PS Preparation and Sharing Experiences - No promoter!

[maiq]

I thought I will never return here nor posting my experience post surgery... I used to be very active on this forum for the past years, however it has recently got so diluted with promoters and people with bad intentions. About 6-10 of us went in July and we are very hesitating to post our experiences because how much public scrutiny there is on this forum, plus the annoyance from under-research people keeps on asking us questions (they want a couple of name of clinics presenting to them on a silver plate without having to do their own research)

But when I think about it, Purseforum used to be a big part of my life. For a year I checked it everyday (sometimes, every hour) and reply to people's messages/post religiously. I got from a PS noob to a PS expert after years of research. From Purseforum I met the wonderful group that went with me, we were in a group of about 8 but there are 4 of us who are particularly close to each other... We took care of each other during tough recovery time, went shopping together and hang out in each other's room just like time in college. We are still keeping in touch as friends, although we are from different part of the world. The education of PS and the opportunity to meet such sweet people that PF gave me is the only reason why I return here to share some of the experiences.

Because I am very annoyed by the huge increasing number of promoters and clinics reps on here, I will not share the name or details of the clinic we went. Excuse me in advance but I wont reply to messages neither, I'll reply to certain well thought, well researched questions on this thread for public's benefits... If you see me or a couple of others deactivated their account, there's a reason for it and please understand that we dont live on PF or make a living here to check it everyday unlike some of the promoter.

About me, I'm 7 weeks post op. I did eyes (double eyelid, ptosis), nose (BA and tip), cheekbone, V line, chin implant and acculift on cheek all at once. About 2 weeks before that I also did vaser lipo on thigh and belly. I'll talk briefly about the experience, but mostly the research is related to those procedure above.

Below, apart from my experiences, I try to copy some of my researches (of other people's experience from PF, some time I cant cite/remeber source because it's from very old threads but you can search for these post yourself) for those who are preparing for PS and have done their research.

 

[maiq]

About what to eat

If you are having any surgery that will restrict mouth movement then I would recommend you bring the following with you:

1) Protein & Carbohydrate Powder, buy two flavours ie; chocolate and strawberry otherwise it becomes a bit boring. Buy these from health stores I bought a large 2kg tub, they are the sort body builders drink as an alternative to food. You just need to mix with water and drink it like a milkshake. Make sure you bring a plastic drinks bottle with a large top so you can shake the mixture, similar to bicycle drinks bottles. If you don't buy anything else buy this, it was my lifesaver, without it I would have lost more than 10lbs in two weeks. This will keep your hunger pangs at bay, two mug fulls and you will feel like you've had a good dinner.

2) Powdered soup, the sort you make in a mug with hot water. Be careful to not buy any with bits in, like croutons as these will get stuck under your stitches and are not easy to rinse out and could cause infection.

3) Juices, especially pineapple juice, again with no bits in it. Pineapple has an enzyme that aids recovery more than orange juice. If you can't get a hold of pineapple go for Mango juice, it does not have the enzyme but it does hold more vitamin c per mouth full than orange juice and vitamin c also aids recovery.

4) Pumpkin juice. This is free if you have surgery with ID Hospital, otherwise you will need to buy it from pharmacies, not many food marts stock it.

Do NOT drink milk at least two weeks before surgery, milk produces phlegm and mucus and will restrict your breathing even further, take it from me, you will struggle to breathe for the first few days.

Do NOT eat any seafood for 2 weeks before surgery and 4 weeks after surgery. Seafood can cause infection.

Do NOT drink any alcohol or smoke at least one week before surgery and 4 weeks after surgery, this will slow down your recovery time considerably and you don't want to be flying home with stitches still in your mouth because you haven't healed sufficiently for them to be removed on day 14.

Do NOT have oatmeal until your stitches are removed you will get bits trapped in your mouth wounds and will be very difficult to rinse out.

Noodles are fine so long as you swallow straight down. I had noodles from day 7 onwards but I had to eat them very carefully and slowly. Same with bananas, ensure they are really ripe and soft then squidge them between your tongue and palette to swallow.

Surprisingly for the first few days you don't feel hunger at all but you will be very thirsty as your body is wanting to rid the general anaesthetic in your system.
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Where to eat post surgery (for cheekbone reduction) near Sinsa area:-

1. A little eatery besides pet shop (near Highland hotel) has one of the best Udon noodles and its reasonably priced.

2. Fresh Burger - Where all the PS clinics are on the main road, the outlet is in the small street. If you walk around that area during the healing period, you might find it. Request for the burger without cheese. The minced beef is very fresh and soft enuff to chew. The bun is soft, fluffy and fragrant.

3. Pho (Vietnamese noodles) in any pho shop but can pass the bean sprout. Try to ask them to cut the beef slice into smaller pieces.*

4. Tofu house (behind starbuck) - Should be between BK and Young Dong Hotel. Can request for non-spicy kind and pass the pork (can't chew)

5. Instant porridge (fm convenient store. C U near BK is the best for varieties and they could help you heat and pack if you are not sure)stand*

I was told not to take beef so I took a little and alternate with others.*

When I was better, I started venturing to different places for food.

 

[maiq]

About bringing cash to Korea

From what I've researched, there is no restriction on how much currency you can bring into Korea. However, for Americans:

"You may bring into or take out of the country, including by mail, as much money as you wish. However, if it is more than $10,000, you will need to report it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Ask the CBP officer for the Currency Reporting
Form (FinCen 105). The penalties for non-compliance can be severe. 'Money' means monetary instruments and includes U.S. or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, travelers' checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable instruments or
investment securities in bearer form." -CBP

"In order for the money to be seized, there has to be evidence that the person had knowledge of the reporting requirement and knowingly failed to report it. Here’s how that works, before a passenger arrives at an airport, they are provided a Customs declaration to complete, that form includes a question about transporting more than $10K in cash or monetary instruments.
If the person answers yes, they are flagged for secondary inspection where they are provided the CMIR to complete. Upon completion, the inspector may choose to verify the funds. If the form was completed accurately and truthfully the form is accepted and the traveler is free to depart—with all his money.
However, lets say that the traveler indicates on the form that he is in possession of USD $10,001 but upon verification the Inspector discovers $25,000, then all the money will be seized and the traveler will have to petition CBP for the return of the money—a mitigated penalty is the likely outcome of such a scenario, not total forfeiture.
Another likely scenario, would be the passenger initially completing the Customs Declaration by answering 'No' to the question,
if he is asked by the Inspector if he has over $10,000 and subsequently answers 'yes' he will be allowed to complete the CMIR form and will not have his money seized—although a thorough secondary exam will likely ensue.
If the traveler answers 'No' on the written declaration and orally to the inspector, then seizure is assured. Also, a likely visit by an ICE agent and possible criminal charges if a connection to other criminal activity is suspected. If no criminal charges, a mitigated penalty is still the likely outcome.

So from what I've seen, there will be no problem if you bring $10,000 or less. Any more, and you'll be required to fill out paperwork. Make sure you answer truthfully, so things go smoothly and quickly. Don't be worried or scared, guys. This happens all the time. Just let customs know you're going to Korea for surgery. Should they question you further, just have them call the number of a clinic you booked with. If you are honest with them, you'll be fine, and will be able to keep all of your $10,000+. ^^ If, for some reason, you aren't honest, you will likely have your money taken, along with other potentially severe consequences. Honesty is key.
There's no fee or duty on importing or exporting cash either. The government is just trying to keep an eye on large money transfers to discourage trans-national criminal enterprises, such as drug selling, laundering illicit money, funding terrorist groups, etc. So unless you're doing any of those things, you shouldn't worry.
Oh! And if you do intend on bringing large sums of money $10,000 or less, you won't need to fill out any paperwork. BUT you should plan to arrive at the airport several hours earlier, just in case they want to ask you a few questions or inspect your money to make sure you indeed have $10,000 or less. It shouldn't take that long, but better early than miss your flight. ^^
EDIT: Splitting more than $10,000 with a family member or friend so each individual carries less than 10 grand will not work, so don't do it. It'll just raise suspicion, and you'll still be required to fill out paperwork with a CBP officer. The form will look like this:
http://www.fincen.gov/forms/files/fin105_cmir.pdf.

 

[maiq]

SPECIAL ATTENTION: About going through custom

I myself had no trouble when declaring my cash (I brought about 17k USD equivalent) However the old Korean lady gave me "the look" when I said the money is for plastic surgery (Haha it is more of a funny/hilarious look, because she didnt understand what was cosmetic surgery so I had to do a lot of hand movement to describe)

So definitely there is no problem going into Korea. HOWEVER, I got retained when I exit Korea back to my home town after surgery.

