gossipgirl19

Banobagi. My post on my experience there.

 

Check out Banobagi. My friend and I went there in November 2017. My experience is posted here. They have Russian translators to service their Russian clients. Although you're not Russian, this could be an indicator for you that they're comfortable working on non-Asian features. Good luck!

 

Prior to my arrival, I emailed each clinic to set up the consult times so that I could get them all on the same day. The only information I gave them is what procedures I was interested in and my departure date.

 

I think they're quite good. I went with a friend who had the v-line surgery and her results are good. As well, Banobagi was one of the surgeons for the Let Me In program and the before and after pictures are startling.

 

No consult fees. I only paid for the actual procedure itself at Banobagi.

 

Budget, budget, budget. Short of winning the lotto, there's no magical way you'll suddenly have $10k-$15k to cover the surgery, flight, accommodation, spending money, food, etc.
Even before PS, I used a budgeting app, YNAB, to track all my income and expenses (food, condo fees, car insurance, property tax, spending money, etc..) so that I knew where every dollar was going. With my budgeting app, I created a savings category that I contributed to each month.
You don't have to use a budgeting app but being aware of your monthly income and expenses will help you save towards a goal.
Good luck!

 

I had a typical Asian nose (bulbous tip, wide base) and I had rhino-septoplasty in my home country back in 2011 wherein the surgeon did some corrections to my deviated septum, "cinched" in my nostrils and refined my tip (no implant). I recently had revision septoplasty at Banobagi last month where the surgeon broke and reset my nose bones, used ear cartilage to fill in my septum, and further refined my tip. Not sure what either surgeon did to refine my tip, but based on the fact that I didn't have an implant and the location of my incisions, I assume I had some sort of suturing to bind the tip cartilage together.

When I went in for my consults I didn't have an idea of preferred methodology, I just spoke to the consultants and then the doctors about the final result that I wanted. Based on their experience, the consultants were able to explain what could and could not be possible with my nose. Then when I met with the doctors, they explained their preferred methodology to achieve my desired look. One doc wanted to use cadaver cartilage, Banobagi said that my own ear was fine.

This is a roundabout way of saying don't worry too much about methodology. For each consult, tell the consultant and the doctor what you're looking to achieve and the doctor will present a plan to you, then decide from there. Also, Dr. Hyuntaek Lee at Banobagi is pretty good.

Good luck!

 

My guess is maybe USD $2-3k for just tip refinement? At the very least, the procedure has to cover the cost of running the surgery room (nurses, anesthesia, doctor's time, etc.)

 

Yes, I gave all the clinics personal information (name, address, nationality, medical history, phone number, email) since my only privacy concern was identity theft (as opposed to being put on mailing list or having my information sold to third party marketers). I only disclosed my credit card and passport info to Banobagi for payment services (passport info was for VAT refund).

When filling out forms, you could just put down a business address if that's a concern but I was upfront with my medical history since that would be relevant to any procedures.

Good luck with your search!

 

Ghost doctor rumour? I haven't heard of such a rumour! Dr. Lee did my nose and I think Dr. Park (another senior surgeon) did my eyes. I only saw Dr. Park as I had local anesthesia for the eyes but general for the nose and I was out cold.
However, I do believe that Dr. Lee really did my nose surgery because of his instructions to the consultant to give me a competitive price because he really wanted to tackle my deviated septum since it was an out of the ordinary surgery for him.

Ghost doctor or not, whoever did my nose was an artist! Bridge is slimmer and straighter and septum corrected (to the extent possible with my physiology)!

 

I didn't shortlist Teuim because they only do eyes and my main priority was fixing my deviated septum.

Good luck with your search!

 

Dr. Hyuntaek Lee did my nose. I believe Dr. Sunjae Park did my eyes.

 

I just Googled bicoronal incision and clinical pictures popped up. All I can say is gasp!!!! Glad your surgery was success!

 

Definitely. I still look myself but I just look like the best possible, natural version of myself. (i.e. compare Kim Kardashian to Khloe Kardashian. Kim doesn't have her original face anymore but Khloe has an enhanced version of her old face) Dr. Lee has artistry is quite good.

 

Agreed, better to play it safe and stay a little bit longer in Korea in case of complications. And digging around my nose to remove stitches was not fun.

 

The Banobagi consultant didn't specifically name Docfiner, but yes, I would lup them in under third party travel agents.

 

It may depend on the extent and type of your surgery. Mine was open nose surgery, incision in that little bridge between the nostrils and the skin is then lifted up. External stitches removed on Day 6. Internal stitches removed on Day 7.

Good luck!

 

Tips:

• No need to hire a translator or a go through a third travel travel agency
• Know your height and weight in metric since all the clinics ask for it as part of calculating how much anesthesia you'll require
• You'll probably go though shock, ours went away after a day or so
• Get a Netflix account in order to pass the time
• There is no substitute for time and icing for swelling; keep icing
• Find a Bonjuk location and fill up on juk
• Only take Tylenol 3 as necessary to avoid codeine constipation and when you take them, take with food
• Try to go with a friend since emotional support is so important during recovery
• Be realistic with your expectations. The surgeon can't copy and paste someone else's nose on to your face; he can only enhance what you already have. In my case, the surgeon said that I will never have 100% perfect breathing with my deviated septum.

