Surgeries with Dr.Shim at V.LIF in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea
- Thread starter donut.diva
- Start date
What I can see so far, yes. It’s only been nine days postop, so still swollen and minimal bruising. I’ll need to wait couple of months to see the result when 89% of the swelling goes down. I love Dr. Shim’s stitching work. This is one of the reasons I chose him.
Hey love when I’m august? I am getting a facelift in august too with dr shim on the 3rd
I’m getting mine on the 4th. We should meet up!Hey love when I’m august? I am getting a facelift in august too with dr shim on the 3rd
Hi, when are you getting yours done? Interested in your results. Thanks!Wow....You look absolutely stunning. Love your results. Thanks for posting a detailed review of your experience. I can't wait to get mine done
Did you get your procedure already? How is it so far?I’m getting mine next Monday with dr Lee . Anyone has good feedback with him ?
I haven't booked my date yet. Still on the planning stage (most probably late November, this year)
im getting mine early november with dr youn, hope for the best results for all ouf us here
Yeap got my procedure done and getting my stitches removal tomorrow . I’m still very swollen so I’m not very sure about the result yet
Hi there,
Do you know where I can find the best exchange currency office in Korea? how is the conversion?
Hi Donut Diva,
I am 54 years old and interested to see your mom's photos B/A her eyes, please. I don't have Kakaotalk but here is my email address [email protected], and thank you so much for your post it is very informative and extremely useful for us.
Hi Donut Diva,Surgeries with Dr.Shim at V.LIF in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea
Patient Intro:
My mom and I both had surgeries with Dr.Shim in March 2023.
My mom's age: 67, my age: 43.
We are Thai Americans, living in California, USA.
Surgeon: Dr.Shim, board certified and head surgeon at V.LIF. (you can check his credentials here)
Procedures for my mom: facelift (includes necklift), platysma plication (neck muscle tightening to get rid of double chin), forehead lift, ptosis correction, upper blepharoplasty, lower blepharoplasty, fat transfer & liposuction.
Procedures for myself: facelift (includes necklift), platysma plication, forehead lift, forehead reduction, lower blepharoplasty, fat transfer & liposuction
Dr.Shim added skin boosters for both of us free of charge. We are extremely grateful!
Travel time: we spent almost 3 weeks in Seoul for our surgeries. Staying for 2 weeks after the surgery is recommended.
Step 1, The Consultation process:
Everything was done in advanced via Whatsapp, with the International Consultant, Bella, who wrote and spoke in English.
1) There's a questionnaire to answer with information such as: main concerns, nationality, ethnicity, medical history, surgical history, budget.
2) Sent our pictures in for the start of the online consultation.
3) Received back recommendations, quote, promotions, medical history clarifications - THE SAME DAY. This was unbelievable how fast Bella was in responding.
4) After this, there was a lot of back and forth questions and answers, discussions to help us decide if we wanted to move forward.
5) Since we decided to move forward with Dr.Shim, we worked with Bella for some dates for the both of us. My mom was scheduled to have surgery one day before me.
Step 2, The Payment process:
1) We decided Dr.Shim was definitely going to be our surgeon, so we confirmed our surgery dates by placing a deposit. This was done via an international wire transfer directly to V.LIF's bank account.
Worked with our local bank to get this part settled.
2) Confirmed the wire transfer was received at V.LIF, took approximately 48 business hours. In actual real life time, this was about 6 days because of a Korean Holiday and the weekend.
3) We decided to pay for our surgeries with cash because there's only 3 options: cash, credit card, or wire transfer in advanced of the surgery. We didn't want to pay any extra credit card fees or have to worry about whether or not the wire transfer would make it to the correct account, if it would make it in time, and didn't want to leave the conversion rate up to the banks. Cash seemed like the best option and it's recommended. However you choose, payment must be done before surgery.
4) Traveling to Seoul with cash: declared on our customs form how much cash we were carrying. It was not a problem, we got through customs pretty quickly: filled out a form stating the cash amount, that it was for travel expenses, had to show the border patrol the cash. No issues.
5) Exchanged currency (USD to KRW) at a local currency exchange store in Gangnam (the day after arrival in Seoul), recommended by Bella. Glad we did this because we got a much better exchange rate than any of the banks.
6) Paid the remaining balance the morning of surgery in KRW.
Step 3, Surgery Prep:
1) Because my mom's medications, there were a lot of instructions on what to stop and when. I paid very close attention because I did not want any health issues arise while in a foreign country while both of us were recovering from surgeries.
2) There were some medications we both had to stop taking 2 weeks in advanced and leading up to the surgery day.
Step 4, Book flights and Hotels
1) Flights were booked to Incheon Airport
2) We stayed at a 4 star hotel with a restaurant located directly at the hotel for days when we wouldn't feel like leaving the hotel.. specifically post-ops day 1 - day 3... the restaurant came in very handy. Our room was equipped with: refrigerator, hot water kettle... this was helpful for the recovery to store ice packs and hot water for drinking when you're not feeling well.
