Eye Bag Removal with Fat Repositioning in Shanghai, China

I did a dual surgery of eye bag removal with fat repositioning in combination with leg liposuction. I will post the leg liposuction in a different review because I used 2 different surgeons at the same clinic. One surgeon specialized in "eye beauty" (Dr. Wang Rui) while the other had a specialty of liposuction.

The clinic is called Vellca (or V+) and it's located in the Qingpu district of Shanghai, China. I live an hour away by Didi from this clinic, but I knew some ladies who had work done at this clinic, so I got to hear their real unfiltered reviews of their experiences and results. Again, it's difficult to find information about Chinese clinics if you don't read or speak Chinese. My consultant from my previous upper body surgery (Linda/Nancy, WeChat ID: cosmetology1) also recommended this place to me.

Because this was a surgery dealing with my face, I was extremely nervous. I specifically asked for a surgeon who specializes in eye surgeries. I am 38 and have 2 main problems to address: removing bags of fat under my eyes, but conversely, also needing to redistribute the fat to fill in my tear trough lines that make me look old and haggard. The surgeon explained he would remove about 50% of the fat from the eye bags and then push the other 50% of the fat downward to fill in the tear trough lines. I wasn't able to see any pictures of foreign eyes previously worked on, so I had to put a lot of trust in my decision. This is why I feel it's so important to share information, photos, and experiences, so that people can feel more confident in their choices.

This clinic has a VIP room, but it's not actually the best option for anyone who is having work done on their bodies. The bed is bigger and your room is private, but the bed does not incline or recline. I would say the only people this room is suitable for would be those who have only had facial surgery and don't need an actual reclining hospital bed to assist them with getting out of bed. Therefore, I thought I was going to have a private VIP room, but we compromised by putting me in a standard room but with no one else in it. Therefore, it was still private, but had the much needed adjustable hospital bed.

If you haven't been to a clinic in China, the standards are quite different from what you expect in other parts of the world. One of the biggest things I despise is that people can "smoke" inside the clinic - this includes even hospital administration! I hate cigarettes and this is absolutely appalling to me. They have 'no smoking' signs around, but I guess there aren't any laws that allow the clinic to enforce the rule - and when the hospital staff smoke inside, too, ... well, that's not setting a good example. Thankfully, my room was away from cigarette smells or I would have gone crazy.

This clinic offers an ayi service for an extra cost, but it's worth it. This is another cultural difference between Chinese clinics and other parts of the world. For my previous surgery, I expected that nurses would just automatically be checking on me and taking care of me after the surgery. WRONG. So, if you want any kind of special treatment or assistance after your surgery, get the ayi. She will change your IV drips, make sure you're hydrated, get your food deliveries and bring them to you, change your urine bags from your catheter, and anything else you may need. (Again, the reason I had a catheter is because I had leg liposuction in combination with the eye surgery.)

I arrived at the clinic in the morning and brought a suitcase with a mattress topper. Why? Because Chinese hospital beds are like sleeping directly on the floor because they're so hard. The ayi prepared my bed ahead of time. In my backpack, I brought the following things for aftercare:
-Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to keep lips moisturized
-Nasal spray because I have allergies
-The usual toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, Listerine, deodorant, hairbrush)
-Button-up tshirt dress (loose and easy to take on and off)
-Slide on shoes
-Dry shampoo (because you can't take a shower until 7 days later when stitches are removed)

They put an IV in me and after some time took me back into the surgical room. Here's another cultural thing to consider: You can see what's happening in other operating rooms because they don't close the doors. So, this can make some people more anxious. No one spoke English, so we spoke through phone translation software and this can also add to the feeling of anxiety. I had to wait a while before they were actually ready to start the surgery, so the feelings of anxiety were building and I ended up becoming emotional right before. This is because eye surgeries are often done under local anesthetic and not general anesthesia.

Finally, the surgeon and another doctor came. The surgeon drew lines on my face, took pictures, and then I was on the operating table. When they administer the local anesthetic, it will sting and hurt some, but it's quick. For most of the surgery, your eyes are closed, but they may say "Open your eyes" or use their fingers to have you look at a certain focal point that may require you to look upward, etc. You don't really feel pain, but you still feel sensations. You can hear everything. I only felt pain with my right eye because I guess the nerve was more sensitive on that side. I just clenched the item I was holding in my hands and thankfully it wasn't an ongoing feeling. You end up with a line of stitches just below your eyelid and maybe blurry vision due to eye ointment they use.

For me, we immediately transitioned into prepping for the leg liposuction surgery next. But, if you're only doing eye surgery, then the surgery is done in about an hour and you may even be able to go home the same day!

After waking up from general anesthesia, I would say that I had a headache and couldn't see well until they cleaned up the ointment from my eyes. My eyes were a little red from blood pulling into the eye. This goes away gradually through recovery. I was just given saline water and cotton buds to use for aftercare to keep the eye area clean and dry. You can't really wash your face until stitches are removed, so I just used a lightly damp face cloth to wipe my forehead, chin and areas away from the eyes.

It's important to rest your eyes as much as possible and take naps to let your body heal. However, you can see and still carry out normal daily activities.

So far, my eyes have been okay. I had minimal bruising. I didn't even see a blue or purple color - just basically straight to yellow. When I have eye movements, I am acutely aware that there are stitches but it doesn't impede anything. I use the saline water and cotton buds 2-3 times a day to keep the area clean. I know there is swelling, but your eyes immediately look more youthful because there is volume there and your tear trough lines aren't evident anymore. I am curious to see the results after stitches are removed and the swelling is completely gone. The stitches seem to be neatly done. My lower eyelids are pulling down and away from the eye, but the surgeon said that's normal and it's due to swelling.

I will post pictures after having the stitches removed in a few days.