Hey everyone! I will be sharing my plastic surgery experience in korea. After talking to a few clinics including MIHO, Wonjin, and ILAC, I have decided to go with ILAC. I will be talking about the consultation, surgery procedure, and recovery process day by day 
(if you guys have questions on my consultations with MIHO and Wonjin, let me know and I can go into depth but this will just be my review on ILAC because it’ll be too long haha)
Consultation:
I actually scheduled to have consultation with ILAC on December 30th but was in the area eating on the 28th and asked them if they have time to consult that day. They were super nice and scheduled me that day at 4PM. Even though the consultation was moved up, they took their time and was very precise. When I arrived, the front desk had me fill out some paperwork then they took me into a room to take some pictures. After that, we did a CT scan then I was brought into the consultation room. The consultant came in and talked to me about what date I was thinking about getting surgery if everything goes well, who recommended me ILAC, and showed me Dr. Ko Il Young’s work. After that, Dr. Ko came in and we consulted my DES/ptosis correction first. He took his time to show me what a DES without ptosis correction would look like and what my eyes would look like with ptosis correction. He also showed me different sizes of crease lines and asked me what I like more. It really helps if you prepare some pictures for the doctor to go off of. After studying my eyes, he recommended me with non incisional DES/ptosis correction. After discussing my eyes, Dr. Ko explained my CT scans and asked what type of nose I wanted. He was very precise when explaining the CT scan and said where everything was and if I had any problems. I actually had a minor deviated septum which he said he would fix during surgery. He recommended bridge augmentation with tip plasty and bulbous reduction with no alar reduction. He said if I wanted it later, it is an easy procedure. We discussed about using septal and ear cartilage to build my tip since I wanted a more natural nose and rib cartilage wasn’t needed but he does offer it. Overall, I did not feel forced upon anything, he always asked me for my opinion and would not push me to do anything. After the consultation with Dr. Ko, the consultant came back in and discussed pricing with me and discussed surgery dates. I decided to book with ILAC after the consultation because of how thorough Dr. Ko was and everyone there was very nice and professional.
Surgery Day:
I came to the clinic a little earlier than expected so they took me to the recovery room to wait for the translator. I waited about 30 minutes and met the translator in the lobby. They took me to the dressing room to get changed and have me wash my face. After that, we took before pictures of my eyes and nose one last time and I was brought back into the consultation room. The consultant went over the recovery process and what to expect and gave me a prescription for the needed medications. She also went over what was in ILAC’s recovery bag. I also filled out paperwork and scheduled check up dates. Once we finished, Dr. Ko met with me for one last consultation. He finalized the desired eye shape with me and marked my eyes. We also discussed my nose and he told me what he will be working on during the surgery. I was then walked to the recovery room to the surgery room where the nurses prepared me for surgery. Dr. Ko worked on my eyes first and the last thing I remembered was him saying they are done with my eyes and will start on the nose.. it felt like 5 minutes later and the nurse woke me up and walked me to the recovery room. I laid for about 30-45 minutes and they ordered me a cab. My boyfriend was there to bring me home which helped a lot! I really recommend having a friend/family member or asking someone from the clinic to take you back to your hotel/airbnb. At that point I was still loopy and just wanted water because my mouth was so dry. I wasn’t in any pain.. tbh my arm where they put the IV in hurt the most haha. I got back to the hotel ate some porridge and took meds after 1 hr ish. I iced myself for about 5-10 minutes and put ointment on my stitches. After the anesthesia wore off I felt pressure on my nose and my ear was stinging a little but it was honestly not bad. My eyes did not hurt at all, just heavy. I just couldn’t sleep until 2am because I was getting used to breathing out of my mouth and even when i fell asleep I would wake up every 30ish minutes to sip on water. That was about it for my surgery day
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 1/10
Nose: 2/10
Ears: 2/10
Day 1 post op:
