I had recessed chin and messy teeth, which was not fixable with only braces. Several doctors told me I need double jaw surgery. I chose The Face Dental Clinic with doctor Lee as his surgical plan was exactly the same as my orthodontist in my own country had suggested. My overall experience in the clinic was very positive - the pre-surgery braces treatment, surgery itself (especially after-care!) and the orthodontic treatment following. I was taken very good care of, everyone always answered my questions and also I was informed about the payment (no bad surprises). I am very happy with the outcome, I finally have a jawline, chin and nice teeth! The recovery continues, but dr. Lee did a great job. I look natural and everything is symmetrical, exactly how I was hoping the outcome to be.
I’ve always been self-conscious about my square jaw and spent something like 4 years thinking about and researching v-line surgery. After a long time reading heaps of reviews about different clinics both in the US and South Korea, I finally decided to go through with it in mid-November 2019. The specific procedures were jaw reduction + t-osteotomy (aka v-line) and zygoma reduction with Dr. Joongkyou Lee from The Face Dental in South Korea. I ultimately decided to go with The Face Dental for a few major reasons: 1). I’ve heard way too many horror stories about people, particularly foreigners, being botched at larger hospitals like Regen, ID, Banogi, etc. due to ghost doctors, back-to-back scheduling causing rushed surgeries, and just general shady practices. 2). Dr. Lee is the only surgeon at TFD, which strongly eliminates the possibility of doctor swapping, and he has strong credentials as a certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon. (Specialization is good! In fact, the entire clinic is specialized.) He is also very fluent in English. 3). They have an actual anesthesiologist to monitor you during the surgery. (One of the scariest parts for me was being put under, so this was a big plus in my book.) Consultation: There were 3 consultations prior to the actual surgery. The first was over Skype with Dr. Lee so he could take a preliminary look at my facial structure. During the call, he recommended jaw reduction to reshape my square jaw, and also suggested zygoma reduction to balance out my facial width. Some doctors have been very pushy in the past saying I *need* this or that procedure, but Dr. Lee did not do this at all. He was very patient and did a very good job of addressing my concerns with the appropriate procedures. The second consultation was in-person the day before surgery so Dr. Lee could physically examine my facial structure and go over more specifics. He confirmed that I was a good candidate for v-line surgery and zygoma reduction. (He also commented that I had a small face lol, so yay?) For v-line, the bone on the lower mandible would be shaved to the desired shape and the chin would be lengthened a little and reshaped to give a better V shape. Initially I was afraid that lengthening my chin would give me a long face, but I am very glad Dr. Lee recommended it. The lengthening done very skillfully and the result is subtle, but noticeably balanced out my facial shape. For zygoma reduction, the bones would essentially be pushed in to match the width of my face to my temple area. I asked to keep most of the 45 degree angle on my cheekbone though as I did not want a flat 3/4 profile, which Dr. Lee did very well. I was also given x-rays and CT scans so Dr. Lee could plan out the surgery, and blood tests and an EKG to make sure I was fit for surgery. Surgery and Aftercare: The third consultation was directly before surgery to do final confirmations and make sure everyone was on the same page. They also went over the expected recovery process with me. I got very, very nervous before the surgery, but the staff and nurses were very kind and reassuring. Dr. Lee could also see I was nervous and reassured me that it would be fine. (Spoiler alert, everything WAS fine.) I was taken into the operating room where the assisting nurses were already set up. The anesthesiologist came in and confirmed my medical history with me before putting me under. Next thing I remember, I’m waking up after the surgery as they are wheeling me out. I was very groggy coming out, but thankfully I didn’t get the nausea some people experience with general anesthesia. They transferred me to a bed in a recovery room to monitor me for the next 7-8 hours. I wasn’t allowed to drink water for a couple hours directly afterward which sucked. The pain was maybe a 4 out of 10 in the first few hours, but was definitely tolerable. The nurses had me get up and walk around the floor occasionally and checked in on me often. At 7pm, I was released and went back to my airbnb. Dr. Lee scheduled me to come back for checkups and laser de-swelling treatments every couple days for around 2 weeks before I flew back to the US. My stitches were removed around 10 days after surgery. I was given a gel pack to use either as a hot or cold pack, and told to use it often. They also provided a compression garment for me to wear for the first couple weeks. Surprisingly, I had no pain after surgery day. I didn't even need OTC pain killers. Recovery: Swelling generally peaks around 3 days after surgery, which was the case for me. A lot of sources say to expect swelling to go down after 2-3 months. I would say this is *mostly* correct. The majority of my swelling went away within the first couple months. At 6 months post-op now, I still have a little bit of residual swelling in my cheeks. I’m not overly concerned about this though. Everyone heals a little differently. I can tell the swelling is still slowly getting better, so patience is key! It is also extremely hard to open your mouth after v-line surgery. Dr. Lee encouraged me to talk and gently do a few jaw exercises to build my jaw muscle back up. For the first few weeks, it was difficult for