Good luck!

 

Recovery

Day 1 - Morning After
Nurses removed the packing from my nose, hallelujah!!! Nurses also gave care instructions (disinfect and apply ointments, ice continuously with the gel packs given, finish the antibiotics, shower but don't want wash the face) and the consultant met up with us and sent us off in a taxi. The consultant also gave us Japanese pumpkin juice to drink since Japanese pumpkins have anti-swelling properties. We arrived in the apartment, changed into pjs, put our gel packs in the freezer, and went to bed.

A few hours later we applied the gel packs. Since I had eye surgery, this meant I had to lay down with my eyes closed. I had laser eye surgery last year so I was already used to this kind of recovery. I turned on Netflix, turned off the screen, and just listened to my shows.

At dinner time we went in search of soft foods since Ayla had jaw surgery and my throat was sore from the intubation. We found soup. I also wrote to my Airbnb host to ask for Korean juk recommendations. Thankfully we lived close to a Bonjuk location and that was our lifeline for the next few days. I recommend the sweet pumpkin juk. It's healthy, it's light, it's warm, it's nourishing.

In terms of pain, I took a Tylenol 3 given to me since my head was feeling sore. I was sure to take it with food since codeine on an empty stomach for me is a guaranteed bad time.

Day Two
My eyelids puffed up over night, I looked like I got stung with bees. I continued to ice and listen to Netflix. We did minimal physical activity as our bodies were exhausted. My theory is that our bodies were focusing all of its energies to our surgical areas. No stamina, no energy, no endurance, nothing.

Day Three to Day Five
Ate juk, ice, listened to Netflix, went outside to get fresh air, carefully showered. Around Day four we were stir crazy enough that we went and did tourist stuff. We put on face masks and just went out. My eyes were still bruised and still had stitches so I'm pretty sure I looked super gross. But I'm sure I'm not the first medical tourist to go out and about in Seoul with stitches and bruising.

I took two more Tylenol 3s and stopped after that since codeine constipation is a real and painful thing.

Day Six
Went back to Banobagi to remove bandages, eye stitches and external nose stitches. This was done by a nurse whose sole job is to remove stitches and bandages. Stitch removal didn't hurt but it was nerve-wracking. The nurse also gave me a nose guard to wear in crowded areas for a month. The consultant met up with me and gave me nose exercises to do every night for the next three months in order to prevent the nose bones from migrating to their old hangout. Since I had to leave the following day, the consultant said that I'd have to find someone in my home country to remove the internal nose stitches and ear stitches. The surgeon also came in to check up on me and he said that my deviated septum was one of the most severe cases he'd ever seen.

Afterwards, the consultant took me to Banobagi's derm/dental building for a complimentary facial to wash my face and remove all the bandage adhesive. Squeaky clean!

Day Seven
Got on an airplane and I didn't feel any effects of high altitude.

Day Ten
Found a friend of a friend who is a nurse to remove my final stitches. I would highly recommend trying to stay in Seoul until all your stitches are removed because the clinic nurse is just so more experienced and has the proper lighting to do so. I'm still finding the occasional stitch inside my nose and I have to remove it with sterilized manicure scissors and tweezers.

 

Day Before Surgery, Tuesday
Banobagi didn't get back to us right away and Ayla left a WhatsApp message and called them. We told them on the off-chance that we could get a surgery today, we'd all ready done an eight hour fast (general anesthesia).

Banobagi finally got in touch with us and told us that the next available day would be Wednesday but that we could go to the clinic now to get the tests and paperwork out of the way. We went over and did blood tests and EKGs. We also signed the contract and paid in full by credit card.

Surgery Day
I changed into the robe they gave me (including paper underwear) and waited around for my surgery. Eyes was the first surgery and it was under local anesthesia administered via a goddamn needle near my eye. Out of the entire experience this was bar none the most painful part. The needle went into my head and my head exploded. I saw colours, I saw textures, things moved like the weed scenes from That 70's Show. Then I was blissfully numb. I did breathing exercises (if it works for Navy SEALs...) to pass the time and manage my anxiety while the surgeon futzed with my eye. The strangest part, and slightly painful, was the ptosis part where I could feel the surgeon manipulate my eyelid and threading it. The surgeon finished and I could not wait for general anesthesia.

I stood up and the nurses walked me into another OR room for my nose surgery. The anesthetist put a mask over me and I was out. I woke up to "take a deep breath, take a deep breath." I woke up and my mouth was parched but I wasn't allowed to drink water yet. Eventually I was moved to the shared overnight room with Ayla.

I walked into the room and saw Ayla and we both exchanged this look of "what did we do?" Honestly, at this point I think we were both traumatized and I thought "I've made a huge mistake." My nose was packed with stuffing so I had to breathe through my nose. Combined with still not being allowed water, my dry mouth was so uncomfortable. Not even my eyes or nose were as uncomfortable.

