1-Month Post Rhinoplasty Experience (Kowon, Recovery and Post-Op Thoug…

페이지 정보

작성자 코원성형외과 댓글 0건 조회 72회 작성일

본문

This is a real patient rhinoplasty review, written by the patient on a community platform, reflecting authentic results and personal experience.

KOWON Plastic Surgery – Seoul, Korea
Rhinoplasty specialist Dr. Kim Hyung Taek.

• Doctor Name: Dr. Kim Hyeong-Taek
• Clinic Name: Kowon Plastic Surgery
• Procedure(s): Primary rhinoplasty (alar reduction, bulbous tip reduction, tip de-projection, and nasolabial angle correction)
• Date of Visit / Procedure: Nov
• Disclaimer: Discount was provided for this review but all thoughts and views are my own
• Photos: Please see below

Hello, it is exactly one month after my surgery with Kowon to fix my bulbous, upturned nose. Long post ahead but I hope my experience will be helpful for others! As you read through the post, it important to note that I have low pain tolerance, and am a type A, anxious over-thinker.

Online and in-person consultations

I shortlisted 3 clinics based on the following criteria:

• Surgeon specialising in rhinoplasties with natural results
• Prioritises safety in conjunction with aesthetic
• Transparent, communicative and welcoming staff

I contacted the clinics for online consultations via whatsapp and also flew to Korea in September to meet them. All clinics recommended the same procedures, with the exception of Kowon who recommended one additional procedure:

1. Alar reduction
2. Reduction of bulbous tip
3. Tip de-projection to show less nostril from the front
4. Nasolabial angle correction to correct protruding upper lip (Kowon only)

No work as done to the bridge as I felt it was high enough, and I did not want to use silicone implants or rib cartilage. Septal and ear catilage would be used. I had 10/10 wonderful breathing before surgery, which was confirmed in the CT scans.

Surgery Day (Day 0)

I think most reviews already cover what happens on surgery day so I will just point out more noteworthy issues:

• I met with the new translator first. When I asked if she had been briefed on the procedures I would be doing, she said she was not aware, and was here solely for translation purposes. I was about to have a mental breakdown as I thought she was the only person assisting me. Thankfully, another consultant (who did not speak english) came in about 10 minutes later, and was clearer on this.
• They handed me the medication kit before the surgery, which included two packets of pumpkin juice and one packet of pumpkin porridge. It did not contain scar ointment or nasal spray/rinse so I purchased these myself before I left Korea.
• The new translator seemed inexperienced, and there was a gap in translation skills as compared to my original consultant/translator. Nonetheless, it was very reassuring and helpful to have her inside the surgery room to give me a heads-up on what the nurses would be doing, and that I would feel a small surge of hotness/stinging when the anaesthesia was administered. I was glad I pushed for it and Kowon agreed. I was out like a light and inside the recovery room before I knew it.

Recovery process in Korea

Day 1 (Clinic visit #1):

• The first night was brutal as I wasn’t used to mouth breathing. I felt a lot of pain and pressure at the tip. The ear incision was very sore as well.
• The next day, the clinic gave me an additional painkiller shot on top of the antibiotic shot. They opted not to change my wound dressing as I was in pain (tearing like crazy) and started to feel lightheaded after the shots.

Days 2-6 (Clinic visit #2)

• Started to swell a lot, especially on my lower cheeks. I could not breathe through my nose and felt miserable. I went for short walks around the neighbourhood and a mall a few subway stops away to get some exercise in.
• Went back to the clinic on Day 4 as they were closed on Day 3. The doctor said I could remove my stitches at the next and final visit as I was healing well and didn’t need the typical four visits.

Day 7 (Clinic visit #3):

• Removal of stitches was spicy. The nurse highlighted to the doctor that I had a small wound on the upper right nostril near the entrance and he instructed me to put antibacterial ointment on it for the next few weeks.

I was given antibiotic shots (except the third visit), nasal wound cleaning and deswelling lasers each visit. My original consultant translated over the phone during my second and last visit to the clinic.

1-month post-op experience

Nasal function and recovery

• At one-month post-op, there is still a fair bit of internal congestion and I am not breathing as well as I did pre-surgery. The inner walls deeper inside the nostrils are swollen with red lumps that trap mucus. There is a small wheezing/whistling sound when I breathe.
• My ear continues to feel sore and I am unable to put pressure on it. Leaning my head against my cat to cuddle still gives me a jolt of pain! There is also intermittent pain/stinging around the columella, at the alars where the incisions were made, and the skin surface along the middle part of the dorsum. I am hoping these are all just due to swelling/congestion and will get better with time.
• At the start of the 3rd week post-surgery, I noticed a yellowish slimy patch in the inner corner of my nostril and a small black line along my alar that looked like stitches. I contacted Kowon on Wednesday and they responded Monday the following week. It was unlikely an infection though they could not confirm this 100% after just looking at photos (understandably). They advised that I continue to apply the antibacterial ointment and take the emergency antibiotics they had provided. I had to visit a local plastic surgeon to remove the slimy patch (diagnosed as dead skin which needed to be removed otherwise it would affect the healing of the wound under) and stitches that popped up unexpectedly. There are unavoidable limitations to what any clinic can do once a patient leaves Korea. It would be good to have a back-up plan in your home country in case of emergencies and/or recovery does not go as planned.

Nose aesthetic

• I am quite satisfied with my front profile, but hope it will continue to get more defined. I’m slightly regretting not having the doctor be more aggressive with the alarplasty, but I trust that what he gave me was considering safety limits and suitable for my face.
• My side profile is more projected than I expected, and I have some pitted and raised scars from the alarplasty (I have no history of keloids). I’m hoping these also get better with time.
• My local surgeon was curious and asked for my before picture. He thought Kowon did a good job!

Concluding Thoughts

I feel like my journey was a bit more chaotic than others I’d seen on here. I do think I recover a little more slowly than average, in general. At this point, I don’t regret getting the surgery but more time will tell. I’m hoping the rest of my recovery goes smoothly and I will try to update again by the 3rd month. Thanks for making it to the end!

**Edited for clarity and brevity