me to open my mouth past 1 or 2 finger widths. It probably took around 2.5 months for me to fully open my mouth again. There is also one thing I didn’t see mentioned in any reviews I’ve read previously, so it freaked me out a little at first. Due to the t-osteotomy to reshape my chin, there was a small hard bulge of muscle right under my chin after surgery that wasn’t there previously. Dr. Lee assured me it was just the muscle being displaced and it would smooth out back to normal. It took a couple months, but it did indeed completely smooth out. I experienced some numbness in my face after the surgery, particularly in the area around my chin and right cheekbone. I regained 100% sensation in my chin after a few weeks. My right cheek area for some reason took a little while longer, and it took a few months for 100% of the sensation to return. My facial muscles were all still working normally though, so I wasn’t concerned about major nerve damage. General Thoughts: Overall, I’m very glad I went to The Face Dental for v-line and zygoma reduction surgery. I’m MUCH happier about how my face looks now. Before I would hide my face behind my hair. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable wearing my hair up. The results I got were not to overly dramatic, which is what I was aiming for. When I went for acne scar treatment in April, the nurse was very surprised I had jaw surgery since the results were so natural looking :smile:. I even pointed to the areas where the incisions were made. She had to look really closely to pick out the scars. TFD staff were also very nice and friendly. I travelled to Korea alone for this surgery and got soooo nervous at times. I’m also a gigantic baby when it comes to needles (IVs, blood draws [ ) and the nurses were understanding and reassuring. While the front staff and nurses don’t speak much English, Dr. Lee speaks English well. Communication was incredibly easy with him. This was so important during consultations when we discussed the results I wanted and any concerns I had. He was also very detailed in explaining exactly what he would be doing during surgery and attentive to my recovery. I hope this information is helpful to someone!
I did very thorough research and decided to go with Dr. Lee and the Face Dental clinic. The first time I flew to Korea was only for consultation. The Face Dental clinic was the first place for consultation. But after the consultation i liked Dr Lee so much so I didn’t even go to other clinics. He listened to all my concerns and realized everything I wanted to fix with my face. For example, some western doctors in Russia and Canada didn’t really understood my problem and basically thought I didn’t need surgery. I had long face and gummy smile. I saw that Dr.Lee does natural results and understand western beauty standards. The second time I flew to Korea was for the surgery. It was very complex surgery but can you imagine - I wasn’t nervous at all! That’s how I trusted Dr.Lee. The surgery went very well. Dr. Lee reduced 5 mm from my upper jaw and 4 mm from my chin. Moved my face about 1.5 mm forward. And all that without braces! The recovery was very tough the first 4-5 days. But when I see the results my body forgot all the pain and basically I can go for this surgery again lol. Dr.Lee was very patient with me. I had several appointments after the surgery for deswelling treatment and chat with Dr.Lee. Aftercare was amazing. All the nurses and clinic stuff were very nice and kind. Dr.Lee is an amazing, kind and very professional doctor. I can’t recommend him enough. Updated on 4 Jan 2021: I feel that my lower face is still asymmetric. So this is my concern. Otherwise I look better then before still. I didn’t address this issue to the Doctor yet. But maybe I won’t because I don’t want to have a revision and go through the surgery again. Updated on 18 Dec 2022: I did a lower facelift and my face looks better. I am a bit asymmetric but it’s normal because we all are. I’m happy no complaints. My face is was shorter then before, no gummy smile. And all this without braces.
I'm 33 now and I've always had a pretty wide and square face, which I was never happy with. I had been researching for years to find a provider that would do a face slimming surgery and finally found Dr. Lee from The Face Dental Clinic in Seoul, Korea. I first contacted him in June 2018 with my concerns and wishes. Basically I didn't want any very drastic change, but to slightly narrow down my middle and bottom face area (zygoma and jaw) and improve the projection of my chin, so that my face would look slimmer and longer. The communication with Dr. Lee was happening on facebook and he always replied personally (!) and extremely quickly. His English is very good, which made everything easier. Most of the other doctors in Seoul don't speak English and the communication needs to happen through a translator. I have shared some photoshopped pictures with him of what I wish my face to look like and he assured me that it's realistic and he could achieve what I wanted. As back then I was still very busy with work and studying and couldn't fly to Korea and take 2 weeks off, we agreed I would get in touch again when I can plan better. In the beginning of 2020 I was finally able to take 2 weeks off from everything in February and fly from Germany to Korea. Dr. Lee was incredibly accommodating when it came to the date of the surgery, since I had to change my availability several time pretty shortly before the agreed date. He always tried to find a date that would suit me best and allow enough time for recovery during my 2-week stay in Korea. I travelled to Seoul by myself and it was my first time in Korea (not speaking or reading any Korean), so I was incredibly nervous. I arrived in Korea in the morning and had my consultation on the same day. It was surprisingly easy to travel around town and people were very kind and helpful. In the clinic, Dr. Lee and his team