3) We both added short term international cell service to our phones from the states.
4) 2 apps I would definitely recommend: Google Maps and Google Translate. Without these 2 apps, I don't think we could have survived traveling to a country we have never been to and where we didn't speak a single word of the Korean language. Google Maps got us everywhere.
5) Upon arrival at Incheon Airport, I used Google Maps to route us to the hotel and find out which bus number/route we needed. We booked an airport bus ticket. There's a bus ticketing station after Baggage Claim. The cost was about $17 USD each. There's also taxi options. It was super easy.
Surgery Day at V.LIF:
Arrival at 9:30am, surgery was scheduled for 11am. From 9:30am to 11am, the schedule is as follows:
1) Settle the bill
2) Get changed
3) Washed our face thoroughly
4) Took before photos with their photographer
5) Consultation time with Dr.Shim. During this he looked at the skin and facial structures, provided his recommendations, designed and marked up faces.
For my mom, she specifically asked Dr.Shim make her beautiful like his mom, that was her only request. If you haven't seen his Youtube video where he performs plastic surgery on his mom, you'll want to see it. He kindly responded he would do his best.
For myself, my top request was to have my neck and jaw line look good. Second request, just to look younger. There was only one change from my consultation, I originally requested to have upper blepharoplasty (to resolve eyelid droopiness). However, Dr.Shim recommended I have a forehead lift instead to achieve a younger look and the forehead lift would resolve the hooded skin above the eyes. I agreed with his recommendation. In addition to the lower blepharoplasty, he gave me the "Charming Eyeline", which I can only describe as extra fat pad under the eye to look younger. I did not know about this until our last checkup, and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm really glad he did this for me.
6) Anesthesia: we both were put under IV sedation, not general anesthesia. The Surgery was 11am - 5pm for both of us. Since my mom typically has issues waking up from anesthesia, it took her 2 hours to fully wake up from the sedation. Nurses had a lot of work on their hands trying to get her to wake up. Not gonna lie, that made me a little nervous because I was expecting to hear from Bella at 5pm-ish, but it took a little while longer to hear back.
7) Surgery, for my mom she was awake and under local anesthesia during the upper blepharoplasty and ptosis correction, this is required to open the eyes and ensure symmetry. She mentioned that while it wasn't painful, there were moments she did feel the some pinches of pain or tension and had to raise her hand while Dr.Shim was working on her. This information I've included so anyone reading this is mentally prepared for this part. She did say, it wasn't that bad. For the rest of the surgery, she was asleep. For myself, I was asleep during the entire process. Felt like a good nap.
Recovery:
1) My mom recovered in their recovery room until around 11:30pm-12am. I recovered until 7pm. Drastic differences due to how we each respond to anesthesia. We were both discharged around that time.
2) Nurses and Bella took excellent care of both of us. Mom had an elevated blood pressure, but it was resolved with blood pressure medication injection via her IV line. Thank goodness. We finished the bag of saline and were given antibiotics via the IV during recovery.
3) Bella called a taxi for us with the destination already pre-booked, and she walked us out to the taxi to ensure we safely made it in the vehicle. Bella also ordered rice soup to be delivered to our hotel, which was very sweet of her. We just had to pay the delivery person upon arrival, it was such an easy process.
4) For my mom, I was with her the entire time during recovery. But, the next day, for myself, I was alone since my mom was recovering at the hotel room. But, Bella played the role of a great care taker and we pre-planned to have my sister and husband (back home) on communications the entire time. It was really heart warming to know your family members will be communicated with should anything arise and to have that piece of mind.
Pain level: almost none, it was mostly uncomfortable with all the bandages and wrapped super tight.
Post-Op
There are medications we were prescribed: pain killers, antibiotics, and something for the stomach. This was to be taken 3 x day for 5 days. Also prescribed was an ointment to apply at the incision lines. We were given a bag of goodies upon discharge that contained: sunscreen, bruise cream, scar cream, cold pack for faces to reduce swelling. These were to be used after stitches were removed.
Post-Op Day 1
-Rested and used the cold packs on our faces to help with the swelling. It was important that we had a refrigerator in the hotel room to keep the cold packs cold.
-Pain level: almost none due to the amount of numbness we felt. Just a minor headache that was resolved with Advil.
Post-Op Day 2
-Returned to V.Lif to have the drains removed, complimentary hair shampooed, deswelling treatment #1 via IV line, deswelling LED light therapy.
Note: having drains removed was probably the most painful experience of the entire thing. For myself, I had 3 drains, one across my head probably because of the forehead reduction, one on each side behind my ears. The head drain stung like hell as the doctor was removing it. I was shaking. But, good thing, the pain only lasts for a few seconds. The other 2 drains were not painful during removal at all. For my mom, she didn't complain about the pain level one bit. However, due to the drain removal, there are open incisions that need to be STAPLED SHUT, one for each drain location. Yes, 3 staples on raw skin for me, 2 for my mom. Also not very fun one bit. It hurt. But, again, just for a few seconds.