Eventually I started drinking water and listened to podcasts to pass the night. I don't think I slept. I just drank water, shuffled to the bathroom, drank more water.

 

Consult Day: I told all the consultants that I wanted bigger eyes and septoplasty to correct my breathing. At all the clinics I met with a consultant who did intake and gave some insight into what best suit my needs. Not all the consultants spoke English, if the consultant didn't, we were provided a translator who was our main point of contact. We also met with the doctors who took a quick look at our features. Ayla and I were kept together during all our consults.

9:00am JK Plastic Surgery
Bilingual consultant who essentially only did intake. She asked us what we were looking for and then brought in a surgeon. The surgeon said that bigger eyes were no problem and recommended medial and lateral epicanthoplasty. He agreed that my septum was deviated and agreed that septoplasty would be required to better improve my breathing but didn't go into details of the procedure. After the surgeon left the consultant presented quotes to us. KRW 4,000,000 for my eyes, KRW 7,000,000 for my nose.

I liked the clinic and almost wanted to go with JK but I knew that I should see the other clinics for comparison sake. The consultant asked us what other clinics we'd be going to and we told her. She said that they're reputable clinics but confided that with respect to pricing, JK would be a little pricier.

11:00am HERSHE
Translator and consultant. HERSHE is interesting because the consultant has a lot of say in what procedures will get passed along to the surgeon. Consultant said that my eyes would be no problem but basically said they couldn't help with my nose. My theory is that septoplasty is markedly different from rhinoplasty and that the surgeons didn't perform septoplasty. Septoplasty isn't even listed on their website.

Since we have a friend that previously had his procedure at HERSHE, the translator gave us a referral discount. She quote us in USD and my eyes would cost USD$2,700

1:00pm BANOBAGI
Bilingual consultant. First impression was that it was a BUSY clinic with a ton of locals in the building. Consultant asked me what I wanted and gave recommendations on how big my eyes should be and what kind of nose tip would best suit my face. I met with Dr. Lee to discuss my procedures. He recommended ptosis correction, medial and lateral epicanthoplasty and said that my eyes would be a straight forward surgery. Then we talked nose. He stuck a light and a stick inside my nose to see my septum and he was surprised by the severity of my deviation. (My previous surgeon described it as "folded in on itself"). He recommended cutting out the septum and replacing it with ear cartilage.

The consultant sat down with us to discuss pricing. She said that since we didn't come with a third party travel agency she could give us a huge discount. She knocked 30% off the initial. Then she told me that Dr. Lee was intrigued by my septum and was really challenged and motivated by my case and that Dr. Lee had told her to give an additional discount so that my quote would be super competitive. Eyes: KRW 3,000,000. Nose: KRW 5,500,000.

We walked out of Banobagi and we were very impressed with both the clinic and pricing.

3:00pm GNG Hospital
Translator and consultant. Thank God this was our last consulate of the day because they were running behind and this consult was three hours. Nurse took a CT scan of my head which shows soft tissue. Consultant did her intake and then we had to wait around for our surgeons to be availible so that they could see us first-hand. Eye surgeon agreed that my eyes would be straight forward. Nose surgeon showed me my CT scan and this was the first time I saw the severity of my deviation. It looked like the before picture in a Before and After comparison. Surgeon recommended cutting out the septum and using donor cartilage that wold be "purified". Once I was out of the room I looked up donor. cartilage and it's cadaver cartilage that's been irradiated. Hard pass.

The consultant then looked up surgery dates. For us it seemed presumptive but I can how for others it could be a value-add. Eyes KRW 4,000,000 and Nose 7,5000,000.

Ayla and I left and went to dinner to discuss. We both agreed that we would both like to go with Banobagi. I left a Whatsapp message with Banobagi since Banobagi was closed by then.

 

My thread is the companion thread to Ayla's as we went to Seoul together. I'll be breaking up my experience in several posts for ease of reading.

Background: I am a mid-30's Asian woman with a deviated septum and a general Asian nose (wide base and bulbous tip). I already had septoplasty back in 2011. To solve my breathing problems, the doc shaved down the turbinates in my nose but did not break and reset my nose. As well, I told the doc to reduce the base and refine my tip. The end result was better breathing with a smaller nose but still imperfect breathing.

Short Summary: I had consults at four clinics and chose Banobagi for non-incisional ptosis correction, medial and lateral epicanthoplasty, septoplasty, tiptoplasty, and osteotomy. Cost was KRW $8,500,000. Local anesthesia for eyes and general anesthesia for nose. Overall minimal pain but maximum discomfort. Swelling needed 7 days to go away, bruising needs 10 days. I still look myself and Asian but I there are subtle differences to my face now.

Pre-trip: I booked an Airbnb in the Sinsadong area which is a stone's throw away from a row of clinics (JK Plastic Surgery, id Hospital, Line) but farther away from my most of my consults: HERSHE, Banobagi, GNG. I booked four consults prior to my arrival.

Sunday: Arrived in Seoul

Monday: Consult Day - continued in next post