were incredibly lovely, we discussed what exactly he would do (Zygoma reduction, jaw shaving, Masseter muscle reduction and liposuction under the chin) and how the recovery would look like. After the consultation the before pictures were taken, as well as all the examination procedures (head CT, chest xray, blood tests, ecg). I was absolutely amazed by how high-tech the clinic and the equipment is. I had some surgery before in Europe and there is no comparison between the level of the quality of the equipment. This made me feel very much at ease and I knew I was in good hands. The preferred payment method was cash, but I didn't know this beforehand and had difficulties getting cash with my German cards from any of the local ATMs. Luckily I was able to pay by credit card as well. The surgery was the next day in the morning and I had to fast 8 hours before. If I remember correctly it took around 2 hours and the worst feeling was immediately after, when they woke me up from the anesthesia and I wasn't allowed to fall back asleep or even drink water for 4 hours. I was incredibly tired, sleepy and thirsty and thought I could never stay awake for four hours. :) But I stayed in a lovely private room with TV, which the very attentative and caring nurse turned on. Unfortunately all the programs were in Korean but honestly, it was quite fun to watch Korean food shows. I didn't feel any pain, just discomfort as I was so thirsty and my nose was blocked by blood and it was difficult to breathe. I also wasn't able to talk, but there was a small board and a pen in the room, that helped me communicate with the nurse. After 2 hours the nurse came and told me since my condition is good, I could drink water and even fall asleep. I was so thankful for those news, but by that time I was full energy already and asked to go to the toilet and walk around a bit. Immediately after the surgery I had a soft cast around the jaw area, which was supposed to stay on for 3 days. Besides this I had a garment on, which was taken off by the nurse for a bit after ca. 2h, so I could have a look at my face. I was of course already starting to swell up, but even through the soft cast I could see the new shape of my chin and was very satisfied. As my condition was good, I was allowed to leave the same evening. I was staying in an airbnb very close to the clinic and I could even walk there. It was my first time in Seoul and I was surprised how easily I was managing to get around the city. The first two days I was supposed to eat only liquid food, so I bought lots of juices and porridge. I also had to make sure to clean my mouth with a special mouth wash that was provided by the clinic. I also got medication (antibiotics, painkillers) for 7 days. The first day after the surgery I had a bit of pain in the jaw area, but it was very tolerable and after that practically no pain, just the swelling was increasing every day up to day 3. After day 3 it started to decrease, but Dr. Lee said it will take up to 3 months for all the swelling to disappear. The surgery was on a Thursday (6.2.) and I had check-ups on Friday (7.2.), even on Saturday (8.2.) , Tuesday (11.2), Friday (14.2.) and Tuesday (18.2.). The check-ups consisted of a deswelling treatment for 20min, a chat with Dr. Lee, who always made sure to ask how I'm doing and if I had any pain or concerns. The he checked the wounds in my mouth and cleaned them. On the day of the last check-up they also took my after pictures and I received all the pics (also the CTs from before and after, with the metal plates). At the last check-up Dr. Lee assured me that everything is looking fine, that I need to be patient with the swelling but that I'm good to fly back home to Germany. During the first 7 days I felt pretty low in energy, but I forced myself to go for two 30min walks outside to keep my body moving and also support the deswelling process. In the second week I felt much better and did a bit of sight-seeing and was also able to finally try some amazing Korean food. My face is currently still swollen, but I'm already happy with the results and it is getting a little bit better day by day. Dr. Lee and his team were amazing and I'm very happy that I've chosen The Face Dental Clinic. My whole Seoul experience was great and much easier than I expected. Since I now have some metal plates in my face, I might go back at some point to have them taken out and I will for sure go back to Dr. Lee. Updated on 23 Feb 2020: Here are some pictures of the first two weeks. The swelling is still very noticable and I still laugh and eat very funnily - but this is going to improve in the next weeks. I will upload more pictures in the coming weeks when the swelling will go down further. Updated on 11 Mar 2020: Adding some scans of before and after. There seems to be a min. character amount to upload pics, I don't really get it. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
I flew here from the states to get my V-Line surgery and I couldn't be any happier. He's definitely very meticulous and his work speaks for itself. Very responsive, and the aftercare includes laser deswelling!
I chose Dr. Lee, Joong Kyou from the The Face Dental, in Seoul, South Korea to remove my zycoma plate/pins. I know Dr. Lee's reputation to be very skilled, honest and a meticulous oral and maxillofacial surgeon. I know several people that had facial bone contouring surgery with him and were satisfied. The plate removal surgery was very quick (around 30 minutes). I had some swelling that lasted about 3+ weeks. This is probably longer than usual, because I always tend to have prolonged swelling with any facial surgery. After taking additional antibiotics, the swelling got much better. But other than that, everything turned out very smoothly and with no complications. Dr Lee was always available if I had any concerns or questions. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dr. Lee for any facial bone contouring surgery.