I LOOK SO DIFFERENT FROM MY PASSPORT PHOTO - THEY NEEDED TO DO INVESTIGATION ON ME.

(I'll confidently say I am better looking than before)

Of course I've done my research and asked for surgery certificate before i left, but that's not the whole thing.

They will call you into a room, and ask for some questions on your personal details, what you did in Korea etc.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: They will compare your EARS to the ears in your photo! and This is the deciding factor.

My nose procedures were with septal cartilage so my ears remain the same, but if you did ear cartilage with a bunch of other procedures make sure your ears heal in time for them to check.

Stay calm, do not panic (if they call you in that means your surgery is successful and your transformation is so natural and welldone )

You WILL NOT get checked by countries that use finger print custom process (UK, US etc - I have passed by borders of about 4 countries in the past month due to my job but those who does finger print check will not retain you).

Only those with manual custom clearing process will be a bit complicated, so make sure you schedule extra time for that. AND KEEP THAT SURGERY CERTIFICATE LIKE YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE because you'll need it every single time (plus protect your ear) until you get a new passport.

 

[maiq]

About my surgery

Overall - I am a happy girl. I turn out REALLY beautiful (I was good looking before, but mostly average). What I found is that my money was very well worth it. All the suffering, swelling, emotional pain during PS was made up for the fact that I wake up everyday prettier than I am the day before. I also find strangers treat me much nicer (for example, getting further discount in restaurant when I talk to manager, when I stopped check my map on the street people - including ladies - stopped to help me, the waiters of my regular restaurant check on me & my table more often compared to before etc) I have a boyfriend so I dont necessarily enjoy the attention from guys but HEY, it's a bonus. The sad but not so surprising fact in life is that when you look better, people tend to trust you more, treat you better and more willing to help you. HOWEVER, that's only if that beauty is accompanied with a smile and a positive attitude, so never forget, that you can only be beautiful if you feel beautiful from the inside. People said PS is an artificial act of the low self esteem, I disagree. I think if I have a beautiful personality, having great appearance will enhance the recognition of great personality as people do notice your appearance first thing, then that apperance bring the personality out loud to the world.

After this post I'll copy some of other's day to day detailed experiences, so I wont repeat those. But I'll highlight certain advice:

1. Form a support group before you go to Korea. Find people on PF who goes around the same date, and reach out to them. They'll keep secret as they are doing it too. I cant be thankful enough for meeting the sweetest people who went with me, you guys were the apple of my pie! It will help reduce the emotional roller coaster you go through as the stress is a lot to take.

2. Be mentally prepared: that you might die. That things wont turn out as you expected. That the worst may come. Out of all of us, the four of us who are close are happy with our results. Others, not so much. If you dont set the right expectation, you may get pretty upset. You wont look like SNSD. You will only look like a version of yourself that is beautified (in my case it's a bit extreme because I do many procedures at once) So when you talk to the doctor, bring a pic of yourself that you photoshoped, not a pic of celebrity. Because unhappiness in life and relationship in general, is due to failed expectation.

I was very freak out before the surgery, I think I might die from having so many surgery. But it was once in a lifetime chance to be reborn, I almost cried when the anesthesists tapped on me reallly hard said "your operation was successful". that is the only thing I wanna hear. And I almost cried again a couple of weeks later when I realise I got so pretty to the level I didnt expect. That's the benefit of setting low expectation, you may get a lot of happiness from it.

3. The worst thing about my surgery? THE LIPS! My lips were about the size of her https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7ltLmPOVw when I recover and it took almost 5 days to de swell. That disturbed me a lot because It's difficult to eat, I drool (you dont feel anything from your lips) and I cant go out much looking like a freak.

AND WHO SAID PEOPLE WALK OUT WITH BANDAGES IN GANG NAM??? LIE LIE LIE. ITS NOT NORMAL. People stares at us when we go out during the day with head compression. People sometimes walk around with a light face mask, BUT NO BANDAGES. try to walk out at night first, when we go out during day time people stare at us quite badly that we had to go home after a while. You can start going shopping after day 5ish when you deswell and can just wear face mask.

4. Don't forget who you are. This is something I remind myself everyday. that I paid for PS as a tool to achieve my goals, I am its master and never would I let it control my life. You see many deactivated on here or get silent after their surgery because they do not want to get tempted to do more surgery. You can easily loose some of your identity with the idea that you can perfect yourself to that idealistic image. Having someone aside who knows/understand your history to remind you of who you are is good too, for example my bf has been a pretty good point of support to stop me going further fix this fix that. It's more important to enrich your life experience after PS than do more PS! Watch this >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxhD6HKlHJ4

5. Understand the techniques the doctor is using for your surgery, what they mean, and what impact does it has on you. Out of our group, people goes to various clinics but Ive found out that the one four of us go to has the most advance techniques, therefore we has the shortest recovery time than all the people who went to other clinics. Also ask about scars, recover, migraines etc and possible side effects. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE PROCEDURES, sometimes MORE than the doctor to test them if they are honest in answering your questions. since you only have 15 minutes of consultation, take it as gold and fill in any gaps of your understanding. THE DOCTOR IS NOT THERE TO EDUCATE YOU A-Z about the procedures, they wont have enough time to do that and you'll end up being nervous of not sure what you get into.

Finally, may your dream comes true ..and stay beautiful !

 

[maiq]

A quite long post of someone else (I am not responsible for the clinic/hotel/translator they recommend) Take it with a pinch of salt, but reading about the day to day experience is quite interesting.


Hey everyone, here’s some comments and tips on my recent trip to Korea for cheek bone, mandible reduction, and chin surgery. I did find a lot of useful information here before my trip, so I’m just sharing my experiences as it may be of help to you guys planning to go there soon. Pardon the long blabber about a lot of unrelated stuff not related to PS, you can skip to the bottom part if that’s the only bit your interested in reading. You may also feel free to PM me to get more information if you need any.

Getting to Hotel
I’m sure you guys would have read this many times, but don’t bother using a taxi. Taking the limousine bus is a breeze and is right outside the arrival gate. Jump on 6009 and ensure you tell the driver to inform you when you reach sinsa station, and you can have another hour of sleep on the bus.
Once I got off the bus, my next destination was Young-Dong hotel which seems to be the most popular hotel pick for most clinics. It was a little hard to find it at first as several people on the street gave me wrong directions, and Google Maps isn’t as accurate as you may think, so don’t rely on Google Maps to tell you on which side of the road a particular place is, but just a general location of a building.
Once you get off the bus, if your also headed to Young-Dong, just remember following the direction of the road, you’re at 6pm looking at 12pm, and Yong-Dong is located at 9pm at the nearest intersection. It’s a 5 min walk and its next to a S-Oil station.

Young-Dong Hotel Review
I was very underwhelmed by the quality of the hotel with dirt marks all over the carpet and walls. The hotel has no air conditioning during winter periods so it’s either a heater or the window. Now I didn’t mind just switching off the heater and using the window, but the problem is even if you don’t turn yours on, their using a central heating system so your room still gets heated to about 30 degrees. The window is so tiny you don’t get much cool air coming in and the noise from the road was audible.
The staff do speak alright English, especially a lady called Won who was the most helpful, but I found their night staff to be horribly rude and did not even want to help me make a phone call to order have some food delivered. I had everything written in Korean and he just insisted that I do it myself, and to do it outside. After kicking him off his high horse he finally made the phone call for me but half way through another customer came in and he hung up and told me they were closed. Only problem is I know that takeaway place wasn’t close cause their 24 hours. Overall I would still recommend this hotel as its liveable, and warmer if that’s what you prefer. But I would not recommend it if you have a high living standard as with 5000 won more per night you could stay in Sunshine hotel which I eventually I found was better.
Sunshine Hotel Review
At 90,000 won (90 USD) per night, it was only slightly more expensive than young dong (85,000 won), but it was like moving from a 2.5-3 star hotel to a 3.5-4 star hotel. The staff here was definitely more professional and respectful. From what I read sunshine was renovated several years ago so that explains the better looking interior of the rooms. Its definitely more clean, modern and worth your money staying here. IMO a better place for recovery. Theres a 10,000 won breakfast buffet if your too lazy to find food elsewhere, pumpkin porridge (7000 won, which was good but would not recommend cause it was too grainy and hurt my throat after the surgery), and a 24/7 convenient store that sells microwavable porridge (highly recommend chicken and ginseng porridge for 3rd day onwards), cheap and good fish cakes and kfc-like fried chicken that you can indulge on before your surgery.
Clinic Reviews
Now heres the section that most of you will be skipping to. I only visited 4 clinics during my trip here, out of my scheduled top 8 clinics, but I would still recommend you book in as many consults as possible and cancel them if you wish to while you’re here.
1 – Samsung Line Clinic. Samsung Line is located near Young Dong hotel and opposite Sunshine Hotel. This was the clinic I decided upon for my surgery, and they were the ones who helped me move from Young Dong to Sunshine after I expressed my dissatisfaction and worries about recovering in Young Dong. I never thought that I would choose Samsung as it was not popular at all on the Internet, and there were my last possible pick. The reason I chose them were because they were the first clinic I visited, and they set the benchmark pretty high where personally I felt no other clinic could match up to them.
Anyway, their building is clean and funky looking, made up for 5 floors, which house their consultation offices, post-op treatment rooms, and operation centre. I was taken care of by a consultant called Joe (Female). She had the best spoken English of all the other consultants in other clinics. After having my picture taken, I was brought up to see Dr Shin who would be doing my surgery, and he speaks alright English as well. He recommended cheek bone reduction, mandible reduction with chin surgery. He measured my face according to the right proportion, and explained to me what he could do realistically.
In summary I spent about 70 mins with him and Joe going through the procedure, my concerns and doubts, and I found him to be honest and not saying crap like “oh such surgeries are so common and theres no risks” (unlike many other doctors, even dentist for wisdom-tooth extractions. A good doctor should always state the risks regardless of how low the actual probability is). For the cheek bone reduction, I also liked that he chose to do the incision at the upper hair area nearer to the ear, rather than the sideburn. He chose the more difficult route in order to make sure there wouldn’t be any visible scarring.
After this stage I left for other consults with other clinics, but the following day I booked in another brief 15 min consultation for some follow up questions, and once again I liked that they didn’t seem pissed that I could not make up my mind, and I didn’t feel that they were pushy. I’ll continue commenting on other clinics as I write my review in a chronological order, so if your interested in what happened next at samsung, read on below.

