Another Great Dcf Rhinoplasty Experience!

(Mostly written at 9PM on the day of surgery (August 7) for fresh memory purposes)
Just to give you guys context: I’m an Asian American in my early thirties, not a smoker, and an avid avoider of alcohol. I contemplated getting a rhinoplasty for a large majority of my life, not only for aesthetic purposes, but because my painfully low nose bridge made it impossible for my glasses (extremely bad eyesight, so heavier doses heavier lenses) to stay where I wanted them to be. Like for example, there were so many times when I’d get tension headaches from my face muscles attempting to collaborate in keeping them up! And if you want a great visualization reference - even my homeboy Shrek had a way higher nose bridge than I did. :(
The search: I considered Korea, of course, but there were several factors that ultimately made me decide to find someone here in LA. First, I liked the idea of being able to recover at home, instead of somewhere unfamiliar (especially with COVID concerns now). I think there’s a real mental advantage to that when it comes to healing. Second, I knew I wanted to avoid foreign implants - I really wanted this rhinoplasty to be a one and done deal so going with a lower risk procedure was worth any extra $$ I would shell out. I also feel like if I searched for a plastic surgeon who specialized in DCF in Korea, the cost would be high anyway. Third, follow-ups are important! Especially for a surgery like this!
It became quickly apparent to me that even though Los Angeles boasts of no shortage when it comes to plastic surgery, there was a very limited field of surgeons who specialized in what I was looking for. There were incredible surgeons who had a bevvy of great results… but for other procedures. I specifically searched for surgeons who had lots of experience in asian rhinoplasty and had many pictures and reviews to prove it. Finding Edwin Kwon on RealSelf was like a hallelujah moment and I think I knew right from then that he was going to be my surgeon. At first I was daunted by the fact that he was a doctor based in Beverly Hills (I could hear my savings account crying) but his results looked amazing and there were so many pictures for me to look through!! The holy grail, I’d found it.
(Side note: Please please do NOT let something like $$ be a major factor in who you choose to work with your nose. It is literally the dead center of your face and you DO NOT want to have to shell out extra dough for revision procedures because you tried to go cheap the first time around + suffer through serious mental and emotional turmoil. Even if it takes extra time in saving money, the peace of mind + experience is so worth footing a higher cost.)
Dr. Kwon did not let me down. Out of all the doctors’ offices I called, his office (Lilit is amazing, what everyone else says is true. I consider her to be a superhero and her special powers are infinite patience and a warm heart) was the ONLY place that offered an initial, free consultation with Dr. Kwon himself. Everywhere else was more about “well, let us office reps meet with you” or “pay us non refundable money so you have more pressure to book with us” - which is fine, we all gotta hustle, but it meant a LOT that I got a chance to speak directly to Dr. Kwon with no obligation weighing me down.
The doctor: What I like most about Dr. Kwon is that he’s super chill. This was going to be my first major procedure, my first time actually going under general anesthesia, and every time I spoke to him (I had a phone consultation and an in-person consultation), he just exuded this super chill, quietly confident demeanor that I really appreciated. He was able to look at my nose and say “yeah, we’ll definitely make your nose bridge high enough so your other eye isn’t visible from the side” and I could tell it wasn’t a baseless promise. He does what’s best for your face, but also takes into consideration what you want. Also, the very very first question he ever asked me was, “Why do you want to do a rhinoplasty?” which no one else asked me during my consultations hahaha. (Note from 8/16/21, 9 days after surgery date: I trust his expertise SO much that right before surgery, I told him that I trusted him to take care of the overall aesthetic of my nose because I was mostly focused on raising the height of my nose bridge - and he definitely hasn’t let me down.)
The surgery: The surgery center is in Newport Beach, and it took me about an hour to get there on Saturday morning (by 7AM). It’s a very clean building and I got the privilege of having Jane An as my nurse - she was so warm and easy to talk to and made the whole morning pass by very smoothly despite my general ????ness about this actually happening. My anesthesiologist, Dr. Nelson Westerhout, was also super personable when he stopped by to say hello. Once Dr. Kwon arrived and took a few ‘before’ pictures, everything got rolling pretty efficiently. Jane got an IV in my arm (all hail One Stick Jane!) and when they wheeled me into the operating room, Dr. Westerhout put an oxygen mask over my face and instructed me to breathe deeply.
That’s the last thing I remember - I vaguely remember waking up to someone telling me to breathe through my mouth, and wove in and out of consciousness with a few conversations here and there. (You’re not allowed to drink water or eat before your surgery at all, so you will be thirsty as heck on top of being disoriented and woozy.) The pain was bearable - honestly, I didn’t feel any pain in my ear or scalp, to the point thatI forgot they harvested from those locations. The main source of my “pain” was the pressure of my nose feeling like something had been added to it - so just very honest discomfort. My throat was also sore, but considering they had a tube down it, it wasn’t as bad as I was fearing! Not even as bad as some of the sore throats I’d get with really bad colds.
The purchase recommendations: I got q-tips, ice packs, saline nasal gel, topical arnica, saline nasal spray and a big triangular wedge pillow meant to support you as you have to sleep sitting up for a few nights - all ready to go by the time I got home from surgery. Would also definitely recommend utilizing a humidifier if you have one, to keep the breathing process much easier for you before Dr. Kwon is able to take out the splints in your nose! The q-tips are ESSENTIAL in slathering ointment and saline nasal gel to keep everything clean and moist, and the saline spray literally saved my life by helping me unclog a nostril or two whenever they got plugged.
August 19 (12 days after surgery): I got my cast taken off today, and even though my nose is still swollen, I’m so, so pleased with how it looks! Everything looks so natural and I’m so glad that it’s still my nose on some level, and not the generic cookie cutter type that you can mix and match out of a line-up of kpop idols. It’s also elevated my looks, as my face no longer looks terribly flat; I can’t stop admiring my face in the mirror!!! Also important: super minimal scarring(?) from the stitches between my nostrils - with time, I’m pretty sure it’ll be impossible to tell that I got an open rhinoplasty procedure unless someone gets super close.
The conclusion: Dr. Edwin Kwon is definitely your rhinoplasty surgeon if you’re looking for someone who knows what he’s doing and will give you natural elevation that fits YOUR unique look. For someone like me, I know this is going to be an extra boost of confidence that I’ve always wanted, and really - shouldn’t that be the goal of all our cosmetic surgery endeavors? :) I'm definitely coming back to Dr. Kwon for all the other procedures I'd like to do.