About 3 weeks ago I had a mini-vline and zygoma reduction done at The Face Dental by Dr Lee. To give you some background, I am from Canada an had been self-conscious about my long and wide chin for a while. As I aged (from late teens to my early 20s), my cheekbones appeared wider and became more protruded which made me look older. After doing some research, I decided to go to South Korea as they are known to be specialists of jaw and zygoma reduction procedures. I found a lot of information and after seeing much positive feedback through Kakao/The Purse Forum from other patients who went to TFD, I decided to choose this clinic. I contacted Dr lee via the Kakao app and was surprised that he was personally answering to my messages. He is fluent in English which made communication very easy. The reasons why I chose TFD: - The clinic had consistent good reviews from foreign patients on kakao group chats - It's a small clinic - they have more time to care about you than a big clinic - Dr Lee is a maxillo-facial surgeon specialized in a few procedures that he has been performing for many years - Dr lee is on the conservative side which is I think is a very good thing because he doesn't take risks/compromises safety. - He gives natural results (he can also do dramatic if it's possible though). - He understands Western beauty standards - Dr Lee is very patient, honest, and friendly, you can see he enjoys his job and cares about his patients - The clinic is not pushy at all - they just give you recommendations based on your expectations/concerns - Reasonable prices for foreigners All these things made me trust Dr Lee and his clinic. Since I had a limited time available to get the surgery done and was also going during busy season I decided to secure a surgery date by making a deposit. Then in December I met with Dr Lee for my in-person consultation. I showed him pictures for references, explained my concerns, discussed the risks entailed by the procedures. He was able to reassure me regarding my concern about sagging from zygoma reduction. On the surgery date, I met once more with him to confirm all the details of the surgery and then headed to the operating room. I stayed a total of 13 days in Korea. After I got the surgery done, Dr Lee kept checking on me every 3 days to look at the progress of my swelling and removed my stitches (after 1 week). I received de-swelling treatments as well. Overall, I had a great experience at The Face Dental Clinic. The staff was really nice and took good care of me. Most importantly, Dr Lee is a great surgeon and what I like most about him is that he is very honest about what can be done (based on your expectations/your anatomy) and that he really cares about his patients. I am very happy I chose this clinic and satisfied with my results so far ( I will keep updating). I would definitely recommend it for facial contouring!
Hello again. So half a year ago I underwent v-line surgery with a very well-known clinic. The surgery went badly as the doctor decided to shave past my nerve-line, leaving me disfigured and exposing my mandible nerve. Ever since then, I've been frantically researching ways to reconstruct my face. I landed on The Face Dental. I ended up picking them to fix my issues for a few important reasons: -Korean doctors are more familiar with v-line than Western: Believe me, after my experience in Gangnam I really didn't want to come back. I searched high and low for Western doctors that were familiar with extreme Asian jaw-contouring and capable of creating custom implants to mold around my defect. The few doctors I came across were either unfamiliar with the procedure or only used stock implants. -The Face Dental Uses Titanium Implants: Silicon implants and anything porous ultimately scares me. I'd rather use something that's easier to remove in case of an infection. -The Face Dental seems to have actual -real- reviews: So far, the reviews I've seen from TFD appear to be written by actual foreign patients whom I've had the opportunity to speak to. To be frank, I'm choosing them to ultimately get my life back. They're the only option I have. I've been speaking to Doctor Lee for a while now (both on Facebook and Skype). He has been very honest about possible complications and what he can and can't do. He was actually the first doctor to point out my exposed nerve, informing me of the possibility that it had healed/adhered on to my muscle. He's also made the implant fabrication process a lot easier than I expected (as I'm located in a different country.) He took the previous clinics CT scans and we built what I wanted from there. He listened to EVERY request I had. For example, adding horizontal width to the back of the implants (to widen the jaw). I'm having correctional genioplasty to fix my chin area as well, so a lot of the implant design had to based off of that. He sent me videos of them building the implant. We've spoken over Skype many times. He was able to print my custom implants and took pictures of the end result right before I left for Seoul. He also has amazing bed-side manner. I've been terrible distressed and manic over the whole situation (it's very apparent in our conversations), but he took everything in stride and listened to my concerns. So I'm here again, hoping for the best. I'll be doing my first in-person consultation with them tomorrow and I'm scheduled for surgery the following day. I really hope everything goes as planned. Thanks for reading.