 

[maiq]

2 - Small Face Clinic - This was a clinic I was very hyped up about, as before my trip I felt that it was my 2nd most probably choice based on information on their websites, conversations with Dr.Moon via email, and their V-Line procedures. I was so wrong. I was disappointed to find that none of their consultants spoke English. After a 15 min wait I finally got to see Dr.Lee who could speak alright English, but I felt had trouble understanding my questions in English and always gave me irrelevant answers. I was hoping to spend as much as an hour with him similar to Dr Shin from Samsung, but he seemed to not want to stick in the room with me for long.
It seemed like he was trying to make a quick sell, and gave me very vague answers regarding procedures. I didn’t like it that he dodge questions like possible risks and complications, and insisted that the surgeons at his clinic are the best and they do so many procedures a day and there was NO risk. Yes, that’s what he said in English. I’m hoping for his sake he has bad translating skills. You guys could probably try Dr. Jang Ho if this post discourage you to see Dr.Lee.

He was also the only doctor who suggest that I do a V-line procedure, where he would be sculpturing the chin bone. However I have a short chin which all other doctors suggested augmentation as they felt they needed to increase the length. Apparently from what I learnt, doing a V-Line will make your chin look shorter, even if they do not reduce the length of your chin. Therefore a V-Line surgery alone will make me look like I have a even shorter chin than before. Therefore after comparing what other doctors had to say, I don’t think he gave me good advice here as he was just trying to sell his sculpturing procedure, and not what actually suites me.
After a very disappointing 15 min session with the doctor I was hushed away to another room and had a endure a very frustrating conversation with the consultants with the use of a book dictionary and an online dictionary in order to ask questions about post-op care, and price. They also seemed to charge the most expensive (15,000,000 won) for all my procedures as compared to other clinics. I then happily left this clinic and headed off to Grand which was just a 5 min walk away from them. With time to spare, I was able to stuff myself with some awesome Samyeopsal in one of the many bbq shops in the back alleys along the way.
3 - Grand Clinic - The consultant that took care of me was Xiaohui. I’m not sure if theres any consultant that could speak English, but I speak basic mandarin so she was able to help me out perfectly. I spent some time waiting for the doctor as he was still in the operating room, so I was able to drill the consultant with all my questions and likewise she was trying to find out who her competitors were and what my schedule was like for the day. Seems like a lot of B-star chinese/korean celebrities has had work done from Grand and there proudly displayed on their wall. Another plus Grand had was they do a free X-Ray for you, and it was the only clinic that did it. I felt that it provides a more accurate consult, as explanation-wise it would be easier for the doctor to run you through and show you the procedure via the 3d models on the computer.
Sitting in the doctor’s room, looking at my 3d picture and x-rays, I had a good feeling about this due to their professionalism, clientele, thinking this was another possibility compared to Samsung so I was pretty hyped up. Sadly upon meeting the doctor, he didn’t even look me in the eye and speak to me. Couldn’t bother speaking English when I know he could speak a little, just nonstop spoke in Korean and had the consultant translate everything.
Problem I had with such a interaction is that I need to ensure whichever doctor is cutting into me will know exactly what I want, and I wouldn’t want risk any misunderstanding due to poor translating that’s not on my part. After only seeing me for less than 10 minutes, and not flashing me one smile, he then kept asking if there’s anything else, and just got up and left. I actually had to stop him and say wait I still have tons of questions. I didn’t think much of it and even considered that maybe he’s just having a bad day and just got out of surgery, and that maybe he’s a popular surgeon and sees too many people, hence the bad attitude. Eventually after visiting the other clinics, I chose against grand because I didn’t feel any understanding or connection with the surgeon. I cant let someone with such an attitude touch my face regardless of how good he is. I cant trust he’ll do a good job when he doesn’t seem to show care or understanding for his patients. Procedure wise he suggested similar procedures as Samsung and OZ.
4 - OZ Clinic - And finally OZ Clinic, the most popular clinic on forums. It was the clinic on the top of my list, and ended up being in my top 2nd choices. I have had regular email conversations with Dr. Park since July and always liked it that he has a more conservative result. I also liked that he was quick to reply with emails always within 24 hours. The consultation fee costed 5000 won (approx $5 USD) which seriously isn’t much. Out of all the other clinics, Dr Park speaks the best English and I can see why he’s so popular with foreigners. I didn’t have to deal with any consultants and went directly to see Dr Park and spent over an hour with him, running through all the same questions I asked other doctors and comparing their methods. In the end I found that his methods and Dr. Shin from Samsung method was the same except for the chin where he suggested an implant, while Dr. Shin suggested a bone graft. Everything went well for an hour and it was once again a choice of either Dr. Park or Dr. Shin and I honestly told him that I needed to sleep on it to make a decision. But sadly he informed me that I would have to
decide today, or else he’ll cancel my operation appointment that I had scheduled in 2 days time. Obvious sales tactic to seal the deal, as I saw him at 7pm and offered to give him an answer by 12pm the following day, but he claimed that he would give my booked surgery day to another person if I can’t commit and pay. Obviously I politely told him that this is my face we’re talking about and I cant make a decision straight away and need some time to condense all the information I gathered to make an informed decision. I told him I’ll sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow, and if I do pick him, I could always extend my stay.

Final Decision
The following are the factors as to why I chose to go with Samsung.
- No pressure whatsoever from staff. Whether real or not, I could see that Dr Shin genuinely wanted to know exactly what I wanted so he can aim to achieve it, and gave me realistic answers and expectations.
- Skill and knowledge. Listening to all 4 doctors and comparing what each had to say, I was able to make out who knew what they were talking about, and who just wanted to sell me the most expensive procedure and trash talk other techniques. I saw Dr Shin a total of 3 times, and I came back to him to drill him on other techniques and see what he had to say about those methods. He was able to handle himself well and gave me good answers. He explained to me why he suggested bone graft due to my short chin, and did not trash-talk other surgeons and their methods because he does use them as well and its more about what is suitable for each patient.
- Post-op care. I don’t know how many people actually consider this when making a decision, but I’m a fussy person. I need my room to be the right temperature so im not sweating or too cold. I cant sleep with noise. I need to
sleep in comfort while recovering. More on their post op care below.
- Was a tight decision between them or OZ Clinic. Both surgical procedures were similar except that Dr Park choose to not cut my angled mandible bone (he choose to do only Sagittal splitting osteotomy) as I have small bones to begin with and chin implants. I chose Dr Shin due to his expertise in chin related surgeries. I would have chose Dr Park from OZ if I did not need to lengthen my chin as I felt he was very good as well.