I woke up with minimal pain. My eyes were fine, still a little pressure on my nose, my ears would sting here and there. My mouth was super dry so that was the most annoying part. I did my whole routine of putting ointment on my stitches and changed the gauze under my nose. I ate breakfast and by that time I needed to take my meds. There is a little more pressure on my nose today but still manageable. Ear and eyes are the same, not that bad. Just uncomfortable haha. Nothing else really happened, I was suppose to go in tor stuffing removal but it was new years/a sunday so the clinic was closed. I just ate, took meds, iced, and slept all day haha
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 1/10
Nose: 2.5-3/10
Ears: 1/10
Day 2 post op:
I was able to sleep through the night but did wake up several times to drink water because my throat was constantly SUPER dry. After I ate some breakfast I went to the clinic to have my ear cleaned and nose stuffings taken out. My cast was also replaced, the new one is smaller and isn’t as bulky. The ILAC nurse gave me some injections and laser treatments to help with swelling. The stuffing and cast removal was not that painful, I actually felt so relieved when Dr. Ko took out my stuffings haha. I would say the ear hurt more the nurse was pushing on my ear (not sure what was happening haha she was probably cleaning in between the stitchings but it was the most uncomfortable part). I finished up the deswelling treatments and left. I have another treatment tomorrow and I can’t wait hehe
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 0/10
Nose: 0/10 cleaning (3/10)
Ears: 1/10 (cleaning 4/10)
Day 3 post op:
Woke up and my throat still hurts a little because even though my stuffings are out, I am still breathing with my mouth sometimes ig
I drank some water and cleaned the area around my nose. Bleeding stopped but there’s some dry blood so I tried my best to clean it. Put some ointment on my stitches and cleaned my eye boogers haha. Pain level is almost non existent today unless I am cleaning near the stitches and dry blood is pulled a little. Ear hurts less but when I move a certain way it stings just a little. Still no bruising but swelling is moving down my face, my cheeks are starting to poof up. Going into the clinic for my laser treatment again today.
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 0/10
Nose: 0/10
Ears: 1/10
Days 4-5 post op
After day 3, everyday felt the same. ILAC offered treatments everyday if I schedule beforehand until the day I remove stitches but I was leaving seoul for a few days so couldn’t do the treatments. My ear was the only thing that stings every once in a while since I am constantly wearing my mask. Eyes and nose had no pain whatsoever. The most annoying part is still not being able to wash my face and waking up to a super oily and crusty face. On day 5, my ear and tip of my nose started itching a little and i just do a soft tap or scratch to relieve it haha. I was so ready to take my cast off at that point.
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 0/10
Nose: 0/10
Ears: 1/10
Day 6 post op:
I woke up grumpy because my head was hurting from not being able to wash it.. i was just looking to my appointment time so I could take off the cast. The nurse did a final disinfection for my nose and ears and took out my stitches (which did not hurt at all, just keep putting ointment on the area 2-3 times a day to keep it lubricated). The doctor came in and removed my cast and showed me my new nose which was still so swollen because I have thick skin. Even though it was still swollen, I liked it so much!! He went over what I need to do for the next few weeks (meds if needed, scar ointment, etc). After that I went to go wash my face and came back into the room for my last laser treatment. Lastly, I got my after photos taken and said bye to everyone!)
Overall experience:
From my consultation to my cast removal day, everyone at the clinic was super nice and helpful! The translator was only there for my surgery date but tbh the doctor’s english is perfect and the staff knew enough for check ups. If they didn’t know something they would use a translator app for specific words. Dr. Ko made the experience PAINLESS for me which was a surprise to me bc I thought I would feel at-least some pain on the first few days of recovery.. bc they’re literally cutting up my nose haha. The only painful part was disinfection treatments and my reaction to the injections to help me heal faster but that’s not their fault. After the first time, I told them to not give me anymore and they stopped. I will give you guys more updates (maybe 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months) but as of right now that’s all I have to say about my experience at ILAC!
