msnaive Posted June 16, 2015 Posted June 16, 2015 Hey hey you girls. I finally arrived in Seoul on two days ago. You can imagine I was super excited about my trip since this is my first ever plastic surgery trip and I have long prepared for this trip. I was hoping to get my nose and eyes done so I did my research for nose and eyes. I do not usually write on the forums but since I got most of my research information from Pf and got a lot of help from other Pf members especially those from the kakao group chat. So it is really my turn to return the favour. So I arrived on early Monday morning and my friend picked me up at the airport. My friend lives in Korea and speak some Korean so she offered to help me with my clinic visits. My first consultation was with Braun. We booked the appointment at 11am and arrived just at the right time. That was the first time I've visited a Plastic surgery clinic in Korea So I told them Im interested in having my nose and eyes done so they took a scan of my nose. We were directed to consultation room with a perfect looking tall consultant. After that I saw the eye doctor which is doctor Seo. He was young and plesant looking, nice and smiling, friendly. I told him Im interested in non incision double eye lid, lateral cantaplasty, eye bag removal and doctor went ahead explaining to me how these procedures can help me to achieve a better look, to have a longer and slightly bigger eyes. He suggested the outliner method for non incision. I like doctor Seo and he really spend time explaining to me. After about 40 mins I was happy to move ahead with the nose doctor which is doctor Cho. Before coming to Korea I wanted to see both doctor Park and doctor Cho. However I finally decide to consult only doctor Cho for nose. I do not know why but doctor Cho looks very similar to doctor Seo. Haha. Maybe Korean guys just look similar to me. His style is also very similar, friendly, smiling and nice. Both of them speak some English as well. I told doctor Cho I wanted alar base reduction, tiplasty and bridge implant using silicon. I asked if I need No osteotomy but he said no need. It turns out all doctors I consulted with said I didnt need osteotomy which makes me very happy. ^^ He said my tip is very bulbous ( which I cant agree more) and he can only reduce about 40% and will reduce alar by 5mm each side. For tip he will use septal cartilage and ear cartilage if I dont have enough septal. I told him I wanted Angelababy nose and he said he know haha. I guess everyone who goes for nose surgery wants her nose lol. I asked both doctor about infection rates, complication and revision policy. Both doctors gave me pretty much the same answer so I guess it was their clinic standard answer lol. After seeing doctor we met the consultant again and discussed the price. To my surprise she quoted very good price and I managed to bring it down a little bit. I guess since is because of Mers and they lost a lots of Chinese patients thats why they didnt quote too high. Or maybe simply I do not look rich lol. We run out of time so we was late for Opera which is the second one. I decided to visit Opera even without much recommendation since I like their BA very much. However maybe since we were late we were asked to wait for the doctor at least 1 hour, to 3 hours as he was having surgery. The consultant consulted for me and went ahead with pricing even before we could see the doctor. I guess maybe se notice we were also rushing so she didnt want to lose out patient. But it did not give me a comfy feeling. The staff overall is not that helpful like in Braun or other clinics I visited. My next one was Rex. I went to Rex as I saw pictures of a Pf members who went there with good exprience and quite nice results. I do like her eyes more than her nose her nose though. We talked with the consultant and she tried to understand my needs amd wants. She was nice and friendly and her cusomer service was the best among those I visited. However I was not so impressed with the doctors and the pictures he showed me during my consultation. The doctor, however, said I need incision inatead of non incicion. For nose. doctor suggested similar method like doctor Cho of Braun. Finally the doctor quoted me price directly and it is much higher than what was quoted at Braun and Opera. I asked the consultant to negotiate the price but she said since the doctor already gave the price she cannot bring down herself. I understand her though. But they gave us the name card to call back if we have question. We left Rex and I didnt intend to call them back either. So my last appoinment for the day was with Apr31. Before coming to Korea, I scheduled to visit them second after Braun. I booked my appointment in order of preference so if Im happy with the first few consultations I will skip the rest. However nearer to the day Brian asked me to schedule as doctor Kim was supposed to have some event. So finally we arrived there at about 6pm or so. Both my friend and I was exhausted as we had been carrying our luggages the whole day. And you know metro system here in Seoul, they rarely have escalators, which meant we have to go up and down staircase of many times during the day. The clinic is very conveniently located, just walked up staircase and the building was there already. I was so glad as I felt I could not walk anymore. We were waiting for Brian a while since we were late and he was in the middle of something. Brian speaks perfect English which is no surprise to me as he told me he's Canadian. We chatted for a while and I told him about my unpleasant exprience with Korean customs.