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POSTED UNDER Rhinoplasty Reviews

Rhinoplasty with Dr. Kim

1 year post

Unfortunately, I've noticed a problem with my nose and might need a minor revision

linear_transformation
$13,999
So I hate to say this, but I want to keep my review honest. As the swelling went down, I noticed that on the right side, on the tip of my nose, there is a sharp edge (cartilage?). It's not very noticeable visually right now, but I can feel it. And I think sometimes, from a specific angle, you can see it in photos. I'm fair that as my skin settles more, it will become more noticeable. It's already at an uncomfortable level for me.
I mentioned this to Dr.Kim during my post op and he said if it got worse and bothered me, he could do a revision (it would take 1-2 hours, shorter than my original surgery). I don't know if I want to do a revision with the same doctor though. Anyway, I have nothing planned yet to fix this but it's something I'll probably need to address at some point in the future.
I'm leaving my review as "worth it", only because I still prefer this nose to my original nose.

linear_transformation's provider

David W. Kim, MD

David W. Kim, MD

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

4.9 | 72 Reviews
PROFILE

linear_transformation rating for Dr. Kim:

Overall rating

Replies (4)

February 27, 2019
Made a typo in the update.
*I'm afraid that as my skin settles more...
March 27, 2019
Hey linear_transformation, thanks for taking the time to update your review. It's appreciated you're honest about how the healing is going.
I'm curious though, why you aren't interested in doing a revision with your current doctor?
September 7, 2023
Has anything else happened to your nose?
February 20, 2025
Did you get your revision? How did it go?
1 month post

About 1.5 months post op

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Everything is healing well. I'm happy with my results. I included some more pictures.
It might not look like a big change, but keep in mind that every previous surgeon I went to told me they couldn't de-project my nose at all. This is probably the biggest change I could've possibly gotten. So I'm happy that my nose is no longer the center of attention on my face.
I included a smiling profile photo, since that shows how much my nose used to droop before the surgery.
Right now my only problem is a bit of crustiness inside the nose and an occasional runny nose. Other than that, it's not interfering with my life in any way anymore.

Replies (5)

August 28, 2017
Beautiful beautiful beautiful! I love how subtle the change is. I'm so happy for you! <3 Did it change much from the front?
August 28, 2017
Thank you so much! =) It did change a bit from the front too! I've been posting profile photos since my profile bothered me the most. But it looks better from front too. My nose use to be very ball-shaped and bulbous from the front, and now it looks more refined. Dr. Kim said it's still a bit swollen and will have more definition eventually. The front never bothered me too much though, but I can still see that it looks better now. I'll post some pictures of that too!
August 30, 2017
Looks great! I am booking an appointment with Dr. Kim soon, he seems to be my best choice for rhinoplasty. Is there anything you wish you would've mentioned before your surgery ? Any tips ?
August 31, 2017
Thanks! And good luck with your appointment! I would discuss in detail exactly what you want to make sure you're on the same page and give him a chance to tell you what's possible and realistic.
It really helped me to talk to a few doctors and make peace with the fact that I would never have a very small nose, but that at the same time I could have a great improvement. I think in the long run, knowing that made me happier with my results because I wasn't expecting perfection or a big drastic change. Of course, that might not be the case for you - it just helped me to know where I stand and what I can expect.

If he plans to put in any grafts, that might be nice to know in advance, and to find out where he plans to take them from. Then when you're signing consent forms you're not surprised. Same with the duration of the surgery. I found out the night before my surgery that it would take 4-4.5 hours and I panicked a little because that's longer than typical. Turns out different surgeons have different styles and Dr. Kim typically takes a bit longer. My surgery went fine and exactly as planned.
Another thing to consider is if you don't like your result, how complicated would a revision be? I like asking that just to have a peace of mind, in case something goes wrong.
August 31, 2017
Did he not give you a break down of how long it would take when he gave you pricing ? I only ask, because when I went to my consult he shows me his pricing and what the hospital would cost based on his estimated surgery time
August 31, 2017
I think he did, but I must have forgotten or not paid attention to it. My mistake. XD
September 20, 2017
Looking good. Did he use septal cartilage for the bridge augmentation? How does it feel?
September 20, 2017
Thanks! Yes he used septal cartilage. The bridge feels completely natural. The tip feels a bit more stiff than it was before surgery. But I was told before the surgery that that's a common side effect of tip work, especially since I wanted my nose not to droop anymore. So it doesn't bother me too much.
September 21, 2017
Thanks, and that's good to hear! Did he crush the cartilage on the bridge? Can you feel the edges of the bridge graft? Sorry for the weird questions, just things I'm concerned about because I'll need the same!
January 28, 2018
Your result looks really nice in these pictures. Do you have any more recent ones? I hope your nose is healing well and that you are happy with it!
September 10, 2018
If anyone has experience with dr. Kim inbox me
14 days post

Almost 3 weeks post op

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I feel pretty good physically. I recently noticed that my nose is occasionally runny/moist. I'll mention it to my doctor at the next appointment to make sure everything is ok.

As far as results, it's hard to say. I have days when I feel good about it and days when I don't feel good about it, and those are hard. When I look at my profile photos, I feel like it's obviously an improvement.

But then I'm always able to find an angle where my tip looks large, or I feel like it's too long or too droopy. And I'm only 3 weeks post op, I had an open rhinoplasty and thick skin, and lots of tip work. So I know my tip will be big for a while from swelling. But it's hard to know how to feel about results when I can't picture how it will end up looking in the end. I think most days I'm happy though. I kind of forgot what my original nose looked like and it's easy to lose sight of that.

Replies (1)

August 4, 2017
Your profile looks great so far! It's a good sign if you're happy most days. It's still very early in the healing process so don't be too hard in yourself. Again I love your profile and hopefully the rest of your healing will go smoothly <3 I look forward to your updates as I'm pretty set on having surgery with the same doctor!
August 4, 2017
Thanks!! Yeah I'm trying not to worry about it too much and wait a couple months before looking for flaws. Like yesterday I was getting paranoid thinking my tip was dropping, but my boyfriend thinks it looks exactly the same as when I got my cast off. I think most times when I don't feel good about it it's in my head. I think there is an obvious improvement.
I look forward to hearing how yours goes, good luck!!