 

[maiq]

Surgery Day

When the day came I checked out of Young Dong hotel, and checked into Samsung clinic with all my luggage. Was shown to my room where they offered me a 3 night stay, and it was definitely more cosier than Young Dong.
It’s a small room, but definitely had mental comfort knowing that my doctor’s just on a floor above me, and a Nurse was sleeping next door on a 24 hour shift watching over me. Her name was Kim Soel-ah and she speaks in Chinese and was really helpful in answering all my exaggerated concerns like my mid-sleep panic attacks, or my bleeding nose I was freaking out from, swollen ears, and bruised eye. I also found it difficult to breathe as I had a bloody running nose, and lots of phlegm in my throat. They also ordered porridge for breakfast and lunch when I needed it, and gave me the number of the shop they got it from, as I continued ordering and having it delivered to my hotel for the week I was recovering.
Anyway, my procedure took 4 hours, and my face was swelling like crazy. Didn’t feel any pain at incision areas but pain from the swelling and bruises, as well as difficulty of breathing. Stayed in the clinic recovery floor for the next 2 days and got much better by the morning of the 3rd day. Was able to walk around a lot which helps reduce swelling, and had lots of supply of cold(/hot) packs from the freezer. The only downside to living in the clinic for 3 days is that there’s no shower room, so my partner found it a little uncomfortable, so did I on the 2nd day so we checked into Sunshine hotel on the 3rd day as I was doing much better than expected and could shower my body.
Was given prescriptions for medicine to be bought at the clinic conveniently next door, and had all the medicine crushed together into little packets for each consumption, which is good as it is harder to swallow pills after surgery. I just went back today to have my hair washed by them and another checkup to disinfect my wounds for the second time. I have another checkup schedule on Friday, and one more before I leave Korea.

Final Thoughts
During my 2 day stay at the clinic, I had a lot of time to burn, and spent a lot of time socialising with the consultants and nurse there. I was also able to drill them on their thoughts and insights into PS clinics in Seoul. This obviously sounds bias coming from them, but this has been supported by other comments in this thread as well as others. So take it with a grain of salt.
- From what I’ve learnt, facial surgery like V-Line, chin, are easy to do and simple procedures however are also the most dangerous ones. Eye surgery seems to be the most difficult one as surgeons aren’t always able to achieve what customers want, which explains why most of the bad reviews I read online are mostly eye ones. Nose surgery would follow that list as the next easiest surgery. In my opinion most surgeons from all the clinics you see in
this forum will be able to perform these surgeries successfully. So they question isn’t whether they can or can’t do it safely, it’s about whether you can communicate to them clearly what you want them to achieve, and whether that surgeon or an intern is actually performing the surgery.
- Take it for what it’s worth, but it is common for big surgery clinics like BK, Grand, ID etc. to have another surgeon perform your surgery on you while the actual surgeon you wanted instructs and guides him. It would make sense to me that they’re grooming younger surgeons as their business plan is to grow big, hence the advertisement and expansions. The bigger the clinic, the more commercialise they are, and the more they care about making money rather than getting you what you want! Their profit driven, not quality driven. I have been told that the directors of Grand, BK, ID, are one of the best surgeons in Korea, but they rarely perform any surgeries anymore. You wouldn’t want to have a consult with Dr Park from ID, but have another surgeon do your face.
- Email conversations between clinics and yourself may not actually be the doctor replying. From what I can see, they don’t seem to have the time to handle these emails. However from my personal experience I do think Dr. Park from OZ does reply personally as he seems more small scale compared to the rest.
Don’t let information/pictures on a clinic’s website be a part of your deciding factor. Your just looking at the successful cases, or even possibly photoshop pictures. If you do like certain pictures or cases I suggest printing lots of pictures of surgery areas you want to achieve, and surgery results you DON’T want to achieve so you can explain what you like or don’t like to your doctor. Pictures on the site may not have even be done by your doctor and don’t fall prey to the false assumption that those results will definitely be what you will get. Everyone is a different case, best to always accurately communicate with your doctor what you want to achieve.
- I suggest taking Bromelain (1000mg), 3 tablets Arnica before meals, quercetin (500g), 3 times a day, immediately after surgery or the 2nd day. I would also suggest eating yogurt and pineapple juice as all these promote
healing.
- I recommend visiting at least 8 clinics (I know I visited less but I was happy with my decision), preparing a list of questions to drill each doctor, taking note of what each doctor says, and try to catch them contradicting each other and just be straightforward and ask them why another doctor would say otherwise. You need as much information to make an informed decision and to decide for yourself in person which surgeon knows what he’s talking about. Don’t ever decide through emails.
- Ensure you allow 2 hours minimum at each clinic, but expect some clinics to have delays. Perhaps leave a timeslot free the following day in case several appointments get delayed, as its very likely.
- I highly recommend Sunshine Hotel + Samsung line clinic (followed closely behind by OZ Clinic), but don’t be a fool and just follow anyone on the internet’s opinion (including mine). Obviously everyone’s opinion will be slightly bias towards whatever they choose. Key is to research, visit all the clinics, and make an informed decision. You don’t want to regret or have 2nd thoughts of another doctor while in recovery. In my opinion, I also wouldn’t trust reviews or comments from Korean sites like Naver. Its common for clinics to self promote themselves. Consults are free afterall (most of them, even if not, its worth the cost) and you should go and decide for yourself. Have as many consultations as you can, and use these experiences to validate your final decision, it WILL make you feel better about your choice and have confident in your doctor. Even if you read that a certain clinic is crap and if you have the time to visit them, just do so as it will help you benchmark and validate that your final decision is a good one.
- From a Korean point of view (Via the Samsung Nurse), other than Samsung she suggested VIP, and the main surgeons from Grand/ID/BK.
- If you do choose Samsung, you can expect quality after care, I was visited by Dr Shin himself 5 times during my stay for follow-ups. Along with that I had a 24 hour nurse on standby after my surgery. I have 2 more checkups lined up before I leave korea to check on my wounds and have them disinfected, and I can rest with ease and assurance that im well taken care of. If you choose another clinic, be sure to drill them on how they plan to take care of you, even ask to see the room you’ll be staying in. Based on your needs you may need to prepare further. Look for Joe(English) or Kim Seol-ah(Chinese) for excellent care in Samsung.
- Ensure you bring scarfs, hats, sunglasses, hoodies etc. so that you can go out and walk in public several days post surgery. Getting some fresh air and walking should be good for you. I went for a 30-45 min walk twice a day once I was able to. I was able to walk outside from the 3rd day onwards.
- Enjoy good Korean food like samyeopsal and chicken galbi. Visit myeongdong for good chicken galbi, you wont miss it as theres 3 branches all close to each other. Korean street food is great, try the different sausage skewers and pancakes. The taxis there drive above the speed limit all the time and are like race car drivers, brace yourself if you dont like erratic driving.
- Print out tons of maps of all clinics so its easy to find directions, phone numbers, consultant names, have your hotel staff write down these addresses in Korean as well, so its easy for you to get to your destination easy by showing the Korean words to the taxi driver.

 

[maiq]

Someone's post:


@iheartcake - Thanks for the support. I can so use it right now. The cheekbone exercise applies only to Small Face because of the way they're procedure is done. Basically because the side cheekbone gets completely
detached in the surgery and has to be pushed further in, it takes 3 weeks for the bones to fully heal. Small Face uses self-dissolvable screws. These screws aren't as strong as metal ones, but they're also invisible to x-rays.
So because the screws aren't as firm there's room to push. It's a gentle nudging with one finger on the side of the cheekbone arch. If it hurts then it was pushed too hard. It's kinda creepy that I can push on my cheekbones and
think it's moving. Just 5 nudges about 4 times a day. But the results are instant. I upped mine to 10 nudges about as many times as I can remember a day. If I wasn't coughing so much I wouldn't need to do this so much.
@Everyone - I got some BIG NEWS.
1) There were NO food deliveries today because it is Christmas and I totally understand if they mentioned this earlier. This is where Young Dong bugs me. They called yesterday to ask me what I want to eat today. I told them.
Then I call today asking where my lunch is and they tell me their kitchen doesn't open today because it's Christmas Day. So why would they call and ask me what I want to eat?? I just don't get them. This is the 2nd time this
has happened to me.
Young Dong is nice and convenient but they are not consistent. I have to constantly remind them about my meals. They are nice and quick once I call, generally delivered within 15 minutes. If 15 minutes has gone by and no
response to request, then it got lost or something went wrong.
I can't eat most food offered by the restaurants that are open today. I could go out and hunt down where Bonjuk is but it's night time now and it's really cold with a big wind chill factor.
Thank goodness I prepared for the worst today. All my oatmeal, instant hot cereal, and instant noodles are now coming in handy.
Lesson of the Day: Be prepared for the worst when it comes to food. Thank goodness I knew this might happen but it would be difficult to predict other holidays if you’re traveling at other times of the year.
2) I found FamilyMart today and STOCKED UP on their delicious fruit puddings. Kind of expensive at 1000 won ($1 US) for a tiny little package, but it's fruit, it's soft, and it's yummy. I bought 4, I'll be going back tomorrow. I also
bought my large pair of black scissors from them too. Can't believe how difficult it is to find a pair of scissors around here. I checked 3 shops and finally found it at FamilyMart. I LOVE FamilyMart! Service was friendly too and the
guy spoke a little English and helped me out. I went to the one across the street, it’s a little smaller but also less people
There’s another FamilyMart on the right side of Young Dong Hotel when you exit. Very close but very busy too. It has a Citibank ATM on the inside.
3) 7-Eleven is small and disappointing. However one gold item I found there is RICOLA cough drops!! Also found Q-tips if you didn't bring enough.
4) Hit gold again when I went to Olive Young. http://www.oliveyoung.co.kr/ Turn left when you exit Young Dong and take the first major crosswalk. Go down that little street and you’ll see this wonderful store. They carry a lot of
American beauty supplies here. The gold item is the 7000 won ($7 US) face mask!! This face mask would cost me $50 US easy!! I didn’t buy it in the US because I didn’t want to spend so much. But $7 US! What a steal! It’s a
great hot/cold gel FULL face mask. Just add hot water for 10 minutes and it’s ready to be used. I’m going to go back tomorrow and buy more and stock up. They stay warm for about 30 minutes and then have to dip again the hot
water. But this is such a convenience!
If I found this item earlier I could have used it for the cold therapy sessions, instead of using the tiny little face mask Small Face gives. A FULL size face mask is wonderful and saves so much time!!
I also found a tiny Vaseline Lip Balm at $3 US when it’s 50 cents in the US. But the Vaseline was exactly what my lips needed. A few applications and now my lips can open wider and I can talk normal. So it was my chapped
lips that were holding me back from healing properly.
If you need Cetaphil or Burt’s Bees products, this little Olive Young has it all. Most major brands of US lotion can be found here. Lots of toiletry products here too. So if you forgot something, this is the place to shop!! 7-Eleven or
FamilyMart doesn't have much when it comes to toiletry items.
5) I did laundry today in their laundry room on the 3rd floor. Now be warned this laundry room is literally like the one we have at home. ONE WASHER, ONE DRYER. Dryer doesn’t even dry that well. EVERYONE uses it, from
housekeeping to wash towels to regular hotel guests to do laundry. EVERYONE at this ONE WASHER, ONE DRYER. I felt really bad for the washer and dryer. Talk about being overworked.
Washer needs a 500 won coin to operate. 30 minute cycle.
Dryer needs a 500 won coin to operate. 45 minute cycle.
I sat there the whole time on this little beat up sofa to make sure no one touches my stuff. Took me 2 hours to finish. Thank goodness for my audio books on my Kindle.
6) If you want to watch American Movies, they got a channel called “Catch On” here and all the movies are in HD quality and in English, with Korean Subtitles. Very nice. I’m getting caught up on a lot of movies right now. Just
beware, avoid watching funny stuff, it hurts to crack up and laugh at the moment.
7) The weather is chilly. The wind makes it worse. Everyone is dressed very fashionable. I stuck out like a sore thumb in my ski jacket and pink pants. I put on sunglasses to protect against the glare and all I got were weird
looks because no one wears one. So I took it off to blend. Also sunglasses fogs up when I go in and out of stores. I would look great on a ski slope, but not here.
Everyone dresses dark. Mostly blue or black skinny jeans. Don't know how THAT can keep them warm. Coats were fancy long kind with fur on the top, generally a dark blue or ivory. Men were in jackets, women were in fancy
coats. Most women were in 3 inch heals, leather boots. I was in Wigwam winter boots. But the sidewalk is bumpy and not flat like the US. Lots of ups and downs. I would not trade my flat winter boots of those high heels, too
easy to trip and fall especially when my eyes are looking up at the buildings and not on the road. I totally looked out of place but I was warm.
If looks matter for you, dress trendy. Very trendy.
Hope this info helps you.

 

[maiq]

Someone else's post


Hi Shi, the surgery part was easy, but the emotional readiness, and the ability to make yourself comfortable the first 24 hours after the surgery is very important. So the surgery went like this. My surgery was the first one in the
morning, around 10am. I arrived at the clinic without eating or drinking anything 12 hours prior. Looking back, I would suggest eating a hearty meal the night before as the feeling of hunger can be very gnawing after the surgery.
I was brought to the wash room to clean up my face and mouth, then they took my pictures from different angles. Also please do not wear nail polish or contact lenses, and absolutly no make up or even body lotion on the day of
the surgery, as i believe it might interfere with the clinic's ability to monitor your health condition during the surgery. They made me put on their loose cotton surgical outfit, then I was led to the operation room.
The operation table was very narrow, like 2/3 of a twin size bed. I would have freaked out if I have not seen this table on their website, but I figured for this type of surgery, the surgeon probably needs to be able to stand close to
the patient for precision purposes. Then I laid on the table. They pulled up my long hair and my head was placed a bit lower than my body, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable, and at that time I felt that my nose was a bit
stuffed. I asked if it is ok to start GA now that my nose is stuffed. I don't think they understood what I said. A few minutes later, my body was all wired up to different monitoring machines, which put me more at easy, as I know I
am being closely monitored. Also Romian has an onsite anesthesialogist, which is another comfort factor for me. They asked for my body weight in kg, I told them that I am 118 lbs, and made sure that they understood how
much that translates to kg, then they put this mask on me, asking me to inhale and take deep breaths. By the 2nd or the 3rd breath, I could feel that my left arm started feeling numb, and then I just lost all recollection of what
happened afterwards. I actually had a dream, nothing dramatic, just a normal dream.
The next thing I know somebody was patting my back pretty hard and asking me to 'wake up'. I remember feeling relieved at that moment, thinking to myself that 'I am still alive, thank God.' Then they led me to the bed. I was
shivering a little bit due to GA and my head felt very heavy. I just wanted to sleep, and so I slept. There was no pain at all from the surgery, except my throat was dry and hurts a lot, also my lips were all chapped. When I woke
up from my sporadic snoozes, I was surprise to notice that it was already 8:45pm. I rang the nurse, asking her to bring me the bag that I brought along, and put chap stick on my mouth, which made me feel better
instantaneously. I then took out the arnica, vitamin C powder, bromelain, etc, and added the powder to a cup of water, also I added a few lozenges. The sweet and soothing tasting of lozenge in the water is like the taste of
heaven after surgery. I had maybe 6 cups of melted lozenges in water, and that really helped ease my painful throat. I think I also got this advise on this forum a long time ago. So please remember to bring lozenges and all the
wonderful healing tablets/powder with you. Being able to make myself comfortable after the surgery really made it a smooth sail for me.
Also be prepared that you will look horrendous after the surgery, maybe the worst you have ever seen yourself in your entire life. Take it with a sens of humor. When I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, I looked ridiculous
and laughable. My lips were swollen and twisted, my entire face bulges out in a very unsightly manner. My lips were so swollen that I could not even close my lips, and I was drooling everytime I stand up or walk around. :help:
I also brought a big bottle of water with me. The thing is you can always ring the nurse for water, but each time they only give you a tiny cup of it that lasts for about 5 sips. Might as well bring your own water supply to make
yourself hydrated and comfortable
The next morning they took out the bandage and took out the drainage, and showed me how to use the compression mask, then they gave me a bowl of chilled porridge to eat with small tidbits of carrots and seaweed. It took me
half an hour to finish that small bowl of porridge.
Now that I am back to my hotel room, I have been icing my face and was advised to wear the mask for at least 3 hours a day for the next 2 weeks. I think I will extend it to one month. I have been feeling the tingling and itching
feeling around my lips and sometimes around my jaw area. I remember reading it somewhere that it is a sign that you are recovering. So far so good, no complications.

