koreanboy Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 No, I'm a lawyer... and trust me, no one at Wonjin speaks English anywhere near as well as I do. But if you join one of the Korean plastic surgery community message boards (which you probably can't because you don't have a Korean national ID number) and ask about various hospitals and clinics, you'll see that what I'm saying is true.http://cafe.naver.com/fekohttp://cafe.naver.com/suddeshttp://cafe.naver.com/fox5282 These message boards have between 50,000 and 600,000 members all sharing information about plastic surgery clinics/experiences - there's WAY more information in them than there is here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kain Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 i found wonjin's page and the b&a pics are amazing. http://parkwonjin.co.kr/multi_thread_contents/contents.php?bo_table=clinic_nose&sca=%EC%9C%B5%EB%B9%84%EC%88%A0 click across the buttons at the top for different pics for any1 who is interested would it be difficult for a non-korean speaking person to get surgery there? what type of material do they use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koreanboy Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Umm, to be honest, I'm not sure that it's a very English-friendly place... they don't have an English website and none of their printed materials are in English. Although I saw on TV once that a bunch of Japanese women come in each year to get stuff done there, so I assume they they're decently Japanese-friendly... but then again, Japanese is way easier for us Koreans to master than English As far as material, the head guy Park Won Jin uses silicone or silitex (silicone with a thin 0.5mm layer fore Gore-Tex on top). I asked multiple times about Gore-Tex alone, but they said they just don't use it for a variety of reasons. My nose tip is going to be ear cartilage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izora Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Actually there are far more Koreans at VIP than foreigners. While I was there for 2 weeks, there were only 2 other foreigners besides myself. The place was always busy and flooded with locals, and I wasn't even there during peak season. VIP doesn't even advertise like all the other clinics that you mentioned, which is probably why you've never heard of them. They mostly get their clients through word of mouth from former patients. The doctors (one eye specialist and one nose specialist) there don't really speak fluent English, so you have to communicate through the office manager who coordinates all the foreigners. The manager speaks great English because she used to live in the U.S. VIP is probably not as popular as most of the clinics in South Korea that use implants like silicone or goretex. Most people want to use artificial implants because it's affordable, so of course clinics that only offer those will be more mainstream. VIP gets a lot of patients who have had failed multiple rhinoplasties using implants. Remember, implants will never last your entire lifetime. You have to get them replaced. I'd be very suspicious of any doctor that claims otherwise. Basically your choices are very limited if you want a doctor who specializes in rib rhinoplasty or autologous rhinoplasty. When I mean specialize, I mean a doctor who has many years of experience and performs the procedures daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koreanboy Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Sorry - I think maybe I might have offended you because you seem a bit upset by what I said. Just to clarify, I didn't necessarily mean to imply that the quality of the work done by VIP or any of these other clinics that target foreigners is worse than the places that are more well-known inside of Korea amongst Koreans. I just found it surprising that these small, unknown places seem more popular and well-known on this foreign message board than places that are very popular and well-known in Korea. Also, I think you're mistaken that VIP does not "advertise like all the other clinics" - especially when it comes to foreigners? In fact, it seems like VIP is actually one of the only clinics that advertises to foreigners. I did a simple search for "Korean plastic surgery" on google.com (the English U.S. version, not google.co.kr the Korean version) and the top sponsored link was for VIP: http://tinypic.com/r/2cibhy0/7 - you can see for yourself in this screen shot I took. The same is true for the search terms "Korean nose job" and "Korean rhinoplasty" - in fact, I'm guessing that many of you found about the clinic by searching for these terms on Google? Also, you're totally right that many doctors do not rely exclusively on autologous grafts for nasal augmentation here. I think it's used very widely for nose tips here (in fact, I'm having my nose tip done with an autologous graft!), but there have been a number of studies both in Korea and abroad that demonstrate that autologous grafts often result in resorption and warping in Asian nose bridges. So... I think that doctors and patients tend to weigh the pros and cons of each material and make their decisions based on that assessment. It's really a shame that there's no such thing as a perfect graft material ㅠㅠ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foodisevil Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 HELLO! anyone going to Tokyo Ginza early december??? let me know asap thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kain Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 does won jin do rib grafts? to those who have had a rib graft, can you feel the rib cartilage missing from where it was removed? also, does anyone know how much a translator costs and where to find one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izora Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 No, I wasn't offended or anything. I just didn't want any wrong information out there. I was reporting what I personally experienced and witnessed, that's all. I actually like the smaller clinics better because they seem more caring and personable. I've read too many bad reviews about big clinics on how they operate like a factory. Plus I really don't like clinics that advertise so much because it seems like they are trying too hard. This is all subjective of course because everybody has different preferences. When I mentioned that VIP doesn't advertise, I meant that they don't advertise on billboards and such in South Korea like other clinics do. You're right about how most doctors use ear cartilage on the nose tip. It seems like the standard. Most Asians don't have enough septal cartilage, so doctors resort to using ear cartilage. You have to keep in mind that ear cartilage is very weak and has an irregular shape. Out of all the cartilages, ear cartilage has the highest rate of absorption. Rib cartilage can warp and resorb, which is why it's so important to go to a specialist because a doctor's skill in carving and working with the cartilage can make all the difference. In the hands of the right doctor, it will last your lifetime. This is why some people have problems while others do not. I think it depends on what a person is willing to do, and like you mentioned, weigh out the pros and cons. Yeah, it's too bad that there is no perfect graft. I wish you luck with your surgery. I know that it can be a very nerve racking ordeal, but you seem well prepared for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izora Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 No, I don't notice that I'm missing a piece of rib cartilage from my ribcage...LOL. The doctor only removes a very small piece of cartilage. Doctors wouldn't remove it if it causes any health problems. The biggest risk is pneumothorax, but it's very rare. Plus it depends which rib the doctor uses and where the incision is made. Apparently the cartilage from rib #7 is the best for Asian rhinoplasty because it's flat and abundant. It's best to use a flat piece so the cartilage doesn't warp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kain Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 i meant if you were to put your finger there and press on it would there be any indent or outline? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivi_bee Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Hi guys!! WOW won jin noses are amazing.. but its plastic thats why it looks like that =( i have the same question, DOES won jin do/know about/have done Rib rhinoplasty?? Can u please find out for meeee on the site, i cant read korean... =_= and somebody Links to Dream, Grand clinics PRETTY PLEASE!!! =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julabula8d_aim Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Hey guys, Got my passport and going to Korea probably late Nov-Dec. for about 2 weeks or so. I am planning to do a consult with a few doctors and am also consulting with Dr. Wonjin. I am still wondering either between silicone and rib, most like silicone although I still worry about the results (fake-looking). Please let me know if any of you are also going Nov-Dec - PM me on Skype: auroranights. It's free! www.skype.com. xo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foodisevil Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Heya~! Anyone going to see Dr. Fukuta in Tokyo nov/dec??? Let me know asap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izora Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Nope, there is no indent or outline. Except for the incision, it looks the same and feels the same as it did before surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbgurly Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Hi Izora, Nice write on VIP! I firmly believe that you have to research, consult and communicate with your surgeon whoever you have choosen. Also, I would like to ask how your bridge feel like now when you touch it. Can you explain the difference between rib and silicon feel? Can you move it or feel that it can be slanted? Does it feel smooth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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