hanberry Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 Hi guys, I had genioplasty to replace an old chin implant at The Face Dental 1 week ago. I'm still very early in my recovery, but I want to start sharing my experience. I'll continue updating as more time passes For some background, I had a chin implant placed 5 years ago. I never really liked it completely because it looked unnatural and big. But over the years, I kind of got used to it, combined with the fact that I really didn’t want to get more surgery, I never took any action. However I became more and more uneasy about potential long-term side effects. And I thought, if I was going to have to fix it at some point, maybe it’s better to do it earlier.Consultation: I admit, I did a lot of consultations this trip (more than recommended) because I was just so lost on what I should do. When I visited The Face Dental, it felt immediately different. I arrived 40 minutes late close to their closing time, but Dr. Lee still sat down and talked to me, answering all my questions in detail and in English. It was by far the most detailed and patient consultation that I received across my entire trip. Over the next few days, I would contact Dr. Lee about questions and concerns, and he would always answer promptly. Finally, I decided to meet him one more time and set a date for the surgery. (Before) Surgery Day - Day 0: I arrived at The Face Dental on the day of my surgery, super nervous. Honestly the last few days have just been filled with anxiety, and I was asking myself, why am I doing this when my chin implant has no complications and doesn’t look that bad. The nurses and consultants were very sweet even though they don’t really speak English. As I was lying down on the operating table, the anesthesiologist Dr. Kim came in. He was very kind and made me very comfortable as he asked me some questions. And then I was out. I woke up to chorals of “Wake up, wake up, can't sleep!” But it was so hard to wake up! I really struggled to keep my eyes open as I was getting wheeled back to my room and for the next hour or so while I was sitting in my bag. During that time I registered Dr. Kim and the nurses telling me that the surgery went well. The very sweet nurse (I still don’t know her name!) actually helped me to go out and buy the medicine and bring it back to me, then gave me the instructions. I saw Dr. Lee again later that night, and he assured me the surgery was well done, and explained to me the details of the movements. He told me I can walk around a bit now and go back to my hotel, but if I want to I can stay for the night. I was really grateful about this as my hotel is very far and I’m by myself. Thanks to the pain killers, the pain was fairly tolerable, probably 3/10.Post Op - Day 1: Woke up this morning after a pretty good night’s sleep, and was surprised to find that my face was barely swollen. The night nurse gave me some injections and I was up and about. I took some post-op X-rays and CTs and watched some more TV. Dr. Lee came again to check on me and said that my status was very good, but warned me that my swelling will probably get worse over the next day or two. Soon after, I got my bandage off and was free to go home. By this day I was already pain-free. (Immediately after taking off bandages) Post Op - Day 2 & 3 The swelling got worse the 2nd day after the surgery, and it was mostly localized around the chin and jaw area. I had prepared myself for this, so the shock of staring my face in the mirror wasn't too bad. I was quite concerned about the degree of lip and chin numbness I was experiencing, but it was so early after surgery. saw Dr. Lee again at Day 3 post-op. He showed me my post-op CT scans, cleaned the wound, and assured me that everything I was feeling is normal this early on.Post Op - Day 5 The swelling is noticeably better now, but I still can't really go out without wearing a mask. It looks maybe like right after wisdom teeth removal. I had another follow up appointment and did the deswelling treatment. It didn't feel like anything was happening, I just laid there with my eyes closed. But I did notice the next day that the swelling went down noticeably, so it worked! I saw Dr. Lee again and same as last time, he answered my questions patiently and checked the incision. I'm told it's ok to sleep on my side already (which I've been doing), and although I was nervous that I could press on the bone during sleep he assured me it was fine unless I take a hit or a fall. He advised me to go around and explore Seoul instead of staying cooped up inside, as it's good for my general well-being which is the most important Post Op - Day 7 That's today! The swelling has gone down quite a bit from yesterday. I look pretty normal now although I'm still swollen around the chin area, and my lower lip still looks a little wonky. My lip sensation is coming back bit by bit and I can feel my chin prickling as the nerve sensation return slowly. While the swelling is still very much there and my lip is still quite flat, I think the smooth and natural chin contour is already showing! Overall Experience Although the results aren't too clear yet because of the swelling (again, I'm barely 1 week post-op), I've very satisfied so far with the whole experience at The Face Dental. I'm the type of patient who has a lot of questions and concerns, especially as I've suffered repercussions in the past when I went through surgery without understanding anything. Most doctors I expect to brush me off or answer for a while then lose patience. However that was never the case with Dr. Lee. From the consultations to the messages I sent him throughout the recovery period, to each follow-up visit so far, he always took his time and explained everything honestly and in detail, from the techniques to the risks. Immediately after the surgery, Dr. Lee showed me a picture he took post-op before all the swelling began, and it's very similar to my desired result. As the swelling goes down bit by bit, it looks more and more natural. My lip and chin sensation haven't recovered yet, but hopefully that goes away soon! It's important to be patient with the results of bone surgery. If anyone's considering chin or jaw surgery, I definitely recommend TFD and Dr. Lee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eurasianbeauty Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 It does look much more natural. Congratulations and thank you for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsbartels Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Looks good already! GL with your recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherryontop Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 I've also been in contact with Dr. Lee and am planning to do facial contour with him! Please keep us updated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanberry Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 2 weeks post op: I'm happy with the results so far! The swelling has mostly gone down. Of course there's still some swelling in the chin area but I look normal and can go outside without wearing a mask. The lip sensation has mostly returned, though it still feels prickly. The chin is still numb but now I can feel tingling sensation when I touch it so it's recovering in terms of appearance, it's looking very natural even with the swelling. Dr. Lee said the surgery was well done and from what I see so far that is definitely the case. Just keeping fingers crossed for no side effects! I'll post some updated pictures later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochu Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Great review! I wasn't sure if they did chin implants or not, as I couldn't find it on their website. Now that I know, they're going on my list of places to consider. May I ask, what other clinics or hospitals did you consult with, and what was your impression of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanberry Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 Here is the before vs after comparison: You guys can see the big improvement and how much more natural the contour looks after the implant removal and genioplasty with Dr. Lee! All in all I would really recommend TFD for bone contouring. The results are clearly good but the care is amazing as well. Dr. Lee is extremely nice and patient, it never felt like he was in a rush and always addressed my concerns 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanberry Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 Yep, it was implant removal with genioplasty though! I'm not sure if they would do standalone work on an implant. I consulted a lot of places actually. GNG, DA, TL, View, and Banobagi, and a few smaller clinics. Are there any in particular you want to know about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtaime Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Did you consult at EverM clinic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtaime Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Your results are amazing. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanberry Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 Nope, I did try but they had a pretty high consult fee and then just never got back to me. And I stopped trying after a while because if it was hard to get a response before surgery I figured it would be even harder post op. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanberry Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 Thank you! Really glad I chose to go with TFD ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missy_sana Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 "Because if it was hard to get a response before surgery I figured it would be even harder post op." Exactly! Wow! @hanberry , I can't see any obvious incisions under the chin! So where did you have the implant inserted? And was the removal + genioplasty done at the same incision area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanberry Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 It was all done inside the mouth from the implant to the removal and genioplasty! And yes it's done in one incision all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochu Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Ah good to know. Thanks for clarifying. I’m interested in GNG, Banbagi, and TL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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