fayelita Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I promised a detailed post about my experience with Teuim and I will deliver with the first part (very first surgery I had with Teuim). This will be more useful for people who have never had the surgery before and are considering Dr. Kwon. Sorry I was not able to respond sooner to those who were curious; recalling the whole frustrating experience/outcome of the surgery while dealing with it daily and not being able to focus or go a day without several naps to relieve my eyes has made it a little difficult for me to eagerly come back to this thread, but I know my experience is important to share. I will follow up with a detailed version of the second part (i.e the revision process) which is probably the more important part soon, but if you have immediate questions feel free to pm me and I'll do my best to respond.TLDR/Short version of whole experience: Had incisional bleph + ptosis correction + epi at Teuim 1 year ago, results looked great in beginning just slightly asymmetrical (lower crease in one eye), started noticing drooping in brow & eyelid in that eye until I began to feel increasing pressure/weight above my inner corner making it hard for me to move my eye comfortably towards my nose (this builds up to a pain/ache if I force it), e-mailed clinic and showed picture collage of progressive drooping and was offered free revision for the asymmetry, flew to Seoul 2 months ago and ended up having TWO REVISION SURGERIES IN 2 WEEKS (INSTEAD OF JUST ONE because Dr. Kwon's English is limited and he didn't fully understand what I said the first time, translator was present 2nd time) in that one eye, surgery did not help to relieve all the upper pressure/weight and now the same problem has developed in my other eye, revision in left eye is also already starting to become undone, eyes now feel extremely heavier than before surgery to the point that I end up being lulled to sleep several times a day because of the sheer weight above my eyes, brows are certainly lower than before and pushing down on eyelid so that a sleepy look has returned, now developed dry eye problems from friction associated with pressure, still seeing eye doctors/ophthalmologists to help find relief, not a day goes by that I don't feel these symptoms and they only seem to get worse graduallyLong and extremely detailed version (first surgery experience with Teuim): PART 1: I wish I could have travelled to the future and been able to read the review a few pages back. Reading all the positive reviews from early on in this thread was a major part of my decision in choosing Teuim but I now regret my decision so much. Some reviews talked so highly of him that I really felt that I had chosen a good doctor before I even met him, and even while I was having my first consultation with him I imagined an air of godliness (like ~+*.::This man changed so many other people's lives and now he's about to change mine::.*+~ level admiration). My eyelids are originally thick and on the saggy side (congenital/hereditary) which gave me a mean or sleepy look when my eyes were relaxed. My eyes would also get tired easily if I was reading for more than 30 minutes so incisional double eyelid surgery with ptosis correction seemed like the natural choice for me. I also justified to myself that I wasn't getting the surgery for entirely cosmetic reasons, but the appearance of less sleepy eyes was definitely a factor. I thought this was a good investment for myself in several ways and even thought of it as a preventative measure. Dr. Kwon's large library of before-after photos and English-friendly website seemed very reassuring. Another thing I liked about Teuim was that their consultation was free. I researched everything I could online about Asian DES, hundreds of reviews, what to eat before and after, everything... I could not have anticipated that I would be having this problem now. I had my first surgery with Dr. Kwon back in July 2015. I remember thinking the clinic itself was very fancy and that the consultant/secretary/money dealer Alice was very pretty and wondered if she or any of the other staff had DES done by Dr. Kwon too. First you have to fill out a paper that asks for your basic information, if you have pre-existing medical conditions, how you heard about Teuim(on that note, I'm sure this thread is responsible for a big portion of their overseas clientele and they may be aware of that)/why you are visiting the clinic/what you expect to get out of your procedure. (I noticed the clinic doesn't perform any tests/physical exams of your eyes or general health but not sure if other clinics are any different. DES seems like such a commonly performed surgery in Korea and I was so anxious to have better eyes that I didn't think it was a big deal but I highly suggest that you make sure you are in optimal health yourself before any upcoming surgery.) During the meeting with Dr. Kwon he read over what I wrote, gave me the elegant hand mirror along and asked me to show him the result I wanted using a thin metal tool for prodding creases into the eye (slightly parallel crease). I noticed some reviewers said he had a more conservative approach and wished they had slightly higher creases than he had given so I made sure to tell him to make it a bit higher than usual if he could, also to try to prevent losing too much crease if my skin started sagging as I got older. The consultation was very fast but I felt like I got everything across at the time because he had a very calm demeanor and seemed like he understood what I wanted (*me bickering and repeating things to be crystal clear* "yes *nod* mhm yes, yes") even though I noticed his English was limited. This would later be a big problem in my second visit to Teuim a year later. Since a previous reviewer also brought it up, I thought it was very interesting that Dr. Kwon himself had monolids despite being someone who performed DES on many people regularly. Since I was still in delusional-admiration mode, I reasoned that this might be because he doesn't think there is anyone better qualified than him to perform the surgery. (Wow, I really held him to that high of a regard.) Then we were moved to Alice's office to talk money. I went with my mother and we negotiated the incisional blepharoplasty + ptosis correction + epicanthoplasty procedure down to $3200 ("final offer " she said) which I thought was a deal at the time because I didn't want to be stingy about a surgery this important