23 Jan ‘18. My consult went really well with The Face Dental Clinic (TFD). Dr. Lee speaks great English, and happily answered all of my questions, and was very professional, we discussed what I felt needed to be done. He also uses a 3D morph imaging software to show accurate of before and after. Well, Dr. Lee said he recommends IVRO method for DJS (Double Jaw Surgery) removal/preservation of my cheek implants (submalar-large implants), V-line (revision) contouring (mandible angle reduction + T-osteotomy for the chin). Also he quoted me a very reasonable quote (DJS +V-Line). He also said, a dental treatment plan (possibly Invisalign) for when I’m back in London (with the dental clinics back here in London, he said he’ll write description of what’s needed). He says, that the cheek implants will be affected as result of upper jaw fracture; I really love my cheek implants but he said that it affects the result so he will need to remove it, but he’ll try to to preserve them if he can, in case if an infection he’ll remove them. I’m not sure about this dramatic procedure DJS, but seeing the after morph imaging it was incredible! I look like the younger cuter version of myself :). The lower third area being pushed vertically to a 45 degrees angle, moving inwards. But it’s good only to do V-Line revision with DJS and never alone, otherwise it makes the face appear longer (less wide, due to mandible angle reduction). This DJS procedure is to make more for beautification & resolve teeth alignment, Dr. Lee said it won’t make my face more feminine, but it’s also functionality as well as beautification and aesthetics. Also a draining surgical tube isn’t needed. And he recommends for an IVRO method so you completely avoid the nerve lines. He also recommended not to remove to much from mid-face (le fort) otherwise you don’t get upper tooth show, some tooth show is needed because it’s a feminine and youthful feature. Dr lee also uses a surgical saw and physically cuts the bone (he doesn’t grind it down using a 3D rotational device, he physically cuts it with one smooth clean curved cut). He said also I won’t need another nose procedure which is great, (since I had one already, my nose surgeon in London also reassured me of no change on the nose) but it does seem to somewhat make nose tip bit upturned. But it shouldn’t affect it unless he removed way too much maxilla. I should be thinking of it more so in the teeth alignment too, my teeth needs to be aligned properly and then straightened via a dental treatment plan (he recommends doing it in the home country). Dr. Lee said, the Upper jaw teeth alignment should be in front of the lower teeth alignment. My lower teeth alignment is more forward in front of upper teeth alignment (it should be the other way around). The entire consultation lasted about 1.5/2hours, and I was very happy to get Dr. Lee’s valuable remarks and his opinions. In conclusion, I believe, the removal of the cheek implant isn’t a worry because after the upper jaw moved forward and lower jaw setback, because I’ll eventually still get a 3D volume in the mid-face. I also have what is called a Class (III) malocclusion, I believe, so this isn’t just a cosmetic/beautification procedure, it will also resolve my bite problems. During mid-February I placed my deposit to secure my surgery date - I’ve booked my surgery for 8 Oct 2018, so I hope to have it later on this year, and recover during winter. This will probably be the most uncomfortable yet most rewarding change for not only feminisation but also beautification reasons. Notably, to mention my other consultation: In the meantime, I did consult with another similar clinic, *** (I won’t mention the name of the clinic; but it’s also the top tier in 2jaw/vline procedures in Seoul), but after the consultation they pressured me to put down a down payment on deposit. It was really late I was extremely tired from the consultation, and then for them to pressure me like that; it was very unprofessional and rather desperate and disgusting. This made me completely distrust them, and it seems they just saw me as a check payment than a patient. It’s the most disgusting thing they can do, is to pressure you to put down a deposit, especially when you need to go home and think it through at least 2/3 weeks before you can conclude it’s what you really want to do. It’s why I took them completely off my list. Not sure why they behaved like that... Moreover, the consultation felt like a sales pitch more than meeting the doctor and discussing surgical goals. To sum up, *** clinic felt to me they were somewhat desperate, and they even wanted all the payments in cash including the consultation. No direct offence to that clinic, I’m sure the surgeons skills are great, but overall didn’t feel comfortable. Since January time flew so quickly, and I was excited on the plane to Seoul, it was lovely to be back! I decided to stay for total 4 weeks, so I can rest, recover and recuperate as well as enjoy some of the culture in Seoul before the surgery. I went to the clinic for my pre-op consultation with Dr. Lee on 5th Oct, for lab tests, chest X-Ray and EKG tests (both done in a walking distance away from the clinic), then we did the wafer mould impressions (I’ll be wearing the wafer on continuously for 1/2 months after surgery). Afterwards, I met with Dr. Lee, and we went over the surgical plan and how much the upper and lower jaw we were planning to move, he also suggested SARPE (upper jaw surgical palate expansion) since my upper jaw was smaller than my lower jaw. We also agreed on the removal of my cheek implants. As for my V-Line I showed Dr. Lee some inspirational/reference photos of how I wanted it to look like (it’s nice to show reference photos of the jawline you’d like to look like, because you may/may not want the mandible angle, for example), I told Dr. Lee I wanted the mandible angle completely gone and chin made less pointy and smaller in height. My surgery was on 8 Oct, but we decided on 10 Oct, so I had more time in preparation for the surgery. The big day was finally here! It was morning of 10 Oct, couldn’t sleep due to the excitement last night. And I stopped drinking any liquid and eating anything from midnight. I wore comfy clothes and brand spare tote bag with my essentials and electronics for my two night hospital stay. I arrived by taxi to the clinic it was really