Well, I'm finally 46, and I've decided to have this surgery. I've been living in Korea for many years, and through our social media, I learned that Korean surgeons are in demand—so naturally, I couldn't pass it up. I learned that the prices are lower in the capital, and the doctors are more experienced. There's a neighborhood here with clinic after clinic—just walk in and choose. They offer a range of services from jaw surgeries to cosmetology, all in one clinic. I chose this clinic.
I don't know how to post a photo, but oh well—I'll write a review first and then add a photo. I contacted the clinic and was pleasantly surprised that they had a Russian-speaking coordinator who helped me quickly navigate the procedure. Initially, I was most concerned about my nasolabial folds and jowls. After talking with the doctor, I decided: if I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it "big time." In addition to the SMAS lift, chin liposuction, and platysmaplasty, we decided to lower my forehead hairline a bit and create a bullhorn—an excessively long upper lip. It makes my face look very old and unbalanced. So, an incision is made under my nose, a little skin is removed, and then re-sewn. The space between my lips and the nose is shortened and looks more appealing than before.
And they decided to cover all this—all the unevenness—with lipofilling: this involves taking my own fat through a puncture (in my case, on the inside of my leg), centrifuging it in a special medical centrifuge, and injecting it under the skin. They injected it under my eyes and cheeks. They also added some filler to my lips and upper orbital area.
The day before the scheduled surgery, I arrived in Seoul: I had all the necessary tests done right there at the clinic—fluorography, blood work, a heart check, and a CT scan. It was very convenient that I didn't have to run anywhere. I spent the rest of the day wandering around the parks and having a delicious meal. The hotel cost 80,000 won, not far from the clinic. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after midnight.
I arrived at the clinic by 9:30 a.m. They put a tag on my wrist, I washed, changed, put my phone and charger in a special bag (they were brought to the room with me after the surgery), and they marked my face. Then I went to the operating room. I wasn't afraid; on the contrary, I joked with the coordinator, and I thanked her for her support. I was actually very afraid of the anesthesia, but I didn't even realize how I fell asleep—it just instantly... I opened my eyes in the room. The coordinator was giving me instructions: what, where, and how, just in case. I wasn't allowed to drink for three hours. There was a clock right in front of me, and I used it to navigate; even though my phone was nearby, I still felt weak. There was no pain, but I felt like my left ear was "sleeping"; I wanted to scratch it and let it go. My surgery lasted until 7 PM, it turns out. I was incredibly thirsty. The surgeon came and examined me—everything seemed fine—and they left me to recover.
Then I started feeling pain in my forehead: the pain started to intensify, I felt a burning sensation there, but it was bearable, I was moaning so much. It passed after about two hours. There was no pain in my ears or chin, just a feeling of distension. And my jaw had shifted to the side. I didn't care; I was mostly thirsty. My throat hurt—I was later told it was from the tube. The inside of my right arm felt like it was acting up, although I remember it being immobilized. My head was bandaged and I had some kind of special device with two catheters that were collecting the ichor that was being released.
Finally, three hours passed, and I remember that sip of water! It was divine! I was nauseous and very weak; it's a good thing they inserted a catheter while I was sleeping—it makes life so much easier in those moments. Then I threw up, and I felt better. Swallowing was painful, so I constantly sipped—it made it easier. When the water ran out, I'd call the nurse, and she'd use the translator on my phone to ask me what I wanted or answer it for me. By 10 a.m., the catheter was removed; I was already going to the bathroom on my own. The surgeon came, examined me, and deemed me fit for discharge.
I want to point out that it was almost impossible to eat: my mouth could barely open. I tried eating yogurt, but it was difficult. At times like these, you probably only need a straw—some kind of soup. My daughter and I went home to another city. At home, I ate porridge little by little with a tiny spoon. We returned on the third day after the surgery—that's when they treated my stitches, removed the catheters, and sent me to the hairdresser for a hair wash; by the way, it was very pleasant. They put a gentle bandage on me, which I was incredibly happy about. Then, on the seventh day, they removed the first stitches—the ones in my forehead—then on the tenth day, the rest. On the fourteenth day, I went back for a checkup. Now they're only allowing me to wear the support bandage at night. By the way, I've been sleeping on my back since then—it's uncomfortable.
After the surgery, the swelling started to increase on the third or fourth day, then gradually began to subside. There was also some bruising.Today is the 28th day since the surgery, and there's still some greening on the left side. I'm eating normally now—I've been eating normally since day 14. My mouth still looks a little crooked to one side, but I'll have to wait until the swelling goes down completely. The left side is more swollen than the right. Recovery isn't complete yet; I'll update this review when I can—I'm just going back to work, so I won't have time to write.