 

[maiq]

Someone else's post

I'll begin from the day of my surgery. Here goes...
Day 0: There wasn't much preparation before the surgery apart from changing into the "Surgical PJs" and washing my face (although I didn't have anything on apart from moisturizer); I guess they just wanted everything off before
the surgery. I wasn't really nervous, but I did just want to get it over and done with after all this time. They brought me into a small surgery room and I remember vaguely reminding Dr Song that I wanted a curved mandible cut
before the GA hits me like a tidal wave. The next thing I know, his nurse was waking me up gently. It was pretty difficult to breathe through my nose so I tried to breathe through my mouth which was not possible because it was
somehow blocked by what I realized later to be my very swollen bottom lip. The first thing that hit me was the COLD. I had 3 blankets over me and I was still shivering slightly. They brought me to the recovery room and Dr Song
checked up on me. I had slight pain (about 3/10) but mostly discomfort along my lower jaw so Dr Song injected painkillers. I think the nauseous sensation was the worst! I felt like puking out air and my eyeballs. After a few
hours, one of the nurses carried my stuff and took me all the way back to my room at Copotel, which I thought was very nice. She even had a small translator on her mobile phone to give me some post-op instructions.
People in the previous posts have reported that after the surgery, their face was normal but bandaged up. Well, mine was NOT. I was so shocked (and somewhat amused) at how my face had swelled right after the surgery that I
was quite worried; it was like a pumpkin. I would have asked Dr Song about it if I could talk. But him and the nurses didn't seem worried so that calmed me down. I could barely open my mouth and my swelled bottom lip couldn't
close, so dinner was just Milo and I had to use a straw.
Day 1: Felt a LOT better. It was very hard to sleep the night before because of the congestion at the back of my nose and I kept coughing/snorting out blood clots. But it was cleared when I woke up. Went back to the clinic and
Dr Song changed my face bandage and replaced it with a looser one. I did a lot of ice-packs on this day and my swelling was already slightly better (i.e. my nose came out a little), and my lips could close.
Day 2-3: Bruising around the eyes and redness in my eyes occurred. It didn't seem to affect my vision though, just scary to look at. I was still on liquid diet but able to brush my teeth using a toothbrush on Day 3. I went back to
Dr Song's clinic on Day 3 and he removed my face bandage as well as massaged and pressed on my face (it was NOT a pleasant experience). He said I didn't have to wear the face bandage anymore and should start using hot
packs to reduce the swelling. He recommended going to sauna as many times as possible to help with this. It seems that my swelling had peaked at Day 0 instead of the usual Day 3-4 so I guess I was really lucky.
Day 4-6: My swelling had gone down a lot by Day 5. I massaged the bruises around my eyes so they was gone quickly but the redness in my eyes still remained. I can already see the change in my facial shape and was very
happy with it. Because there was no swelling around my cheekbones, it was easy to tell that the width was reduced. As for the mandibles, there was still a lot of swelling at my lower cheeks, but I can feel that my angle was
replaced by a smooth curved jawline. I've also graduated from liquid foods to soft foods (porridge ad soupy stuff) from Day 4. The trouble was opening my mouth big enough to insert a spoon.
Day 7: Stitch out day! It wasn't painful at all. But Dr Song's facial massage and pressing was. The intraoral stitches were meant to self dissolve but Dr Song said that my incisions have healed and removed them, except for the
ones that are all the way at the back, so that it would be more comfortable for me. He gave me some final post-op instructions before I left. Overall, I am very satisfied with the post-op care that Dr Song an his nurses have given
me. He was very attentive and caring.
Day 9: I left Korea for home! Apart from the redness in my eyes (which was reducing rapidly), I looked normal (as from Day 7). I don't think a passerby would notice anything. There is just slight swelling at the lower cheeks and
in those swelled areas as well as my chin and bottom lip, it is quite numb which Dr Song had assured me that it will get better in time. I just look a little weird when I try to smile.
Day 10-14: I went back to work on Day 11 and my colleagues did not notice anything odd, except for my red eyes. However, I have told them before I left that I was going to do dental surgery to remove my wisdom teeth so that
explained the slight swelling of the lower cheeks. After Day 9, the swelling goes down quite slowly for me, but at least I can still tell that the numbness in my chin and lower jaw is slowly going away.
As for today, the redness in my eyes are gone and my I am very satisfied with the result of the operations! I love my new curved mandible, and they look awesome from profile! I didn't think my zygoma was reduced that greatly
but when I compared it with old photos, it is really clear that even a slight reduction makes a quite a difference. I still have slight swelling at my lower cheeks but I don't feel so stiff in moving my lower lips anymore. I guess there's
still a fair bit of recovery to do and I cannot wait until my final results!
I'll keep you guys posted on my recovery. In meantime if you have any questions, just give me a PM, I'll be more than happy to help. Thanks for reading and I apologize for the long post.

 

[maiq]

More

Hello,
I decided to update you guys on my recovery now that I am 12 days post op and back in my home country. This surgery is by far the most major type of surgery I have ever had done. I also never had PS before.
Waking up after surgery
I woke up to the hospital staff patting me on the shoulders and asking if I was ok. I nodded yes groggily. Then I was brought to my room. (Zoe told me that my operation took 2.5 hours and that I was in the recovery room for one
hour. I had mandible reduction (sagittal split osteotomy and angle resection) and easy lift to pre-empt sagging -- I'm in my mid thirties).
6 hours after surgery
I went in for surgery at 4:30 p.m. and by the time I got to my room it was 8:30. The pain isn't really bad. It's just a dull pain. I think I only pressed the button for pain medication 3 or 4 times during the first hours after waking up
from surgery. The hardest part is staying awake without any water for the next six hours and breathing in and out deeply so that the gas from anesthesia is expelled from your body. You are not allowed to drink water for 6
hours after the surgery. This was difficult -- probably the most difficult thing. My throat hurt from the tube and I was very dehydrated but I had to soldier on for the next 6 hours. I watched the little clock on the computer screen
they had there like watching paint dry for the next 6 hours. Zoe stayed with me until 9:30 p.m. and even said that she had asked the hospital if she could stay in one of the rooms that night-- but they were full! I didn't expect this
at all. The concern she showed for me was touching.
I should mention Dr. Park came in immediately into my room to check on my lazy lower lip. (I posted about this previously). He told me that damage to the motor nerves was a rare complication and assured me that he did not
sever any nerves and that the nerve would repair itself within 3 months.
Day 1-5
On the first day all the swelling had been pushed up to the mid section of my face from the cheeks to my temples, so when the took off my compression bandage to take an x-ray my head was literally the shape on a light bulb.
It was a bit disconcerting because I looked deformed. NB: Be prepared to look the ugliest you have ever looked in your life after surgery.
My swelling peaked on days 2-3 and moved down to my jaw so that my face looked like a big circle. On day 4 I still looked and felt bad. I started walking from day 2 though. Initially for one hour and then for up to two hours a
day.
On Day 5 I started to look better but had not yet fully recovered my strength from surgery.
Day 6-8
I started to feel and look normal and had enough energy to tour the city and go shopping. On day 6 I even spent 8 hours out sightseeing! It did me a lot of good to go out and just forget about my swollen face because when I
woke up on day 7 the swelling had gone down a lot. I pretty much walked at least 3 hours a day at this point, just going on the metro and seeing the city.
Day 9 - 11
I saw Dr. Park on Day 9. He noted that my lip had improved and said it would continue to repair over the coming months and not to worry about it. They do not remove the stitches and advised me to get them removed in my
home country on the following Thursday.
I left Seoul on day 10 and even with the swelling I looked normal and no one could tell I had done anything to my face. The long day of traveling helped because when I finally reached home the swelling had gone down even more.
Day 12
I'm going back to work today. I still have about 30% of swelling left. Other than my cheeks looking chubby I pretty much look normal. I can see the contour of my new jawline and it was exactly what I asked Dr. Park for. Overall I
am very happy with my surgery at ID clinic. Dr. Park was great. He listened to what I wanted, was very nice and patient and most importantly I felt comfortable having my surgery done at ID. The aftercare was also very good. The
staff was also very helpful and polite. I really couldn't say anything negative about my whole experience at ID clinic.
I hope this is helpful to those considering this surgery and wondering what the whole recovery process was like. One thing I think contributed to my fast recovery is the fact that I was in good physical shape going into the
surgery. I run 3 times a week and do yoga once a week. I also am an avid skier, so all this keeps me in good physical shape. So if you're planning to do this surgery, I suggest training for it by getting yourself in good physical
shape. Being in good physical condition also enabled me to get out and start walking sooner, which helped me to de-swell.
I will post again one month post -op.

