What You Need to Know About Rhinoplasty in Korea

There is influx of information about rhinoplasty online, but what are the most important points that you need to know if you're considering rhinoplasty? Eunogo spoke to Dr. Yang Dong-Jun, director at Cheongdam U Plastic Surgery in Seoul, Korea. 

Let's begin with the most frequently asked question during rhinoplasty consultations. According to Dr. Yang, the question he receives the most is "What kind of implant material should I get?" Currently, plastic surgery clinics use a variety of surgical methods, and various implants and/or the patient's tissues are used accordingly. From the patient's point of view, it's not easy to know what implant or surgical method is suitable, because they are not experts. It all depends on how you look at it, but it's important to seek a professional's opinion.

In fact, the core of a rhinoplasty how you use certain materials to create the prettiest nose. It's the key element, and that's what patients are most curious about.

Artificial Implants vs Own Tissues

Rhinoplasty implants can be categorized into two types: the first is artificial materials, and the second is the patient's own tissues.

Silicon and Gore-Tex are the most commonly used artificial materials. If you've researched about nose implants, you've probably heard of them. Silicon has the highest safety rating and is the most commonly used artificial implant. Silicon is also easy for shaping and trimming the nose. Gore-Tex, on the other hand, is rather difficult to shape and maintain. "We don't use it often because there have been many reports of side effects these days" according to Dr. Yang.  

Another option is to use your own tissues. Dr. Yang says, they collect dermal fat from the buttocks. Since it's patient's own tissue, there will be very minimized risks of inflammation and other side effects. But if there are advantages, there will be disadvantages too. The absorption rate varies from person to person. In addition to dermal fat, you can also use rib cartilage. The absorption rate is better than using dermal fat, but the rib cartilages themselves are slightly curved, so the implant may curve in the nose over time. It's also very hard because it's a tissue that protects the heart and lungs. The biggest drawback is that it creates indelible scars on the rib bones.

What type of implant is recommended then?

To compensate for the shortcomings of the existing prostheses and to reduce the need of revision surgery in the future, Cheongdam U Clinic uses a silicone implant called Soft Seal, says Dr. Yang. 

More than 70% of Korean plastic surgery clinics are known to use Soft Seal implant. It is Korea FDA-approved and has CE marking certification. 

This Soft Seal is the implant that is the closest to human tissue. Hard silicone is used for the nose bridge while soft silicone is used for the other parts. Cheongdam U uses the Soft Seal to design and perform surgery, considering the condition of the nose, such as the length and height of the nose, and the angle of the nose tip.

What about surgical methods?

Cheongdam U has developed its own speciality with 20 years of plastic surgery know-how, according to Dr. Yang. It's known as the No Scar Rhinoplasty, that leaves you with no scars. Because the surgery is performed without opening the nose, it reduces bleeding and minimizes swelling and bruises, so the recovery is much faster than other similar procedures. No Scar Rhinoplasty requires a deep understanding of the internal structure of the nose before surgery, and the its more difficult to see the internal tissues compared to an open surgery. 

Surgery Cases

This person had a big nose tip, with wide nostrils. She also disliked his low nose bridge, so silicon implant was used to raise his nose. The nose was lengthened with the surgery, and her own cartilage was added to the tip of the nose to create a natural tip.

This was a case of a severe hooked nose with low nose tip. The hook was reduced and a very thin silicon was added to create a smooth nose line. The tip of the nose was raised with the patient's cartilage, making it more masculine.

She had a generally low nose in all the areas. Her nose bridge was raised with silicone implants and a three-dimensional nose line was created with the patient's cartilage at the nose tip.

Not sure where to begin your rhinoplasty journey? Book a consultation here to receive professional advice from Cheongdam U's plastic surgeons, complete with a medical translator.

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