gone down, so the shape of my nose now looks like it belongs to me. Once the swelling at the glabella goes down more, I think it will look completely natural. The columella I didn’t have before has come down, the nasal tip I didn’t have before has been created, and the nostrils were reduced beautifully. The nostrils that used to be fully exposed from the front have also improved a lot, so I’m very satisfied. Honestly, it still feels amazing. That it can change this much in just a few days~^^