 

[maiq]

More

Hello all,
This thread has about 417 pages of information and I am not sure how long it would take for someone to navigate through the entire thread to find out information on who posted what when and where... But I hope someone finds
this info helpful.
I just had a rhinoplasty (also corrected deviated septum) + zygoma reduction done at OZ Clinic and today is day 5. I wish I could write down every small detail but I thought I would just summarize my experience and progress
here if anyone finds it helpful at all in making decisions.
I had 8 clinics as my options to choose from and started narrowing down the list. Of course there were a lot to consider when making my decision and there was never a all-around perfect option. Some were expensive but with
very good services (they even pick you up from airport, guide you in Seoul...etc) and some were of descent price but not the extra services...etc. In a perfect world, I wanted to pay $100 for my rhinoplasty and $100 for my
zygoma - but that as we all know that is not a possibility unless insurance companies start covering cosmetic expenses.
Every where I did my research, I saw the name OZ Clinic and people mentioning OZ Clinic so of course they were on my list. I sent them an email with photos and received an initial response back within 24 hours. I live in the
states so of course time difference was a factor. It was from Dr. Park. He responded back to my questions and that I was a good candidate for the 2 surgeries and provided extra detailed information on what each surgery requires
(along with risks) and provided cost estimates as well. From there I started swamping the doctor with emails after emails. I probably sent him 50 emails none of which did he ever neglect to respond. As emails were sent back
and forth and as I got more and more information from the doctor discussing about the details I felt more and more assured that if I ever decide to go with OZ Clinic that I would be in good hands. Compared to ID Hospital, for
example, where they never bothered to answer my emails 3 times until I called them and one lady with bad English asked me to call back and hung up on me. Other clinics such as VIPS and SeoulTouchUp...etc were just way
out of my price range. OZ Clinic:
- Provided on time inquiry responses with detailed information
- Provides before-after photos on their websites
- Other people around the globe reviewed them positively one way or another
- Price is descent! (this was a major factor!)
- Dr. Park has been operating for over 20 years
- And they are known on doing excellent jobs on rhinoplasty and cheekbone (zygoma) reduction
Therefore, my decision was OZ Clinic.
Applied for Korean Visa (which took about 7 days to get my passport back in email).
Bought my ticket to Korea. (was little bit nervous with all the North threats going on)
Scheduled blood test appointment and the surgery to be followed the next day.
I decided to go there with my mother just so that she can look after me, help me around, recover and cook porridge...etc for me.
Blood Test Day
Went to OZ Clinic (very conveniently located. Right outside of NonHyeon metro station or about 3 mins walking distance from Sinsa station) for my blood test. Went up the elevator and was greeted by 2 ladies by the front desk.
The waiting room and front desk and everything about the interior was stunning! I think they did an excellent job on the interior design. Met Dr. Park for the first time in person. He looked at my face close-up in person and we
discussed about the surgeries. He drew what he would be doing, where he would be cutting...etc in details. With no change of game plan, I proceeded to the blood test, paid 10% of the total cost (pay in cash and you save 4% of
the overall cost). It is not like you are in a clinic in US or UK or somewhere where everyone speaks perfect English. Dr. Park speaks excellent english and the other 2 nurses didn't speak much english but they knew what they
were doing. I was advised not to eat or drink anything effective midnight the same night. I had brought a Sinecch (Arnica Montana) pills for surgery recovery and took the 1st pill before midnight.
Surgery day
Woke up, took a nice, warm shower because I knew I wasn't going to be able to take shower or wash up for 5 days until my stitches were removed. Went to the clinic. Was greeted by the same people nice and warm. Was
interviewed by this one grad student from Oxford for one of her researches. I had all the right not to proceed with the interview and it was my decision to make but I allowed her to interview me. I am a student and I know what it is
like to get people to be interviewed to get information. The questions didn't ask any personal information and it was just all general tings like why i decided to have surgery, why I chose OZ clinic, who influenced me in making the
decision...etc. I assured that my name wouldnt be disclosed anywhere without my written permission and she confirmed. Also she said I was the 37th interviewee. Anyways, went to the recovery room, changed my outfit and put
on this patient outfit. No buttons, zips...just a strap around the waist to make sure the front side is closed up. Went to the surgery room and laid down on the operation bed. They gave me an oxygen mask and the only thing I
ever remember after that was waking up in the recovery room.
After surgery
So yep, they took me out and I was long gone. Didn't feel anything. Nothing. It felt like a blink of an eye but I was knocked out for about 4 hours. Surgery took about 2 hours and I slept for about 2 hours. When I woke up, I was
on this nice heated bed with a warm blanket. The room was cool enough not to get hot or sweaty. My eyes were little blurry and I was definitely out of stamina. So I took a rest for about 30 more minutes. After 30 minutes I
opened my eyes and looked around. They had hooked me up with a big patch of some sort of liquid which I am assuming it was some sort of antiobiotic or something that would help me recover (I probably lost blood during the
surgery) or mix of all of these. But because of this I probably recovered and didn't feel much hungry either.
One thing that was bothering me was my dry throat, mouth and lips. I felt like I was in a desert. I couldn't drink anything for the next 30 more minutes. So I breathed with my mouth only and only to feel more dry mouth. I couldn't
breathe with my nose at all. They had some stuff on my nose and my had was wrapped in a tight bandage so I couldnt move my mouth (didnt dare to try either).
So after 30 mins - I could get y first cup of water and it felt so good. But my throat was sore. (Later I was told that they had to liquidize my throat during the surgery and they had a straw there but it was going to be okay soon
and it did go away from day 2). I tried to get up but I was dizzy. The doctor said anesthesia works differently on people. Some people just recover fast and some people it takes longer time for the anesthesia to be flushed out.
Mine was the latter. So the doctor recommended me staying at the hospital since I couldn't really get up. But I did get up to go to restroom. And not too long after that the famous swelling and bruises started taking over my face.
They just started coming and coming. Getting bigger and bigger. And it just felt like my face was a balloon getting inflated by someone bigger and bigger. My eyes were still okay until few hours later. I just rested, closed my
eyes, breathed with my mouth as time passed... Drank some wated from time to time and applied ice pack on my face. They had a fridge right next to me and had 4 icepacks going rotating so there was always a cold one at any
given time. But trust me - this dry mouth, tongue, throat feeling was not fun. The more I breathed the drier they got so I kept drinking water. But drinking water didn't come that easily either because my nose was totally blocked
so when I swallowed something I would totally stop breathing. I was not in pain anywhere on my body or face or my nose. My cheekbones were in a little bit of pain if I tried to move them or if I turn my head but if I sit still and just
relaxed the pain was moderate. The dry mouth was the biggest problem.
Later I got hungry - so the doctor said the nurse could order food for me which of course I had to pay for but I was hungry so I went with it. Paid about $3 for a a cup of pumpkin soup. It was good. Never thought I would have
pumpkin soup in Korea. Had that before in the states. And pretty much rested the rest of the day. The rest of the day was just full of trying to learn to breathe with my mouth, trying to get used to this dry mouth, tongue and
throat and it was definitely not a good experience. I never realized the importance of liquids in mouth, staying dehydrated, how nose plays important role and how saliva played important role in all of these... The swelling and
bruises were just going wild and there was nothing I could magically do besides applying icepacks and laying in an elevated position. And pretty much I could not sleep at all that night, It is just because I could not breathe with
my mouth and sleep at the same time. Other people do it so they may have no problem. I realized I became very sensitive to everything around my body. Small movements, my breathes, my mouth, tongue, cheeks and
everything... The nurse hooked me up with 2 more packs of antibiotic stuff that were running through my blood until the next morning. The nurse stays there so if I needed anything I would press a button and it would send her an
alarm. But i didn't want to keep waking her up to point out the obvious like my face was getting swollen or i couldn't breathe with my nose...etc.

 

[maiq]

