shineestar Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 I would like to share my personal experience at GNG Hospital, as I am currently three-month post-op primary rhinoplasty. Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to get rhinoplasty as I noticed that my nose made my face looked flat. My mother has always commented on the shape and size of my nose since I had her nose. She told me how she tried to pinch my nose every day when I was younger to make it slimmer and my bridge higher. Obviously, that did not work as my nose remained the same. I decided that once I finished University, I decided to undergo rhinoplasty in Korea as a graduation gift to myself. Korea is famous for plastic surgery, especially rhinoplasty. And that's where I began to research and stumbled upon DocFinderKorea and GNG Hospital. DocFinderKorea is a medical travel tourism agency located in Korea. Many people would say that one can inquire with clinics without going through a third-party such as DocFinderKorea since many clinics have English speaking interpreters and can be reached via many platforms such as email, KakaoTalk, and Line. However, since I was busy with finishing up school I did not want to stress as much with contacting numerous clinics and not being able to determine which is the best fit for me. I reached out to DocFinderKorea to inform them that I was interested in Rhinoplasty to correct my wide and bulbous nose. DocFinderKorea responds within hours or in one day. I sent photos of myself with different angles of my nose to Monica, who is the customer service manager for DocFinderKorea, to help determine what procedures that I would need to achieve the nose I longed desired. She responded back to me within a day with 5 clinics she recommended and the cost of the procedure. I began to do and in-depth research on the clinics she suggested. From there, I decided that Dr.Seong from GNG would be the best to perform the procedure on me based on his skills and experience. I saw photos of his other patients through their blogspot, Instagram, website and other forumers which attracted me to request for him to be my surgeon. Consultation I was going to be in Korea for a little over two weeks, and I would suggest anyone who decides to undergo Rhinoplasty should stay for a minimum of two weeks. As I was short on time, I have arranged to have my consultation the day I landed in Korea. Upon arriving in Korea, DocFinderKorea arranged a driver to pick me up from Incheon Airport and drive me directly to GNG. The driver was very friendly and spoke to me in simple English to welcome me to Korea. He pointed out famous landmarks as we drove by and held a simple conversation in Korean using an app to translate to English and Chinese for me to understand. It was very cute and made the long drive seem very short. When I got to GNG, I was greeted by Katie who is one of the road managers at DocFinderKorea. Katie is very sweet and a loving person. She brought me up to the second floor of GNG to meet with Julia, who is one of the English translators at the hospital and she is also very sweet and kind. She has asked me to fill out a form with my information and take several photos, CT scan drew some blood (for blood work) and EKG test. Once that was all completed, we went to see the consultant (I forgot her name, but I think she is the only consultant there) discuss what procedures I needed as well as the cost of it. She recommended for me to have my alars reduced, osteotomy, a silicone implant, and functional surgery. I had to negotiate the price down since I was having functional surgery that was an additional cost, which is usually covered by the government of Korea and it also meant I could not claim for that 8-10% VAT refund. (To be honest, this was confusing to me why I could not get a tax refund if I went with rhinoplasty & functional surgery) Once we reached an agreement with the cost, I went to see Dr. Seong in the next room. He discussed further of the procedure and I was able to ask him all my questions which Julia translated. After seeing Dr.Seong, Katie and Julia called a cab for me to send me to the hotel. Katie then messaged me once again to remind me how I should prepare for surgery, such as no eating 8 hours prior to surgery.Pre-Op The next day, Katie arrived at my hotel to pick me up 2.5 hours before surgery to process payments and sign paperwork. The consultant, Julia, and Katie were there bring me to my private ward where I would be sleeping overnight after surgery. I changed into their gown, washed my face and they sat me down to discuss all the risks that can occur during surgery and after rhinoplasty. I was unsure of a certain part of risks due to the complexity of medical terms and that's where Hazel, the other English speaking translator (Super sweet and friendly) pops in to go over a certain part I could not comprehend. Once all the paperwork was signed to consent my surgery, it was time for surgery. Julia walked me over to this chamber the blasted high-pressurized air. (Almost like an air shower?) Julia met me at the other side where the operating room and asked me to relax while all the nurses laid me down and then immediately I was under general anesthesia. I remember Julia or one of the nurses tapping on me to wake up, and I instantly sat up as a reflex. The nurse told me to relax and to move slowly. At this point, everything was hazy for me since I was groggy, my throat hurt, I was dehydrated and I just wanted to sleep. Katie, was waiting in my room talking to me to keep me awake for an hour to make sure the anesthesia was out of my system? and then I could finally drink water. This was the longest hour I have ever felt since I was so sleepy. The hour finally came, and I was able to drink water, but it was so difficult for me because I could not breathe through my nose and felt like I was suffocating. I gave up on drinking water. Katie then left and I was able to sleep for a bit until a nurse asked me to go in the oxygen tank, where I fell asleep there while under the red light. I walked back to my room and slept again until a nurse came by to administer some IV drips and changed my nose gauze. In the morning, after I was feeling better, I left and went back to the hotel to continue to sleep the next day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineestar Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Post-Op On the third day, I had my nose pack removed and cleaned the insides of my nose. Removing the nose packing was the worst and painful experience I had throughout the entire rhinoplasty journey. The nurse at GNG (short hair? I forgot her name) was very gentle because she knew I was in so much pain. She went very slowly but it was still hurt so much, it felt like someone was tearing my nose apart. (I ended up crying...haha) Once it was removed, I thought I would be able to breathe, but my nose was still stuffy and runny for the next couple of days. Every one is different and will experience things differently, such as they will be able to breathe as soon as the packing is removed from inside the nose or they do not have a runny nose. On the 7th day, my external stitches and cast were scheduled to be removed, however, I had stitches inside my nose that are to be dissolved over time (1 month - 3 months?). This entire process was painless. There was the purple marker mark that was drawn by Dr. Seong still on my nose bridge was under the cast. The nurse tried to remove it with wipes but was unsuccessful. (I had to go back to the hotel and use a cleansing oil/makeup remover to erase