letsflyakite Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Hey all, I've been a silent reader on the forum for quite a while ever since I contemplated getting surgery in Korea. I just thought that I might write up a review of my experiences for anyone who's also contemplating surgery - I hope this helps! I did quite a lot of research online trying to narrow down my choice of clinics, to be honest I feel that quite a lot of posts especially those found on blogs are to be taken with a pinch of salt because bloggers' representations are very often influenced by sponsorships and interests that don't benefit the readers. With that said, I'm certain that there are the very few who genuinely want to share the experiences (myself included haha) For starters, I cannot stress enough how unnecessary it is to hire a translator. I've seen so many reviews of this 'docfinderkorea' etc. on forum and blogs. I don't understand what they are meant to do that we ourselves can't do. Refer doctors? I think that if you decide on getting any form of cosmetic surgery you should trust your own research and instincts because not one of these agencies will care about your body more than you do care for yourself. You won't have a conflict of interest with your own interests right? Translation? Most clinics have in house translators who are act as your consultant (they basically accompany you throughout consultation and surgery) you simply need to just ring the clinic and make an appointment yourself; hiring a translator is not necessary and most often hiring agencies/translators jack up your overall surgery costs. Pick up your medicine after your surgery? You could simply request to purchase your medicine before your surgery, I'm sure its a very reasonable request and can easily be accommodated by any clinic. Buy you food? Just grocery shop yourself the day before surgery! But I suppose at the end of the day if you feel much more comfortable hiring an agency/translator you should do whatever you're most comfortable with. I just wanted to put it out there that its not necessary and going solo is very doable lol.Clinic Research I combed through all major forums online and built a few shortlists, there are plenty of useful threads and reviews on purseblog. On top of that I looked up multiple plastic surgeon societies (such as ISAPS) and did a search on member surgeons based in Seoul. I also googled medical journals on the procedures I wanted to do and looked up individual doctors who authored them. My final shortlist was: 1. Banobagi 2. Faceline 3. April 31 4. Bong Bong 5. JW 6. Teium I personally rang them up to make appointments (friendly reminder that each consultation may take up to 3 hours so make sure to factor this in when planning your consultation schedule). Procedures 1. Non- incisional double eyelid 2. Acculift 3. AlarplastyConsultation Process I don't really want to go into great detail here, as I'm sure this varies from person to person. But what I generally took away from my experience is that I didn't feel comfortable going with a doctor that completely didn't speak a word of English because that would mean that you would be 100% relying on translation and with that is a high possibility of communication errors or oversights. My main procedure of concern was the double eyelid surgery, if anything went wrong it would be in plain sight for the world to see so I really wanted a surgeon who would give me natural results. At Teium Dr. Kwon told me that to achieve the parallel fold that I wanted I would have to undergo partial incision and have epi whereas at Banobagi Dr. Lee suggested ptosis correction and the non-incisional method. I ended up going with Dr.Lee mainly because I was in favour of starting off with the least invasive method (risks are relatively low and if you're unhappy with the results you could opt for a revision or more invasive method) and also because he would be able to perform the other procedures on me. My gut instinct also told me to go with him.Review of Banobagi Consultation: When I stepped into the clinic it felt like a serious clinic, its interior didn't give off an over decadent vibe; to me that meant that it didn't need to compensate for lack of substance with grand decor. I was greeted by my consultant Jane who is the sweetest and friendliest consultant I met throughout my trip. She spoke perfect English and really took care of me during my experience with Banobagi. She took me upstairs to meet another super nice consultant Chloe was also spoke perfect English, Chloe discussed the procedures I wanted to go for and is completely on hand in answering any of my questions. Shortly after I went in to see Dr.Lee. I liked his vibe, he has a very laid back demeanor and was very professional and patient. However, I would like to honestly point out that the consultation was very brief. Like very brief. I highly suggest going through all the questions and concerns you have in advance and be sure to raise them during your consultation with Dr.Lee and don't expect him to sit there and pick you apart for your concerns. Nevertheless, Dr.Lee was very precise and skilled in his opinions, he told me straight out what my 'problems' were and what procedures he suggests to 'correct' them backed up with explanations of the procedures. Dr. Lee understands English (I also understand a bit of Korean- but I never revealed this to anyone during consultations) judging from his replies, he actually understood everything I said. On a few occasions he responded to me directly without