early morning before 9am, I was really excited! Then I met one of the nurses and saw my room in the ward where I would stay, I changed into the clothes given. And went to see Dr. Lee a final time before surgery, we went over everything one last time. I hoped everything would go really well at this point! I was then escorted down to the operating room, where I met the surgical team; lots of nurses and the anaesthesiologist and the operating table. Finding my vein was always a nightmare, but they managed to place the IV. After inhaling into the breathing gas I slowly begin to fall asleep! From then I don’t remember a thing. The hardest 48 hours of my life: Moments of waking up. As I woke up from surgery, I couldn’t remember if the surgery was even done or not, maybe it was the affects of the anaesthetics, I can only remember glimpses of events afterwards, and I remember waking up in my room. Dr. Kim the (Anesthesiologist) reminded me that the surgery was all over and completed, and also reminding me not to fall asleep; it was so difficult to try to stay awake and force myself to keep my mind occupied with my phone/TV in the room) other than the thought of sleeping. I felt extremely exhausted... I was really counting the hours to feel better. I had to wait it out, for the anaesthetic to wear out; exactly 6 more hours of no falling asleep. My mouth was very dry, and I had a board and marker to write things to communicate (I eventually used my Google Translate app because some nurses couldn’t understand English at all). I was very very cold and shivering for the first few hours of waking up (probably due to anaesthetics). Eventually, I was glad to make it through! The nose bleeds, mouth leakage of drooling and heavy congestion in my throat and nasal areas started, which was eventually drained (every hour/two by the nurses) so that I can find glimpse of passageway to breath, it was really difficult to breath - I tried not to swallow it; but eventually did it all and let it be. Dr. Lee eventually arrived to my room and said everything went really well! I felt reassured, and was happy everything went well! I tried to wait it out through the night (absolutely no sleep, that followed through the next few days), I kept asking help from the nurses; they were extremely attentive and caring, I really thank them for looking after me, they came as soon as they could every time I needed something. I developed a swelling on my left hand, where the IV was placed, due to the IV leaking liquid (Don’t worry if this ever happens, my veins are very weak, but the swelling completely dissipated on it’s own within 36hours). I tried small walks around the ward from evening until morning (every time I felt I couldn’t sleep), it was very uncomfortable but counting down the time for the next day. The night had slowly ended, And it was the next day. The next day, Day 1, the bleeding/leakage continued throughout the day, and mouth dressings was cleaned by the nurses. I also met Dr. Lee and he checked the stitches, also had after X-rays taken that day. I also collected my prescription medications (antibiotics/powered medication) and ice pack, and the nurse gave me written documents (in English) on when to take them. At Day 2, I was ready to leave around midday, I was very eager to go back to the hotel and recover there, I asked the nurse to request a taxi for me, it would be hard trying to hail one alone with the swelling and bandages. I had a shower when I arrived back at the hotel, it was soothing and relaxing, then fallen asleep for a few hours whilst on the couch, it was restful. I tried to force myself something to eat, so I had some protein shakes (I’d bought 3 Isolated Whey Protein shakes from Whole Food’s, and brought it with me from London, it’s very nutritional and can mix it with water/milk and I’d have two for breakfast/lunch/dinner). I didn’t feel any appetite/hunger during the first 3 days anyhow. I used condiment bottles for water/juices/protein shakes, and the syringes I’d used to take the medication. I didn’t feel the need for syringes anymore after the medication were finished. I recommend buying condiment bottles perhaps 4/5 and using them to intake the liquids. I’d try to drink at least 2 litres a day, and tried to walk around to help the de-swelling. At Day 3, my swelling was definitely increasing every hour, and reached a point where it was very uncomfortable to breath and manage to motivate myself to do anything that day. I tried to get some sleep but it was definitely difficult, I have barely had any sleep in past 72 hours; perhaps 3 hours at most, in on/off intervals. I just felt very tired, but I was super happy of my results despite the swelling, I knew I’d be beyond happy past all the swelling. Every time I couldn’t sleep I would soak my body in a warm water shower, and listen to relaxation music. I knew it would eventually be over. I was also applying ice peaks during the first 72 hours (that’s also when the swelling peaks), at 20min on/off intervals it felt like it was help. My throat was still very dry. And nose, was still leaking (you can’t blow nose I believe for the first 4/6 weeks), the leaking is from the maxilla sinus. I must’ve used so many boxes of facial tissues >.< it was incredible. I’d also used prescribed mouth wash rinse after every meal. Then visited the clinic later that afternoon around 4pm; I had my dressings cleaned and Dr. Lee checked to make sure everything was fine. I also had the Infrared De-swelling treatment the first time, it was rather soothing. My nose was runny throughout the day (the nose leak isn’t blood but discharge drainage from the maxillary sinus), Dr Lee said it should stop eventually. By Day 4, I kept the liquid intakes, protein shakes and taking the medication on time. I was always occupying myself with movies, and blog posts of other patients with similar stories during the first week who had DJS. I felt somehow I wasn’t alone. Every time waking up I’d feel my mouth really dry and my lips having a somewhat ‘burning sensation’. At Day 5, I hardly had any sleep last night, I visited the clinic later that afternoon, I had another de-swelling treatment (they really helped, I felt the swelling was going away much quicker), my lips was starting to crack, they were really dry, I suggest bringing a medicated lip balm for sure, during the first few weeks at least. I