the mark. It took me forever...because the marker was very stubborn) Dr. Seong came in to see how I was recovering and he said I was doing very well. I expressed my concerns about the way it looked because I was unhappy with the shape, but that was because it was super swollen. My nose looked like a rectangle due to the swelling. I continued to walk around and drink lots of fluids for the remainder of my trip to help with the swelling and the bruising under my eyes. The bruising was not present on the first 3 days after the surgery. It became noticeable after the fourth day until the twentieth days post surgery. I have arranged with DocFinder Korea to see Dr.Seong before my departure. I got to GNG, however, Dr. Seong was in surgery and I was unable to see him before I left. Although I did get to see the consultant and was told that everything is okay and I was healing very well. DocFinder Korea team has scheduled a pickup from my hotel to the airport (complimentary).Three Months Post-Op Today, I admire my nose so much as it has de-swelled significantly. The results are VERY close to what I wanted. My bridge of my nose is very narrow. The tip of my nose has a very tiny upward slop and my alars are noticeably smaller. I can't wait to see how it looks in the next couple of months. I do not miss my old nose and I thank the team in DocFinder Korea and GNG Hospital. Can't wait until I hit the 6-month mark. I heard from my other friends that you won't see the final result until after the 6month to 1-year mark.Some Random Facts about my recovery - I slept elevated for the first week after surgery so I would not roll on my nose and I think it was advised by the nurses. (I snored a lot because of it) -It's hard to wash your face properly with the cast on. I used facial wipes to cleanse my face - I could not smell or taste food for the first 1.5 weeks - My nose was runny for over a week - GNG will provide you with medication to be taken daily for 7 days such as painkillers, vitamin C, laxatives and etc. - I CAN FINALLY BREATHE! - I hated that I was not able to drink while in Korea. Alcohol is a no-no when you want to deswell~What I recommend to bring/buy -Cotton swabs to clean the insides of your nose and to apply disinfecting ointment for the stitches. They provide you with some but not enough! -Cleansing Oil to remove marker lines -Polysporin or other scar gels for after the stitches are removed -Facial Wipes -Anti-Dust/Surgical mask. (GNG will provide a couple) If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! I will try my best to answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobjarred30 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Great Post! What made you choose Dr seong and why did you use silicone for your bridge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleytin Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 hi can i see before and after pics please if you don't mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayart0803 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 can you share your B/A photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineestar Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 To be honest, I chose Dr. Seong based off of other people reviews and photos of his work from his previous patients. It was similar to what I wanted. I found it from various sources such as purseblog, blogs, instagram, and whatnot. Dr. Seong does not talk much during the consultation, however, he will try his best to listen to what you want and tell you if it is possible. Personally, I think his work leans towards more of the natural side. As for silicone, I did not think it was such a bad idea since it will create the perfect shape and I have thicker skin, so I didn't think it will be noticeable in the long-term as I age. I know a lot of people are not comfortable with having a foreign object on their face but it's fine to me. Also, my other friends who have done rhino have silicone in their nose and it looks great and it does not bother them. I am still super careful with my nose because I do not want it to shift or anything. haha Also, at the moment, I am not comfortable sharing my B/A photos to the internet. If I have to describe how it looks.. my profile looks a lot better with a higher bridge. My nose tip is slightly pointy, if you view from the side so its an enhancement from my previous nose. However, from the frontal view.. my tip looks very similar to my old one (which I hated it/ I hope its still swollen) but my alars have been reduced but when I smile it looks just as wide as my first nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobjarred30 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Thank you for your response! I definitely respect your privacy. Rhinoplasty takes a long time to deswell especially with those of us with thick skin. I am very happy for you. How has your family/ friends reacted towards the surgery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han-hsu Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 May I know your Kakao ID. I’d like to ask about the changes cuz I’m going on next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn31515 Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Omg perfect description of my rhino results at gng with Dr. Seong especially with regard to frontal tip and alars. Very natural, almost too much so. I'm approaching the year mark next month! I feel that my nose swelling really settled around 3 months and has not changed very much since the 5th-6th month mark when it became easier to move/wiggle my tip. Considering getting tiplasty and alarplasty done again next year, to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettyliars Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Hii..why do you want to change your tip and alar ? Are you planning to go back gng ? I'm planning to go next month ..still not sure if I need revision or just tip and alar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn31515 Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 The changes are too natural and subtle for my liking. I will say that I am satisfied with the osteomy results for narrowing the bridge. No, I am not planning to go back to GNG. I will be returning to SK for surgery though. If you could avoid a full revision, I'd opt for that. I hear recovery for revision takes twice as long in some cases. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettyliars Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Thank you. I agree..I try to tell myslef not to expect the perfection so I will be happy just to have smaller alar base and maybe little more defined tip..im happy with my bridge. Which clinic do you have in mind? When will you be coming back to Seoul? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn31515 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Im planning to go mid April to early May. Consulting with View, TL, and DA to be safe! How about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettyliars Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 I was planning to go early April too but I was chicken out..lol. I want tok do more researh but for sure end of Sep if I decide not to go in April. I' interested at View too. I also did a consultation with D.A before, they have mix reviews ..do you have Kakao ? We can talk more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn31515 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Pm'd you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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