translation. This was important to me because I was assured that he understood everything that I said and didn't have to rely on someone else's interpretation of what I said. Also throughout all my consultations, not once did Dr.Lee or Chloe try to push me for additional procedures. On top of that, Dr.Lee's aesthetics are completely in line with what I had in mind. I wanted very natural results and that was what he suggested and delivered. He understood and agreed with retaining my original characteristics while making improvements on them. The second I walked out of my consultation with him my gut instinct told me that he's the doctor that I should go for. Back in consultation with Chloe she gave me a quote for all my procedures, she told me that there is a cap on how much of a discount Dr.Lee could offer. What she quoted me was very reasonable and the cheapest out of all the other clinics. I didn't negotiate on price because I felt that it was a very reasonable price; paying for plastic surgery is not the same as paying for a carrot at the wet market and I didn't want to lower Dr.Lee's motivation (not that I think that he even knows about how much we actually end up paying for surgery anyway). Surgery: On the day of surgery things were taken care of, my sweet consultant Jane was there with me throughout the entire process. We went to the pharmacy next door to pick up my medication in advance and she ran through my post surgery care. I suggest making sure that you remove all personal jewellery before heading to the clinic and go in comfortable clothes (sweatpants, loose fitting t-shirts and shoes that are easy to put on) because after surgery you'll still be a bit groggy, so you want to make the process of changing back into your clothes a comfortable one. Also bring a hat and sunglasses, not to worry though, I've seen quite a few people sport mummified bandage looks in Gangnam and noone seemed phased about it! I met with Dr.Lee before my surgery to go through the procedures in greater detail, we 'designed' my eyelids and he explained the procedures to me again and went through what to expect post surgery. So off I went and before I knew it I was lying on the operating chair and before I knew it I was kind of high/happy and before I knew it I think I was knocked out. I remember being woken to 'open' and 'close' my eyes for Dr. Lee - I knew it was him because I recognised his floral surgery hat. At some point I think I hummed along to some kpop song they were playing and I even talked to Jane. The entire process was painless, I drifted in and out of sleep. Memories in between and after was a bit fuzzy, it was still quite painless even after I woke up. I remember being escorted to the recovery room where I napped for a bit and cabbing back to my hotel. Post-op: I followed Jane's instructions on ice-packing as much as I could and swelling on my eyes went down considerably by day 3. My face however, was quite swollen from the Acculift procedure, swelling for this subsided by day 5. I went back to Banobagi on day 6 I think for stitches removal, it was relatively painless. I suggest checking with your hotel in advance if they have a fridge and making dead sure that the fridge has a freezer compartment which works. Before coming to Seoul I bought surgery anti-bacterial handwash (yes the type that surgeons use to scrub their hands before operating) and arnica pills and these eyelid wipes called Belphasol. Belphasol wipes are particularly useful especially when you can't wet your eyes for the first few days post-op. Its good for cleaning your eyelid rims and all the gunk in your eyelashes. I even used it over my sutures (not sure if that's allowed but it worked for me). I'm really happy with my results. 10 days post-op and I only had a line of bruising along my eyelashes, the eyelid crease was clean and completely scarless by then I literally couldn't see anything on the crease. My alarplasty was very natural and exactly what I was looking for! Can't really comment on the acculift as I was still swollen from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsflyakite Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I have recently noticed some tiny bumps on my left eye along the suture sites though, it also feels a bit itchy sometimes. It appeared 2 weeks post-op. It doesn't look like an infection to me, I'm assuming it has something to do with the fact that because its also the same eye which had ptosis correction it's somehow healing slower? I remember asking Chloe about these bumps during our consultation, she told me that they would resolve in time (I think she said months). The curious thing is my right eye crease is completely clean, there are no bumps and no matter how I squint my eyes there is no sign of me getting anything done there. So hopefully the left side will match the right side's results soon! p.s At Banobagi, as part of my treatment, I got laser and some 'de-swelling' facial. It was very effective in reducing Acculift swelling. If you have any questions about the procedures I'll try my best to answer them if you send me a PM. I'll reply when I figure out how to use it . What sets Banobagi apart: I think for starters, the structure of how the clinic is run. Consultants are very on hand and informed, I never had to repeat myself to anyone. Jane, Chloe and Dr.Lee were all very in on it. Next, the fact that they didn't seem pushy and didn't over quote me made me feel like they were an ethical practice. and most importantly how they cared for me - After I