^^ And finally I know Im not the only one who's surprised how rare Korean like to say thank you and sorry. So I discussed with Brian about my needs and wants and he noted. After we had a consultation with the senior consultant there. Shes very pretty and I like her nose. I askes if doctor Kim did her nose. Ohh and while waiting I was looking at the BA book and they look quote impressive. I also need to say I did alot of reaearch before going and seem quite a few real pictures from other Pf members from the Kakao group chat and like them. Im very grateful to the girls who shared their exprience and pictures with me. Seeing really pictures without photoshop is a must ^^ So we saw the eye doctor first but the be honest I dont really remember his name. The senior suggested I did eye lid lift or eyebrown lid to improve my look together with non incision double eye lid and lateral cantaplasty. At that point I felt confused since it seems different eye doctors suggested different procedures for me. The eye doctor suggested pretty much the same procedures as the consultant did though. So I was quite impressed with her. I finally saw doctor Kim. Doctor Kim talked to me in English even though we has Brian there. He asked me what dont I like about my nose and I told him I hate my nose and I dont want to see my nose anymore. Everyone there was laughing lol. So we talked about pretty much the same thing I discussed with other doctors. I asked him what kind of material he is using and he suggested soft silicon though he could also do rib and gotex if patients like. Im also set in silicon so I didnt need to discuss about that anymore. Since this is my third consultation so kind of knew what I want and kept it quite short. Doctor is a plesantly looking middle aged man( Since looks is a big thing in Korea so I also comment on doctors' looks lol) He doest talk too much but he is friendly. When I asked about infection rates, he gave me the specific number of his clinics, unlike Braun gave a general answer or Rex said almost none which I doubt if it is true. So I asked him whats if infection, he said he will try to fix it which is an honest answer that I like. Doctor Kim also set a realistic expectation for me saying he could only fix the tip and reduce alar to some certain extent. For the height of the implant we will discuss it at the before surgery when he shows me the material. I The consultation went on well and though it was pretty short. After consultation we discussed price with Brian but couldnt agrew on an amount as he needs to discuss with the top manager who obviously went home. It was 7.30 pm ^^ So I left the clinic hoping to be able to come to a good deal with April31. I like doctor Kim very much and heard he is one of the most famous rhino specialists in Korea. I've seen Pf mumbers real photos and like them. I know rhino is not a major surgery but it is not easy to have it done properly. Im scared to learn a lot of people have revisions and some have many revisions, even fourth times. That is why I prefer to have it done by a specialist with a lot of experience. I hope this is my first and last rhino and I dont have to go through the pain and hassles of a revision if it is not done properly. I still have consultations with Iwell and was thinking about going to Unique and Top class for second day consultations if I cant reach a price with April31. Finally on Tues Brian contacted me again and I managed to get a reasonable price. Of course I have to pay more than what Im supposed to pay at Braun, I was okay with that. Like someone said buying an April31 nose like buying a branded bag. So think about it as a branded nose ^^. I hope my surgery will go on well and I will be happy with my branded purchase. My surgery is scheduled or tomorrow and Im super excited now. I cant wait to see my new nose. I've been trying to sleep but couldnt haha so I decided to write the post now to keep me calm. I know it sounds crazy haha. Will keep you updated about my surgery. Hope I will manage to do it after surgery. Ohh any I skipped eye surgery this time as Im confused after consultations. I need more research for eyes then.
mewalot Posted June 16, 2015 Posted June 16, 2015 Wow I am so excited for you! Thank you for sharing your consultation experience! I'm considering doing my eyes and nose as well so reading your post was extremely helpful especially since my nose is bulbous with a large alar base too. I have never known April31 was famous for their nose surgery probably because I am sorta kinda new to this and have only started researching about 2 months back. It's probably going to take me another month to read everything in PF. Definitely going to check out April31's B&A pics right after commenting! I've also never heard of Braun or Rex. Was *very seriously* considering TL but PF mentioned it was on a blacklist or something and I can't find the reason for that so I'm just going to play it safe. Would you mind me asking how much you were quoted initially and how much they managed to go down please?
kathyduong Posted June 16, 2015 Posted June 16, 2015 Hi there, I will have the consultant with dr Kim at April 31 on Tuesday next week. I'm so excited but just worry about the price . It maybe over my budget. How much is your surgery?
msnaive Posted June 18, 2015 Author Posted June 18, 2015 @mewalot: both Braun and April31 are famous for noses but I choose April31 over Braun for a numbers of reasons. Doctor Kim is a rhino speacialist and hes supposed to be very skilled. From my research he has less revision cases than Braun. And Im such a chicken I dont want t have to go through a revision. At April31 there is Brian whom I can communicate with in English that makes me feel more secure since Im alone here in Korea n my family is very worried for my safety. So after some quick cost benefit analysis I decided go with April31 even though I gotta pay more than at any other clinics. Rex is not pupular to me but I've seen nice job done by doctor Chung there for both eyes n nose thats why I decided to pay a visit. I promise Brian I wont tell anyone about my price sorry.
loulouloux3 Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Did you go through your rhino yet? I hope everything went smoothly!