and thought I was in good hands despite Dr. Kwon's higher pricing compared to everyone else's. (Initial quote in e-mail was at most 4.4m KRW; we were able to pay full in US dollars so going to a bank or travelling to Myeongdong for currency exchange stalls wasn't needed). I was scheduled for the next day but was later texted and asked if I could come in that evening instead. At first I thought it was a little soon to have surgery the same day as my consultation and only a day after I arrived to Korea because I wanted at least a full day to explore Seoul before hiding in my Airbnb during post-surgery recovery but I was so anxious to have the surgery as soon as possible and thought it might even be good to have the surgery sooner so I could come back in case any problems developed before my departure. Hurried back to Gangnam, told to wash my face in the waiting room, and started the surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fayelita Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 (... PART 1 continued)GENERAL SURGERY EXPERIENCE: I had asked him during consultation to show me again right before my surgery how my eyes would turn out (to make sure he completely knew what I asked for and because I was anxious) but I guess he forgot that part because he went straight into the surgery. Your hands are buckled and they put a blanket on your legs then sanitize your face again. The nurse was able to get the needle for the IV in my arm in one try at the time; I thought that was experienced because I remember my wisdom tooth surgery nurse took several tries to find the right spot. The IV anesthesia they put you under is something else lol. I remember Dr. Kwon telling me to close my eyes to sleep and the last thing I said was "wha--?" before it kicked in. Everything started spinning quickly in my mind; I remember going up and down subways forever. The anesthesia experience can be kind of startling if you've never had it before. I really thought I was being reduced to a cell and going to meet the creator of the universe or something lolol. Very interesting experience. Realized I was still physically on Earth when I could hear Dr. Kwon and staff talking in Korean; voices seem louder in the beginning as the drug settles. You feel very heavy pressing on your eyes as they begin to work. Funny story: when I became self-aware and the spinning stopped (eyes felt too heavy to open, sounded like Dr. Kwon left the room) I thought the surgery was over so I asked the nurses (who I could hear laughing and talking) how much time had passed and one of them replied "Five minutes." and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Dr. Kwon returned and the surgery resumed. You'll be numb the whole time so you won't feel any pain but you will feel your eyelashes tugging up repeatedly as they stitch the incision; uncomfortable but not painful. During epicanthoplasty you will think he is shoveling bone between your eye and nose lol. You will literally hear grainy sounds as if a scraping tool is being pushed with heavy effort repeatedly against your nose. At one point I was going to say something about my cheek starting to ache from repeated pressure since he used it to rest his hand against but it wasn't a big concern so I just endured it. He'll tell you to open and close your eyes several times throughout. I heard old American rock music being softly played in the background which he hummed to as he worked; it was calming to hear. I read that Dr. Kwon could take 2 hours because of his perfectionism so when I was done in 1 hour I thought it was because he was skilled. After the whole surgery was done I was brought back to the waiting room to get my stuff. Slightly disoriented so I dragged my feet with the slippers slowly as I walked. I was shocked when I first saw myself in the mirror; I looked like I got hit by a bus (especially if you do epi, they put a big bandage/tape on your nose) but reminded myself it would get better over time. Given a bag with the two pink eye ice-packs, pills, antibiotic ointment, gauze, and instructions. We were kind of ushered to leave quickly since I was the last patient and it was past closing time so I didn't get to rest on the bed that they usually let patients stay on. Walking through Gangnam at night with all the flashing lights and rain was a bit of a challenge because my vision was blurry but luckily I had my mom. Hardest part of post-surgery recovery in general was not being able to wash my hair or face thoroughly so I got grimy really fast. (Nothing like an itchy scalp waking you up at night to add to the irritation of swollen eyes.) It feels soooo good to be able to wash your hair again later. The only painful part (XiaXue also said this about her first DES) was when I came back a few days later to have my stitches removed. Imagine having a very fresh wound and someone poking it with a toothpick several times. It helps to inhale when you feel a sharp one being pulled out but overall should take 10 minutes or less. I like to think I have a bit of a high pain tolerance so I’d give the stitch removal a 4.5/10 pain level. Repeating “beauty is pain, beauty is pain” in your mind might help haha. I thought everything was great after a couple months passed. The surgery helped remove the harsh and sleepy look I had. After the worst of the swelling had gone away, I enjoyed confidence I never had before. They said the final result could take a full year of recovery but that most would be gone after six months. The only problem at first was some asymmetry (crease in left eye was a bit low) that I thought would fix itself in time as swelling subsided. I was so wrong because this would be the first sign of a progression of problems with my eyes that would get worse throughout the year and I ended up having to come back to Teuim a year later (this summer). I will update on the second part soon and try to include pictures.Some advice for the first surgery experience: - Wearing sunglasses after the surgery will help you protect your eyes from the sun (and hide your swollen eyes from the public!) but be careful not to bump your face into anything while having them on because it may hurt your wound especially if you had epi. - Seoul is very humid in the summer. You may get sticky and uncomfortable from the humidity. Since you cannot wash your face thoroughly until you remove stitches about 4-5 days later, it will help to bring facial cleansing towelettes to remove dirt and sweat from your cheeks, nose, and