went back for my stitches removal on day 6, I fell sick. I had a sore throat and a high fever that wouldn't go down. I whatsapped Jane and Chloe about my situation and they asked me to come back to Banobagi to see Dr.Lee. I was really out of it and literally just felt like I was going to die from my fever. Jane was really sweet and concerned, she came to fetch me and sat me down, within seconds she was holding an icepack to my forehead and even Chloe came to see me. They said that Dr.Lee would see me first and if there was nothing that he could do for me then perhaps I would have to go see an ENT. Jane never left my side, she was there the entire time, holding the ice-pack to my head and bringing me water and comforting me the entire time. I felt so grateful to have her. Within minutes Dr.Lee came in to see me and asked if I was eating enough/well, he explained that my body was weak from surgery which made me perceptible to flu and illness. I heard him say in Korean to the nurse to put me in the recovery room and to administer me with a vitamin IV drip and antibiotics. He told Jane to tell me 'not to worry, I will take care of you'. I was so relieved and felt so happy that I chose him as my surgeon, not only is he good at what he does, he's also an ethical and kind doctor. So Jane took me to the recovery room where I totally passed out. The nurses were very attentive, they came in constantly to check on me and change my ice pack. They all stayed overtime that night to take care of me and made sure I got home alright. I recovered within 2 days and was my healthy and cheerful self again. I went back to see Dr.Lee for the final time for a checkup and was informed that surgery was very successful and all my wounds have healed very well. At that point, I trusted Dr.Lee with my life, so when he gave me my fillers I didn't feel like I had to fret or explain much, I just trusted him. And of course, the results have also turned out really natural. (I actually think that Dr.Lee is exceptionally good with fillers.) It didn't bother me how 'brief' Dr.Lee and my meetings were anymore because he just knew what I wanted to achieve and delivers lol. That pretty much sums up my entire experience with Banobagi, I free hand typed up this review so I hope you all don't mind that it's very organised. Do let me know if you have any additional questions. At the end of the day, its you who decides which doctor you want to go with. What worked for me might not work for you, I just wanted to share my experience on the forum because I loved reading through detailed reviews of clinics especially ones I was curious about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsflyakite Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 * not very organised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pexpress2002 Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 At this point in time, wold like to inform you of the quotes with regards to those combined treatments as following: * ARP + Fat graft 4 million KRW * Power V Lifting 1.5 million KRW * ALMA 1.5 million KRW * Sonoqueen 1.5 million KRW hi all, are the prices reasonable??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tt009015 Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Banobagi seems popular nowadays Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poohkh Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Hi there. I m planning to do a double eye lid and nose in Banobagi. Would you recommendd ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rejenesys Posted May 29, 2016 Share Posted May 29, 2016 Has anybody heard of Banobagi's mini bimaxillary protrusion surgery? I hear it's not as invasive as double jaw and helps alleviate mouth protrusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realpetals Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 @letsflyakite, hi, thanks for such a detailed post! can you also share how much was your non-incisional eyelid surgery with ptosis correction in total? i'm interested to go to banobagi to do the same eye surgery as well, are your eyes up to your expectation? thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matchalatte Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Hello dears, I visited this clinic in the spring of this year. I had non-incisional DES + epi so for those interested, please read on. I will split this into a) consultation b) surgery op c) post-op. I had thin double eyelids and wanted wider ones a) initial visit i met with dr. lee hyeon taek who is the main surgeon for DES. he was pleasant but very brief. i then set an appointment and put some money down. b) the day of the operation i met with dr. lee again before the operation. i was nervous to have the epi and said i might not want it. this time he was not pleasant (perhaps, because he already had my money). it was a very different impression from the first day. he was impatient and when i started to show him pictures of what i wanted he raised his voice at me and basically told me he's going to do it his way and have the design his way. i decided to have epi also at that point. when i tried to confirm the height of my DES he just briefly showed me again the height and had the translator take me out. c) i was very nervous since it was my first time having DES and also because i still wasnt sure how high my crease would be since he rushed me out of his office. during the op i felt pain as he was operating on me - like a sharp knife cutting me even though i was drowsy. in retrospect, i realized