Patient Surgery REVIEW(Rhinoplasty, Cheekbone Reduction, Under-eye Fat Repositioning, Fat Grafting, and Rejuran Healer at NANA Hospital Korea)

💕PATIENT SURGERY REVIEW💞

Hello, I am candy from US & I got several procedures at NANA, including 

Rhinoplasty (done by Dr. Choi Hyuk Jun), as well as cheekbone reduction, under-eye fat repositioning, and fat grafting for my entire face (done by Dr. Kwon Byung Yoon). 

I was especially concerned about how my nose would turn out, as I wanted a very natural and subtle result that was merely an enhancement of my pre-existing features- and that’s just what Dr. Choi Hyuk Jun did for me. 

The bridge is higher and less flat, but not overly prominent. The tip of my nose is also less bulbous and looks even better now that the tip has dropped even more post-surgery. All I got done of my nose was bridge augmentation and work done on the tip to raise it and make it less bulbous. 

I was originally going to get alar reduction from the photos I sent over WhatsApp, but after seeing the doctor in person it was determined that it was not necessary. And the osteotomy was also not necessary because my nose bridge is actually not that wide- it was just flat and that made it look even wider.

My English consultant, Jasmine, was also very nice and professional throughout the entire experience.

As for my fat grafting, my face looks a lot less flat which is nice now and the under eye area also looks better from the under eye fat repositioning now that the swelling has gone down significantly. 

Lastly, the results from the cheekbone reduction area are also great although there is still some residual swelling from it on the sides, so the final result is still yet to come of course (full recovery takes a whole year and I am not even at one month post-recovery).

I also got the Rejuran healer injection and it brightened up my face quite a bit and made it smooth, but then I ate a bunch of chocolate and dairy on leave, and I think the air quality messed with my skin as well so it is not so great currently… Good thing South Korea is great for skin care… lol

Overall, the first week was pretty difficult, especially the first three days after the surgery. I was very sleep deprived because I had trouble sleeping on the plane on the way to Korea from the United States, and then with the different time zones I had trouble sleeping again the night before the surgery. So when it was time for surgery, I was already pretty sleep deprived. And then after the surgery I had trouble sleeping because of the discomfort from the rhinoplasty and having to breathe through my mouth because of the gauze in my nose, and also because of the compression bandage I was wearing at the time to control swelling from the fat grafting and cheekbone reduction. But once I got more sleep it was less uncomfortable and the pain was overall pretty manageable after I took the medication I was prescribed. Overall, I think my pain was higher than most people who got the same surgeries as me because of the sleep deprivation

The second week of recovery was a lot better because I was off of the full liquid diet and I mostly ate instant mashed potatoes and chicken broth with peas, along with drinking chocolate protein drink and pumpkin juice.

In order to control the swelling, I was icing the sides of my face because of the cheekbone reduction, but I couldn’t ice the areas where I got fat grafting so it helped a lot to use cold spoons that were in the freezer. I used a small spoon for my eye area because of the under eye fat repositioning (but to also prevent it from touching the front of my cheek since the cold temperature could ruin the fat grafting in my cheeks).

Day 3 was definitely the worst for swelling but day 1 and 2 were the most uncomfortable for sleeping at night especially because of the compression bandage, and before I got the gauze taken out of my nose. It was hard to breathe through my mouth and I couldn’t breathe through my nose at all. The compression bandage kept forcing my jaw closed but I had to keep my mouth open at all times to breathe. But thankfully it didn’t last too long. I did have a significant amount of swelling on day 3, so NANA recommended me to get the Cinderella Whitening IV Service/VIP Vitamin Injection which I wasn’t originally planning on getting. It did help a lot though with my difficult recovery and I appreciated the recommendation. The scar was not terrible on my face, the most prominent scar was behind my ear because they had to take ear cartilage to support the nose tip, but I don’t really care about that scar. Even so, I use a little scar cream at night on it. I also have a scar on my columella, my side burn area, and lastly on both thighs (where they harvested fat for the fat grafting). The scars are not too bad though and are in areas that can be covered up by hair or clothing, or faded with scar cream over time.

I would recommend buying extra ice packs for after surgery to help with bruising and swelling, like for sports injuries that can be reused. I was icing a lot so I had several ice packs that I would use and rotate through. Also getting enough sleep is paramount of course, even though it costs more it is better to get a premium economy class seat at the very least on the wake to Korea if your flight is a very long- one that has extra leg room. I couldn’t sleep on the way to Korea because it was so cramped and the flight was 17 hours from the Dallas-Fort Worth International airport (to Incheon International airport). Also get a baby toothbrush and dry shampoo before the trip if you are doing facial contouring and/or rhinoplasty. And bring a friend or significant other to help take care of you for the recovery period. The first week following surgery can be very difficult, but more manageable with a friend.
In terms of transportation, I used the subway and taxis. Each had their own pros and cons. The subway was simple to navigate but also crowded with lots of people and can be hard to navigate if you are very tired. And it is of course even more crowded during rush hour in the morning Monday - Fridays and from 4 - 8 pm. However, it is very cheap and reliable and the Korean locals can be very helpful if you get lost. Make sure to get a T-money card and load it up to a decent amount depending on how long you are staying just in case, although you can always reload it with more cash. Also, get the Korea subway app to help navigate easier.
Taxis are more expensive of course and they can give you an upset stomach like they did for me, especially if you are already prone to motion sickness. But I was also so tired and distraught that I needed it early in my recovery. After the first week of recovery I was good to go on the subway but I also went with my boyfriend and took it slow and used all the elevators and escalators.

Overall, my experience with NANA was really great and positive. I am loving my results as I approach my 3 week post-op mark. I asked for a very natural and subtle rhinoplasty, and for my side/45 degree cheekbone to be reduced mainly. And then a little bit of fat was added to various parts of my face that were sunken in. And then my under eye area was very hollow and made me look older so that is why I decided to get the under eye fat repositioning. And lastly, my skin looked dull so I got the Rejuran healer to fix that and it really brightened my skin up and lightened my acne scars a little.

I wanted a subtle but also somewhat noticeable change, and that was just what I got. The nose bridge is a bit higher and the tip is less bulbous and a little pointier (but not too pointy, also it’s still swollen of course because I’m still recovering). The swelling in my forehead has gone down a lot too- and cheeks and eye area. Can’t wait to see how I look at 2 months post op and up to a full year.

I really like my results so far- I hit my three week post-op mark a few days ago and my nose looks a lot better now! The nose bridge is less swollen on the sides and the tip has dropped a bit and looks even more natural now. And the swelling in my cheeks and forehead has also gone down quite a bit as well.