I attached some before and after images (2 days post op, 3 days post op, 6 days post op right after cast removal, 7 days post op with snapchat filter)
(if you guys have questions on my consultations with MIHO and Wonjin, let me know and I can go into depth but this will just be my review on ILAC because it’ll be too long haha)Consultation:
I actually scheduled to have consultation with ILAC on December 30th but was in the area eating on the 28th and asked them if they have time to consult that day. They were super nice and scheduled me that day at 4PM. Even though the consultation was moved up, they took their time and was very precise. When I arrived, the front desk had me fill out some paperwork then they took me into a room to take some pictures. After that, we did a CT scan then I was brought into the consultation room. The consultant came in and talked to me about what date I was thinking about getting surgery if everything goes well, who recommended me ILAC, and showed me Dr. Ko Il Young’s work. After that, Dr. Ko came in and we consulted my DES/ptosis correction first. He took his time to show me what a DES without ptosis correction would look like and what my eyes would look like with ptosis correction. He also showed me different sizes of crease lines and asked me what I like more. It really helps if you prepare some pictures for the doctor to go off of. After studying my eyes, he recommended me with non incisional DES/ptosis correction. After discussing my eyes, Dr. Ko explained my CT scans and asked what type of nose I wanted. He was very precise when explaining the CT scan and said where everything was and if I had any problems. I actually had a minor deviated septum which he said he would fix during surgery. He recommended bridge augmentation with tip plasty and bulbous reduction with no alar reduction. He said if I wanted it later, it is an easy procedure. We discussed about using septal and ear cartilage to build my tip since I wanted a more natural nose and rib cartilage wasn’t needed but he does offer it. Overall, I did not feel forced upon anything, he always asked me for my opinion and would not push me to do anything. After the consultation with Dr. Ko, the consultant came back in and discussed pricing with me and discussed surgery dates. I decided to book with ILAC after the consultation because of how thorough Dr. Ko was and everyone there was very nice and professional.
Surgery Day:
I came to the clinic a little earlier than expected so they took me to the recovery room to wait for the translator. I waited about 30 minutes and met the translator in the lobby. They took me to the dressing room to get changed and have me wash my face. After that, we took before pictures of my eyes and nose one last time and I was brought back into the consultation room. The consultant went over the recovery process and what to expect and gave me a prescription for the needed medications. She also went over what was in ILAC’s recovery bag. I also filled out paperwork and scheduled check up dates. Once we finished, Dr. Ko met with me for one last consultation. He finalized the desired eye shape with me and marked my eyes. We also discussed my nose and he told me what he will be working on during the surgery. I was then walked to the recovery room to the surgery room where the nurses prepared me for surgery. Dr. Ko worked on my eyes first and the last thing I remembered was him saying they are done with my eyes and will start on the nose.. it felt like 5 minutes later and the nurse woke me up and walked me to the recovery room. I laid for about 30-45 minutes and they ordered me a cab. My boyfriend was there to bring me home which helped a lot! I really recommend having a friend/family member or asking someone from the clinic to take you back to your hotel/airbnb. At that point I was still loopy and just wanted water because my mouth was so dry. I wasn’t in any pain.. tbh my arm where they put the IV in hurt the most haha. I got back to the hotel ate some porridge and took meds after 1 hr ish. I iced myself for about 5-10 minutes and put ointment on my stitches. After the anesthesia wore off I felt pressure on my nose and my ear was stinging a little but it was honestly not bad. My eyes did not hurt at all, just heavy. I just couldn’t sleep until 2am because I was getting used to breathing out of my mouth and even when i fell asleep I would wake up every 30ish minutes to sip on water. That was about it for my surgery day
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 1/10
Nose: 2/10
Ears: 2/10
Day 1 post op:
I woke up with minimal pain. My eyes were fine, still a little pressure on my nose, my ears would sting here and there. My mouth was super dry so that was the most annoying part. I did my whole routine of putting ointment on my stitches and changed the gauze under my nose. I ate breakfast and by that time I needed to take my meds. There is a little more pressure on my nose today but still manageable. Ear and eyes are the same, not that bad. Just uncomfortable haha. Nothing else really happened, I was suppose to go in tor stuffing removal but it was new years/a sunday so the clinic was closed. I just ate, took meds, iced, and slept all day haha
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 1/10
Nose: 2.5-3/10
Ears: 1/10
Day 2 post op:
I was able to sleep through the night but did wake up several times to drink water because my throat was constantly SUPER dry. After I ate some breakfast I went to the clinic to have my ear cleaned and nose stuffings taken out. My cast was also replaced, the new one is smaller and isn’t as bulky. The ILAC nurse gave me some injections and laser treatments to help with swelling. The stuffing and cast removal was not that painful, I actually felt so relieved when Dr. Ko took out my stuffings haha. I would say the ear hurt more the nurse was pushing on my ear (not sure what was happening haha she was probably cleaning in between the stitchings but it was the most uncomfortable part). I finished up the deswelling treatments and left. I have another treatment tomorrow and I can’t wait hehe
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 0/10
Nose: 0/10 cleaning (3/10)
Ears: 1/10 (cleaning 4/10)
Day 3 post op:
Woke up and my throat still hurts a little because even though my stuffings are out, I am still breathing with my mouth sometimes ig
I drank some water and cleaned the area around my nose. Bleeding stopped but there’s some dry blood so I tried my best to clean it. Put some ointment on my stitches and cleaned my eye boogers haha. Pain level is almost non existent today unless I am cleaning near the stitches and dry blood is pulled a little. Ear hurts less but when I move a certain way it stings just a little. Still no bruising but swelling is moving down my face, my cheeks are starting to poof up. Going into the clinic for my laser treatment again today.Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 0/10
Nose: 0/10
Ears: 1/10
Days 4-5 post op
After day 3, everyday felt the same. ILAC offered treatments everyday if I schedule beforehand until the day I remove stitches but I was leaving seoul for a few days so couldn’t do the treatments. My ear was the only thing that stings every once in a while since I am constantly wearing my mask. Eyes and nose had no pain whatsoever. The most annoying part is still not being able to wash my face and waking up to a super oily and crusty face. On day 5, my ear and tip of my nose started itching a little and i just do a soft tap or scratch to relieve it haha. I was so ready to take my cast off at that point.
Pain/pressure level:
Eyes: 0/10
Nose: 0/10
Ears: 1/10
Day 6 post op:
I woke up grumpy because my head was hurting from not being able to wash it.. i was just looking to my appointment time so I could take off the cast. The nurse did a final disinfection for my nose and ears and took out my stitches (which did not hurt at all, just keep putting ointment on the area 2-3 times a day to keep it lubricated). The doctor came in and removed my cast and showed me my new nose which was still so swollen because I have thick skin. Even though it was still swollen, I liked it so much!! He went over what I need to do for the next few weeks (meds if needed, scar ointment, etc). After that I went to go wash my face and came back into the room for my last laser treatment. Lastly, I got my after photos taken and said bye to everyone!
)Overall experience:
From my consultation to my cast removal day, everyone at the clinic was super nice and helpful! The translator was only there for my surgery date but tbh the doctor’s english is perfect and the staff knew enough for check ups. If they didn’t know something they would use a translator app for specific words. Dr. Ko made the experience PAINLESS for me which was a surprise to me bc I thought I would feel at-least some pain on the first few days of recovery.. bc they’re literally cutting up my nose haha. The only painful part was disinfection treatments and my reaction to the injections to help me heal faster but that’s not their fault. After the first time, I told them to not give me anymore and they stopped. I will give you guys more updates (maybe 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months) but as of right now that’s all I have to say about my experience at ILAC!
I attached some before and after images (2 days post op, 3 days post op, 6 days post op right after cast removal, 7 days post op with snapchat filter)
my consultation with ILAC is next week and I'm really excited. Your review helps a lot!