that they did not give me enough anesthetic (local) and no one told me i could signal them if i felt any pain. needless to say this is bad surgery protocol d) post-op - i saw that my epi procedure was not totally symmetrical - one eye was longer than the other. the day of my stitch removal which was one week after the op- i waited patiently for dr. lee for post-op consultation. i waited for quite awhile and when he finally showed up we went into a tiny room and he just briefly noted that my eyes looked pretty and to wait for them to heal completely- and then he just left. i had some questions him but he just left within 30 seconds of being with me. i was speechless because i heard that the aftercare with banobagi was not good but i did not expect it to be this unprofessional. these are just the facts - i'm not going to give my opinions since you can form those for yourself. final result of op: my eyelids now are not as wide as i wanted them to be. On this matter it should be noted that had the doctor and i spent a little more time confirming the EXACT outcome this would not have been the result. Dissatisfaction. i heard he is famous now so that could explain his flagrant attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realpetals Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 @matchalatte oh no, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. how are your eyes currently? I'm interested to go to banobagi for non-incisional DES too but am a little apprehensive after your review. do you mind sharing a few images of your eyes now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloefinds Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Thanks for sharing! I haven't actually found much information about alarplasty on the forum, if you don't mind me asking (I completely understand if you don't want to), how much did you pay for alarplasty? I definitely want alarplasty, but I'm still unsure whether I want an implant as well, so I'm trying to research and learn more about both before I go next year. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsflyakite Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Hey @realpetals! sorry for the late reply! I was quoted 3,520,000 kwn for DNI + Ptosis. I believe that this includes VAT (which is refundable at the airport!) Eyelid review: I'm really happy that I went for non-incisional, it took around around 1.5 months for it to completely heal. The 'itchy' bumps have all gone now, apparently that was my body reacting to the dissolvable sutures. So I'm really pleased with the results - eyes open and shut you can't tell that I've had anything done! I asked for parallel crease (as do most foreigners), I didn't go for a very high crease in fear of it looking unnatural, so I think after its settled now it looks really nice I can really tell a huge improvement on the ptosis too Both creases are also symmetrical. Also make sure you stand your ground for what you want, I was really firm on the fact that I wanted a parallel crease during consultation with Chloe and Dr.Lee. Dr.Lee's really chilled but he's super busy and brief so be prepared to fire your questions when you see him he responds actively to reasonable questions. When I asked him technical questions (going off tangent here) regarding fillers i.e. how deep would they be injected because I was wondering if they would cause bluish tints under my skin etc he really took almost 5 minutes explaining this thing called the 'Tyndall' effect to me. P.s. the end results don't show till weeks after the surgery and it tends to 'drop' quite a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsflyakite Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Hey @chloefinds! I think the alarplasty was 1,980,000 kwn I'm sorry I don't know anything about implants because I only had alarplasty done. But if you have any specific questions about the procedure I'll try my best to answer them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaannaanna Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Hi @letsflyakite I am planning to visit Banobagi on 1st July to have my alarplasty done. However, I have failed to find more information about alarplasty on the internet as most of the alarplasty came with Rhinoplasty and Tip correction. My main concern is my huge nostrils and bulbous nose. So I believe alarplasty (alar reduction) would be a good option for me. However, I have many doubts at this moment. 1. How long is the down time for Alarplasty? Will I be able to eat and move around after the surgery? (I want to explore Seoul , hopefully not waste time to rest in the hotel) 2. Will my nose be stuffed with cotton after Alarplasty because it would be difficult to move around while having to breathe through the nose 3. How long did the swelling for your nose last after Alarplasty? 4. Was there any visible scars after Alarplasty? Did they use the incisional method? 5. Would you be able to share a before and after picture of "just your nose"? I am sorry to be asking for too much but I am really concerned due to the lack of information available online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moon88 Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Hi all, I'm planning to go to Banobagi for facial contouring and non incision double eyelid surgery on 9/dec to 25/dec once my braces take off...anyone going that period of time? planning to stay in their guest house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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