mewalot Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Haha, I'm really afraid of revisions too so I believe it's important to get a good surgeons for your first (and hopefully, last) nose job. You're lucky to have a Korean friend with you! I understand if you're unable to disclose your price but would you mind sharing how the bargaining process worked for you please? I'm really bad at bargaining so I hope you'll be able to explain the process to me. Did you pretend to be not toooo interested in the clinic? (Like how you'll bargain with clothing shops in Bangkok, haha) What percentage of a discount were you able to get? This is so I know how much is a reasonable amount to deduct from their quoted price. Hope you'll be able to answer my questions. (: I believe you've gone through with the surgery already yesterday. Have a quick recovery ^^
msnaive Posted June 19, 2015 Author Posted June 19, 2015 Update: Yes Im done with my surgery and still alive I wanted to write a post about my surgery the night after I got it done but Brian kept on reminding me to apply the ice pack for deswelling . I dont like this ice pack since once I apply it on, I cannot see anything. I'd rather chit chat with my friends and family about my experience. Anyway I'd better listen to his post op care instruction. Surgery day: I went to April31 alone because my friend was busy and I dont wanna bother her as much. They took CT scan and I was directed to my recovery room and got change. Brian bought me to operating room soon after I cleaned my face and mouth. All the nurses are so pretty and I felt like I was in a Korean movie scene. I told Brian that and the nurse said thanks to surgeons lol. Doctor came to check my nose once more time. He checked with me again that I wanted a straight nose, not S line. I dont Korea upturn nose. I also told doctor Kim once more time that I wanted my tip and alar reduced as much as possible. I wanted to make sure he understand what I wanted. Brian told me it started now and the nurse gave me an injection. I felt asleep immediately after that. When I woke up, I saw Brian and he told me its finnished. I was a little bit surprised since I dont remember anything. I thought I was under Iv sedation. I told Brian if I was really under Iv sedation. He told me yes and 20 mins ago I wanted to go to toilet and he and the nurse helped me hahaha. I couldnt remember anything at all. Anyway I felt a bit painful and uncomfortable in my nose area and I asked Brian if I had more pain killer. But the nurse didnt want to give me more as they will give me medicine predescription that has pain killer. The whole surgery was smooth and easy, much more than my expectation. I finally wanted to go home. Two hours after surgery, I took a cab to go back to my hotel. Surgery night: This is the worse night since I cant eat propely due to the stuff they put inside my nose and my nose was still bleeding a little bit. I managed to eat some pumkin soup with a stroll but I could feel I eat my own blood lol. I tried to drink milk, cacao and orange juice though. I askedy hotel owner to bring me more pillows so that I can sleep with my upper body higher. He came over to give me pillows and gave me a sympathetic look. lol. What I like about doing plastic surgery in Korea is people seem to be sympathetic to plastic surgeries. Or probably because many of them have been there so they kind of know how it is. I had a little bit of fever that night, which made me really worried. I asked Brian if its normal and he assured its fine. By the way I forgot before surgery doctor Kim checked my forehead and asked if I had a cold. The nurse then checked my temperature and said I had a little bit of fever. I didnt even notice it. Anyway surgery night passed by pretty quick and I managed to get some sleep. Day 1 post op: I got up feeling better since my nose stopped bleeding and I didnt feel my fever anymore. I didt my laundery and went out to get some food in the morning. I took a cab to April31 for treatment and to have this stupid things in my nose removed. I couldnt wait for it. The nurse cleaned my nose, removed the stuff and gave me an antibiotic injection. She also pressed my nose for deswelling. After the checkup I went out to have some food. I was super happy I finally could eat properly and without eating my own blood lol. I had mandu ( Korean dumpling) again for the third times in four days in Korea. I love this Korean dumpling so much, more than the Hongkong version. Oh I forgot to mention my eyes started swelling this day and I couldnt see properly at all. I dont feel pain any more though. Anyway I put my mask on and went out shopping with my friend. Noone stared at me at all so I feel comfortable going out with my bandages on lol.
msnaive Posted June 19, 2015 Author Posted June 19, 2015 Im not a good person to give advices about bargaining skills. Some people here in Pf are are really skilled at that. I dont know how it is to bargain with clothing shops in Bkk but I personally think in this medical related areas it is better to show interest in the clinics and doctors rather than not. Show them that we believe in them, we believe the doctor will do a good job, will take care of us and take responsibility of something goes wrong. Of course only do when you truly believe so. Anyway if not then why dont we bother to consult with them at all? At the end of the day this is our looks, our health. Its a safety matter.
pslee Posted June 21, 2015 Posted June 21, 2015 May I know which hotel do you stay that you could do laundry? I plan to drop by there next year
numi Posted June 22, 2015 Posted June 22, 2015 Thanks for sharing your experience and consultations with us all. I only consulted with 4 clinics DA, Girin, Banobagi and Cinderella. I had planned on going to Wonjin but canceled after I read this forum and had TLPS on my list but they emailed me last minute to move my appointment so I never went. Had the surgery already by that time. Glad your surgeries went well!
msnaive Posted June 23, 2015 Author Posted June 23, 2015 Hey Im playing at castle fine near yeoksam station. If your interested pm me I can give you owner kakao.
msnaive Posted June 23, 2015 Author Posted June 23, 2015 Thanks numi for your well wishes. So where did you havd you nose done?
pslee Posted June 23, 2015 Posted June 23, 2015 Hi Ms Naive, I can't PM you at this moment because I am still a new user. ^^ maybe you can PM me?
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