forehead without touching your eye area. - As someone else said, Dr. Kwon did not believe in the pumpkin diet and said I could eat seafood if I wanted. I still tried to avoid certain foods anyway just to be safe but I think the most important part is to follow the ice/heat pack routine and make sure you don't sleep laying down for a while to reduce swelling as well as maintain a healthy diet before and after the surgery. It will also help to walk around often instead of staying cooped inside a hotel room. - For epi patients, he will recommend you to buy Dermatix Ultra from the pharmacy downstairs for your epi scars. It's 23000 won for the smaller 7g one but if you can find a cheaper one before your trip and bring it with you it may be better to do that. - Eyedrops/artificial tears are okay to use as long as they are sterile (confirmed). Washing your face with tap water or anything else pre-stitch removal is not guaranteed to be sterile which is why they ask you not to do that. - You may get yellow bruising around your nose/inner corner; don't be alarmed, it will go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 AND EPIS CAN SCAR BADLY, dermatix seems useless. Have a huge crescent indent, probably headed for a revision. Got an incredibly high crease too (8mm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Oh and btw Dr kwon does have double eyelids, but they are hidden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missfitt Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 hahahha oh eric why are so funny I love read your posts haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Me and my 8mm dolly eyes are funny :-p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie49 Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Hi! I'm considering getting just epi done by Dr Kwon, but after reading your posts I'm a little hesitant. Could you please elaborate a little more on how your epi is right now and the scars? Also, I wanted to thank you for finally honestly saying that epi wasn't perfect, I feel like many people need to know. Also, just my two cents.... I don't really like dr kwon style of eye shapes. Towards the lateral ends, the fold almost like droops down. I think it would be so much more pretty and elegant if it flared up a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Yeah I think my sutures stayed in too long for the epi.. Dr kwon is highly experienced though, and it doesn't seem like slots matter for him. I was worried too as I got last slot. My only real gripe is that I got the epi and didn't like it, and have the scars for it. It is kwon's theory(published in medical journal) though, that everyone should get epi with double eyelids because not having epi puts tension on the double eyelid folds. So they will not do des without epi, doesn't matter if you think you need it or not. I personally preferred the look with epi as it was more manly but oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 It's It's cat like. It looks natural, yes , but doesn't have any... Character? And is out of proportion on my face. Currently scar is a huge indented crescent that doesn't look good. Trust me, it's visible as crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 It's cat like because there is a huge indent at the inner corner of my eye. Extremely bad scar in my opinion, extends past my Aegyo sal. There was nothing magic about that epi. Seems like a worse scar than normal epi. Other side is OK, scar is unnoticeable Edit: omg can anyone help me? The scar is terrible! Almost disfiguring, it is not hidden at all and extremely sunken. If it remains like this it will be a huge problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floweryy Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 do you like your eyes? might be too early to tell if youre still swollen, but did dr recommended you 8mm? im SE-Asian and have ok height of eyelids but i like them to be brighter and semi dolly. i look sleepy which im not happy about. I dont want to be crazy looking - just... more dolly. I read somewhere that going above 7 (or was it 8, correct me if im wrong) will turn the eyes into looking like fisheyes? either way, hope you're recovering well pearypie has very high lids: http://i57.tinypic.com/k9vuw7.png https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vMAUaiBAKcs/hqdefault.jpg it does looks strange when shes not wearing any makeup but she does look good with smokey eyes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie49 Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Any possibility you could upload a pic of the epi scar? Not even your entire eye, just the inner corner area of it. Also, silicon sheets help a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Might be swelling, I don't remember pointing out such fat double eyelids during consultation. Funny thing is, people whom I've met only once before and months ago like restaurant owners still recognise me immediately when I walk in. Did not expect that after so much surgery but I look like myself apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie49 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Thanks for your posts! Do you know if the doctors at JW and MVP are as good at epi as dr kwon? Also, did the people that went to jw like their eyes? If you could please kakao me, me ID is jamie49. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichyung Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 just so you know my epi got messed up and I HATE it. It changed the shape of my eyes in a bad way and gave me VERY ugly scars. I would 100% not recommend it unless your mongolian folds are super ugly and your eyes are short. I feel really angry and I have never seen anyone with such bad epi scarring as me! The epi itself is not the big problem, however, the mongolian folds will be pulled aside and pushed inwards somehow as part of the procedure. A cut is made on the outside of the eye close to the inner corners, but not close enough such that it's invisible. This left a large depression at the inner corner of my eyes and the eye shape appears to slope down, and doesnt look like a natural eye. When I cover up the scar with a bandage it looks not too bad. But terribly artificial when i remove the bandage. At this point of time (3 weeks) I highly doubt the indented scar will "disappear", only the redness. Which means the cat eyed look will be my new look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
)
Recommended Posts