also realised I lost way too much weight at this point (I didn’t have a weight scale but I probably lost 4/6kg at least) before the surgery I was really binge eating on food, I knew it would be time to indulge in the pizzas/burgers for a while. I was very happy Later that evening because my partner arrived to stay with me during my recovery to look after me; I really needed him and emotional support, I felt less lonely and less depressed. This surgery was definitely hard managing alone, I highly recommend you have someone with you whilst doing this surgery, no matter how strong you may feel being independent, but it’s much tougher to do it alone, a close friend/partner or a family member will always give you positive energy and time will go much quicker when you put your mind away from the hard recovery process. At this point I was still communicating by text app even with my partner next to me. On Day 6, I visited the clinic once again by taxi, and had the dressings cleaned and Dr. Lee checked to make sure everything was fine. My nose leaking also stopped around day 6, it was definitely more comfortable from that at this point. I rested the rest of the day. At this point I started trying to talk a little bit without moving my jaw while having elastics in my mouth. By Day 7, I’ve made it to week 1 post op, I felt my energy was regaining back, but I still felt tired quickly. But my sleeping was so much better at this point, I would sleep 8 hours at least a day, despite the discomforts, Perhaps i felt more relaxed with the presence of company and I wasn’t alone. My prescribed mouthwash had run out and doctor recommended I could use any non-alcoholic one off the shelf. The following day remained at home Day 8, and recuperated the few days at the hotel. By Day 9, I’d visited the clinic again by taxi for a post op check, but we decided then to walk back to the hotel - I really wanted to walk a lot more at this point, it helped so much in de-swelling. My drooling definitely slowed down and stopped by this point, as my lower lip swelling decreased and normalised. I was taught how to remove my elastic bands and wafer, while eating soft foods like porridge/cake. Also had my first cup of coffee at this point, it felt a good change from drinking water/milk. At Day 10, we had a day trip outside the hotel and we visited one of the market places, I also had very bad discomfort on my left ear, as if being in a high altitude plane/mountain, it was very uncomfortable, but it went away the next day. I’d walked around a lot and visited another market, but I bought take-out porridge; it was such a nice change, I was rather hungry at this point, since I was on liquid diet for 10 days, it was my first semi-solid food and seemed amazing at this point, it was delicious, filling and I enjoyed it! :) then we took subway back later to the hotel. I could also drink from a cup at this point, but I would usually spill it, so I wouldn’t drink without sitting down :). By Day 11, My energy was definitely getting better and I continued the daily walks and visited a few places, we went to a restaurant nearby, and I managed to have some of the broth from stew, the food was mouthwatering, but I could finally manage using the spoon to have the liquid. I tried different soups like porridge/broccoli/mushroom soups, It was a good change from the protein shakes - but these were very important and had all the nutrients needed for my speedy recovery. At Day 12 & 13, visited the clinic and then I had my first cheesecake later that day it was delicious, I’d lost so much weight I was very skinny, and it gave me more energy and made me feel more happy! I’d continued the daily 1 hour walks, and keep up with drinking lots of water, and eating 3 meals a day. At Day 14 (Week 2), at this point I definitely felt much better, my upper lips and my cheeks was still slightly swollen as well as much cheeks. But my lower chin and parts of my lips and cheeks were still numb. But I could definitely love my new facial contours, I was beyond happy! Later that day visited the clinic, and Dr. Lee removed the stitches that day, I was clear to brush my teeth finally, and I felt more clean once again, I also had another De-swelling treatment. I still had some discomfort minor pain below my ears, I’m sure it would pass away. During the first week I’d kept my elastics and wafer 24/7, because my jaw still felt weak but then I would take out my elastics and wafer usually once a day for an hour during the 2nd week, whilst eating/brushing teeth, removing and reapplying the elastics became easier day by day. I definitely remember the first time my wafer and elastics were out it felt my jaw was floating, it was a very different sensation, but then I’d slowly get accustomed and used to it. My speaking was also slowly getting better day-to-day. I also looked more presentable and more like myself at this point, and majority of the swelling was definitely gone, and beginning to love my profile it was softer and my face was more rounder, cuter and I definitely looked younger! At Day 15, my sore throat was finally gone but, at nights it would get dry and I’d start coughing. Throughout the day I was able to move my lips more easily, they were still slightly dry, and I still had the mild minor pain behind my ears from time-to-time. I still tired quickly. Most of the heavy pressure that I felt on my face, was a lot less today compared to the first time going outside for a walk. I was spilling whilst drinking a lot less at the point also. The following day, went for walks and continued the daily routines. At Day 16, went for long walks outside, my burning lip sensation, seemed to be going less in the mornings now but happens still throughout the day. But I still have oily skin around nose and still swelling around the cheeks. During sleep I’ve seemed to be coughing a lot, my throat still gets dry, but more so usually always when I’m sleeping. I also concluded that drinking coffee (due to caffeine) caused my onset of stomach aches/cramps, so carbonated/alcoholic/caffeinated drinks should be avoided until a semi-solid diet. At Day 17, I visited the clinic a final time before flying back home. Had some studio photos taken at the clinic and I had the last de-swelling treatment. Dr. Lee removed the temporary retainer in the front 2 incisor tooth’s from the SARPE procedure (I had a mm gap