Day 2
Well Day 2 started... I was still taking the Sinnech (Arnica Montana) which is good for post-surgery recovery to reduce swelling and bruises. And in the morning doctor came in, checked me up and said I was doing fine. The
nurse cleaned my nose up (there were dried bloods and things like that) and I was discharged from the clinic. I was advised to come in 2 days (3 including the day 2) to get the blocks removed from my nose. So basically the
doctor plugged in 2 stuff into my nose to prevent liquids, blood, mucus...etc dripping from my nose all the time (otherwise I would start sniffing or sneezing or dealing with all that stuff). It was good and also bad. The good part is I
didn't have to deal with all the possible liquid stuff that could have come from my nose but the bad part was I could hear and feel the liquid stuff (like mucus) getting built up and when I tried to breath sometimes there would be a
small airflow in my nose which ended up like moving the mucus up and down making some funny sound (I know I am not describing it best but at times it was just bothering because I couldn't breathe with my nose and I felt like
if I took those things from my nose then I would be totally fine to breathe all the air). Another thing was from time to time my nose would bleed just a little bit. I guess that blood somehow escaped the blocks and dripped down
my nostrils so the nurse put some cotton and taped it under my nose so I didn't have to deal with it. It was a good idea except it kinda looked funny.
They called in for a taxi and took about 15 mins to go back to my hotel. Stayed in Myeongdong area. The place is called Mama Guesthouse. About $7 one on a taxi. (Tip: know the address in Hangil otherwise local taxi drivers
may not understand where you are tryin to go. Or have someone write down your address in Hangil). So the rest of the day went pretty much the same. Couldn't breathe with my nose and didn't yet learn how to breath with my
mouth and sleep at the same time. Dryness in my mouth... Couldn't eat much... Not so much pain. Just the cheekbones - a little bit. Nose was totally fine. The doctor gave me antibiotics, pain killers and saline mouth was to
gargle my mouth to clean, some icepacks. Was advised to sleep in elevated position, not to sleep on my sides (which I always do when I sleep so I realized it was going to be a mess trying to sleep) and asked me to call if
anything happens. Ate some porridge, drank a lot of water, gargled my mouth, applied icepacks and took my pills on time. That was about it. The swelling was so bad that I felt like my face was going to explode. My eyes were
swollen and i literally looked like a pumpkin or a balloon. Add the inability to breath normally, to eat normally, to lay down normally and yep - i felt pretty helpless. But it was all my decision to make and i made the decision on
my own and noone said it was going to be a painless, swellless, bruiseless, breathful, an easy operation so good thing I had prepared myself mentally.
One thing to mention about the Mama Guesthouse. I think it is a family operated business. I stayed in a twin size room. The room was very small. Just 2 beds and that was about half of the room. One TV, one cable devide
(about 70 channels? - lots of Korean and some Hollywood movie channels) and half of the other half of the room is the bathroom with shower, sink and a toiled. The shower has glass door and the toilet is very close to the wall
and the sink so it is not very spacy. There is a hanger, a small desk and a small chair. One AC by the door and a small window by the beds. It is on an elevated area (on the bottom of Namsan (Nam mountain) so the window
doesn't give a nice view. It in return gives the look of what a basement apartment would look like) Good thing the AC works otherwise it gets hot at night because they floor is heated and it is not controlled per room. The reason I
chose this place was:
1) Descent price (about $53 a night from agoda.com's special deal)
2) Not a "love-hotel" type of residence
3) Free breakfast
4) Free wifi Internet everywhere
5) Kitchen + fridge to cook porridge...etc
When I checked in, ajussi said I couldn't use the kitchen because if I cook smelly food and other guests complain he would be in trouble...etc so I told him I was going to have surgery and I needed something to cook..etc he said
"ok" but we definitely didn't reach a final agreement so at one point I was thinking of moving out - but my deal with this place was non-refundable. The other option I had was something Yeoksam Humanville Residence. But
anyways, ajussi saw the day I got back from hospital and asked if I was okay...etc. The next morning, ahjumma made special porridge for me and said it would help me recover faster...etc. They let my mum use the kitchen to
make porridges, too. And they were really concerned about my surgery, my recovery and made porridges and different food - which I was very glad for.
Anyways, Day 2 - I couldn't sleep that much either. But I am sure I got to sleep an hour here and there breathing with my mouth. Thats a progress!


Day 3
From Day 2 to Day 3 - I saw a big change in my face as far as the swelling goes. About 30% of the swelling was gone and I was pretty happy about it even though my face was still doubled the size compared to my original
state. So the bandage around my head was little bit loose. Gave me some more confidence! I got to get out of my bed and walked a little bit. In the evening went outside and walked a little bit, too. I definitely didn't want to go out
with all the bandages and pumpkin face so waited until it got dark outside and avoided people when walking around. As of that time, I was somewhat used to breathing with my mouth a little bit. But one thing I realized was if I
kept drinking water or eating food like porridge....etc my mouth didn't get dry. But this dry mouth, lips...etc would give me trouble like the skin was getting peeled off...etc. Nothing much to mention on Day 3. Besides the little
reduction on my swollen face - everything was pretty much the same. Still no pain.
Day 4
Went back to the clinic to get the 2 blocks removed from my nose. Rainy morning so definitely needed an umbrella and we had one. The swelling was better than Day 3. The nurses worked on my nose and removed the plugs.
This was the BEST feeling every, I felt like I could breathe all the oxygen in the air with my nose. and it felt GOOD! Plus it was raining so the rain smelled good too! I was very happy. Felt like i made 50% recovery progress just
because I could breathe with my nose!!! It gave me confidence, assurance... This was the BEST DAY ever since the surgery day. The only thing was I needed to practice how to close my mouth and breathe with my nose. My
cheeks were still swollen so it was not easy for my close my mouth (for the 2 jaws to close up).
Nothing much from Day 4. Porridge, water. I could sleep finally with my nose open. Walked outside, too. Pills on time, ice-packs and gargled my mouth after every time i ate or drank something. I tried eating something little bit
harder than porridge like tiny ground beef, very soft fruit on yogurt...etc. Not so much successful. It felt like I forgot how to chew on things. My teeth\jaws were weak and my mouth wouldn't close up all the way to chew either
because of the swelling. Plus, when I tried to chew, my cheekbones were in little bit of uncomfortable pain. So refrained myself from trying to eat anything hard...

 

[maiq]

Day 5
Today is Day 5. Swelling is, I would say, 50% gone as of right now. But my face still looks big and anyone who looks at me will think I have a huge swollen face. Little bit of bruises around my eyes. The swelling went down my necks because I noticed my necks getting swollen and had bruises. I can still breathe my with nose - now except for the times where my nose would get blocked because of mucus...etc. Dr. Park said I can use nasal spray but I am a little bit skeptical about it. Tried on some more harder food and still not very successful. Small diced fruits in yogurt - i can eat. Small ground beef pieces I could eat. But other things like bakery products, breads, meat...etc no way I can eat as of right now. My mom just brought some bakery for me to try and I cant just eat it easily but I think it is a good way for me to practice my teeth, jaws and cheekbones to work together again so I will try to eat this little bit by little and practice. Now my mouth can close up all the way fine. I still have bandages around my head and I look like a fat kiddo with chubby cheeks who got into a fight and got bruises on my eyes. But my eyes have no more swelling, just some bruises. Today I walked around a little bit. Watched some more drama like 24, Prison Break, read some news about North...etc. Tomorrow - I will have my stitches removed and I can finally take a shower, wash my face...etc.
Sleeping is not a problem now since I can breathe with my nose. But I still cannot sleep on my sides and at times I would do it without knowing (it just happens in my sleep) but when I realize I am in that state I get straight up and lay on my back facing up again. Mum went downstairs to make some food and I am typing this. What else can I say... I arrived here 2.5 days before my surgery and I had an opportunity to meet my friends and visit some
places. I wish I had more time. But there will be another time to enjoy and explore Korea. My flight back to the US is 7 8 days from now on - which by the time, I hope, I will be a in a much better state.
There is no right now to tell how my nose looks and how much cheeks look because of the swelling and the stuff on my nose to keep it protected and to eep it straight, i guess. Tomorrow when they remove the stitches if they remove the nose cover - I will see what it looks like. But the doctor strongly recommended me not to draw any conclusion for 6 months up to 1 year to see the final result. So as long as I am mentally prepared I should be fine.
Even if I notice some asymmetric result or different shapes or something like that I guess I will have no choice but to stay patient and wait for the final result. Last thing I wanna do is look at myself before it is 100% recovered, get freaked out thinking the surgery didn't go as planned and lay down on the surgery bed getting my face cut again.
I can breathe, I can eat somewhat better, I can move around, walk around... and it is a big progress! Just hope the swelling subsides faster.
Tips:
1) Have Korean money at all times. You will need it everywhere.
2) If you ever take taxi, have the destination address written in Hangil
3) Take the yellow or grey taxi (not the deluxe or international ones)
4) Come with someone else if you can (that way he\she can cook for you or run for errands like buying grocery...etc)
5) Choose your place to stay carefully. Fridge + kitchen + big space + and maybe even window for cool air - amust!
6) Try to learn to breathe with your mouth at least few times and try to get used to it. U will need it.
7) Make sure you are healthy before you have this surgery otherwise if you get sick and have this surgery - thats the last thing u wanna deal with
8) Bring whatever you might need for the recovery (e.g Sinecch, nasal spray...etc)
9) Comfortable button-up tshirts, short...etc.
10) You will need things like: bandaids, bandages (different kinds such as for bleeding, for wrapping your head), tapes, towels, paper towels, tissues, wet tissues, water, cups, small spoons...etc.
11) Mentally prepare yourself. Things aren't going to be magically perfect.
12) Bring some thing to do while recovering. Movies, books...etc.
That's all I can share as of right now. Unfortunately, I will not be sharing my photos here - but I will definitely post more updates later. (Hope I don't forget).