develop between the tooth), so he placed a semi-permanent/permanent retainer to keep the gap closed. I had Dr. Lee write a surgical travel document in case of any difficulty travelling back home. I was really happy everything went well! I thanked the entire Dr. Lee and the TFD Staff. I was very happy and was finally excited to go back home, I only had few days left in Seoul. At Day 18, had a lazy day today, and slept a lot. Went for a short walk. The swelling on my cheeks were still there but it felt it was going down, the cheek and upper lip swelling made my nostrils also look flared, I knew once it subsided my nose will look less wide again. I did however, love the nose tip, it felt more upturned and cuter. I also had more soft tissue volume in my mid-face and near the nasal-folds, perhaps due to the upper jaw advancement. I could finally drink from a cup without drooling, but my lower and lip were still numb at this point. My energy was also higher, and felt less conscious about the way I looked when I was outside in public; I kept reminding myself I would get better and this swelling was only temporary! At Day 19-21, not much changed during the few days that followed. My eyes felt more open and and finally regaining my energy back and my facial expressions. I’d finally eventually made it to week 3 post-op, and it was also my last day of my stay in Seoul and was excited to finally fly back home! Looking back at the first few days after surgery, it was tough and exhausting, but then things like swelling and settled it was definitely worth it. My talking was also getting much better, and pronunciation of words were beginning to become clearer. My swelling around the nostrils was also beginning to dissipate. With hindsight, I highly recommend Dr. Lee for his natural looking results, surgical skills, professionalism and bed-side manner. As well as the amazingly friendly and caring staff and nurses there! Note: I recommend to try to avoid mirrors, and early judgement of the results, the swelling take a while to completely dissipate so just need to give it time! Also I recommend doing least 30min walking a day, the swelling seems to be going away lot faster. Also must keep the elastic bands as well as the wafer if you had DJS (to adjust for the new bite) on for least 6-8 weeks (my jaw still felt weak at week 3). I hope this review will be beneficial to anyone considering/researching about Double-Jaw/V-Line procedure and to be aware of the recovery process. I had been researching about DJS procedure for more than 1.5 years reading through lots of forums and blogs, and I really couldn’t have made a better choice than decide to go with TFD, looking back at my journey. In the end, I’m very happy, more confident and I feel a million times better now, I’m really in love with my profile! Thank you Dr. Lee Joongkyou and the entire TFD staff. Updated on 3 Nov 2018: Before surgery vs after surgery (post op day 17): Updated on 6 Dec 2018: The amount of mm that was removed. Maxilla (upper jaw): - 3mm advancement (forward) - 4mm total impaction (up) - 2mm posterior impaction (rotation) Mandible (lower jaw): - 2.5mm setback (left & right side) Dr. Lee also performed a very aggressive V-line (mandible jaw angle and chin height reduction).
I had genioplasty to replace an old chin implant at The Face Dental with Dr. Lee. He is in Korea but Dr. Lee speaks great English. I’m not Korean but I never felt a language barrier. 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. The surgery went well, Dr. Lee saw me right after and assured me that we are very close to our ideal results. He and his staff were super kind and accommodating. You guys can see the big improvement in the picture and how much more natural the contour looks after the implant removal and genioplasty with Dr. Lee! I am at 6 months post op now, although there is still some tightness and reduced sensation around the chin and slight numbness on the lower lip, but I believe it’ll get better over time (and even at this point it’s manageable). In terms of the chin I’m super happy with the appearance! The height and projection is perfect for me and it looks complete natural. I don’t shy away from seeing my chin in the mirror now, actually I love the contour. I’m so happy with Dr. Lee’s work! 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. I’ll be going back to TFD and get the fixation removed by Dr Lee, and at that point my chin journey will finally be over! I will share some more pictures once that happens ^^ Updated on 17 Nov 2018: Update: In October I revisited Dr. Lee at TFD and removed the screws from the genioplasty! It was at 7 months post op, which is in the ideal range of 6-12 months as recommended by Dr. Lee. It was a choice I made, after Dr. Lee assured me that there was no problem with keeping the screws in and I don't need to remove it. X-rays were taken before (and after) the procedure to ensure bone healing was complete. The procedure was very quick, almost like getting a tooth pulled! It was done under local anesthesia, and I experienced no pain before or after the surgery. Swelling went down in a few days, and Dr. Lee helped me with deswelling treatments at the clinic as well. One of my biggest concerns with this procedure was reinjuring the muscle again for a seemingly unnecessary surgery, and I think I scared myself with how much reading I did on that topic. However Dr. Lee assured me that it's a very tiny procedure and incision, and wouldn't cause any sagging or muscle problems as I'm not removing anything of substantial volume either. As always, Dr. Lee did a great job - my nerves and sensation are still recovering well from the genioplasty, and I'm not experiencing any problems from the plate removal that I was worried about. And same as before, he's very helpful and responsive when you have concerns or questions for him. I think this is really important, especially for foreign patients, who live far away and need to have that peace of mind. I'm really happy to say that after all this, I have a chin contour that I love, looks natural, is my own bone, and there's nothing foreign left in my body (this part is really up to you though, it's just something I have an issue with because of my bad experience with the implant). If anyone is considering genioplasty, or contouring surgery, I would highly recommend considering TFD and Dr. Lee.