-My mom had deswelling injection shots directly into the areas that were very very swollen, next to the upper ear area, one on each side of her face. The next day we could see a substantial improvement in these areas.
Post-Op Day 3
-Buyers remorse set in for me. I was very swollen and just questioning my decisions. Talked to Bella, she ensured me that everything was very normal and part of the recovery process. I decided to trust the process.
Post-Op Day 4-7
-Lots of rest and cold pack. We didn't have much of an appetite and were just focused on feeling better and regaining our energy. We didn't leave the room much, other than for food. This was to ensure a good recovery process and reduce swelling.
Post-Op Day 7
-Returned to V.Lif to have our stitches and staples removed, deswelling treatment #2 via IV line, deswelling LED light therapy.
For the most part the removal of stitches was not too painful, but it did hurt when removing the stitches around the lower eyes, it was a very sensitive area. Nurse was very gentle and took her time removing the stitches. Staple removal hurt, not as much as when it was put in though. Dr.Shim checked on me and I discussed my concerns with the swelling and recovery. I was still in an emotional turmoil on this day, but Dr.Shim told me to stop looking in the mirror and to allow the recovery to progress. I was ensured everything in the surgery was successful that all my concerns would resolve. And, I followed his advice about not looking in the mirror.
Post-Op Day 10
-Returned to V.Lif to have my forehead reduction stitches removed, deswelling LED light therapy.
-Dr.Shim prescribed scar therapy medication because I felt 2 lumps in my face getting bigger. I was told it was scar tissue forming under the skin, but that it would resolve with time.
Post-Op Day 14
-Returned to V.Lif for deswelling treatment #3 via IV line, deswelling LED light therapy, final after photos, and final check-up with Dr.Shim.
-Dr.Shim compared side by side photos of the before and after, pointing out all the changes. We were quite impressed with the results.
Post-Op Day 16
-Returned home.
-I believe day 16 we were ready to be out in public.
Today is post-op Day 30:
I am happy to report we are both recovering well, we still have some dizziness when moving or looking down too much. We are also very numb still, but slowly the feeling is coming back. Current numbed areas: forehead, top of forehead to the mid forehead area, side of cheeks, areas near the ear, under eyes where the lower bleph lines were made.
-We have both been out in public and around family and friends, starting on day 17. For those that do not know we had surgery, the comment has been "did you lose weight?, you look skinny", "You look like your daughter", "You look different but I don't know what it is".
-My scar tissue under the skin has resolved, the 2 bumps are almost completely gone.
-My mom is still dealing with some swollen areas near the incision lines, she is very happy with her results for the most part, but is still a little concerned with the ptosis correction. We think it's too early to tell, so we won't comment yet on this.
Overall:
Results -
Mom: most significant changes are her neck and chin area, she has a defined neck line, tight neck, no double chin, no more sagging neck lines, a sharp chin, lifted cheeks, improved nasolabial folds, improved marionette lines, very much improved jowls, no undereye bags, very little droopy eyelids, no more wrinkles on the forehead, wider open eyes, she clearly looks many years younger.
My results: similar results to my mom at the neck, chin, and nasolabial folds, jowls, I am loving the chin and neck area, no extra neck or droopy skin, smooth and lifted cheeks, no hollowness under the eyes, a little extra fat pad under the eyes for a youthful look, lifted looking forehead, zero wrinkles, and I now have the "golden ratio"... among many other things. I just look so much younger!
We are so happy with our results, but can't wait to see the final results in 6 months. And, can't wait to feel like ourselves again when the numbing goes away.
Dr.Shim and his team are truly amazing. Dr.Shim is an artist that can make all your anti-aging dreams come true. There are no regrets to having him as our surgeon. We put full trust in his abilities and he has delivered on our expectations. His deswelling treatment is superb, I don't think we could have healed as quickly as we did without it.
Bella was more than a consultant and translator, she accompanied us at every appointment for every minute, was there when we fell asleep and there when we woke up. She went above and beyond her duties to give us a very excellent experience at V.LIF and in South Korea all together.
If you're reading this, I am whole heartedly recommending Dr.Shim and his team, no questions asked. I have no doubt the other surgeons there are just as skillful, by looking at their before and after pictures on their Instagram (v.lif_plasticsurgery_global) and website. In their office they have books and books of before and after pictures and videos on their big screens in the waiting room, where every patient looks years younger and just so amazing!
Most importantly, we are thankful for returning home safely!!!
Thank you V.LIF, if you're reading this, for all the care and for "healing our hearts"
ps. in case you're wondering why my review is so long and detailed, I just want to help demystify the plastic surgery process for foreigners thinking about going to South Korea. I've gotten many questions about how this all works from my relatives, so I thought if they have questions about this, others may also feel the same. The entire process was pretty smooth and not as scary as I imagined. Although the safety of both myself and my mom rested heavily on my shoulders, we were blessed with meeting great people willing to help, starting with Bella at V.LIF.
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Mom's results: Check out that snatched jaw line!! Fire!!
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Results:
IMO, very natural results. I still look like myself (which is what I was terrified about), but a younger version of myself. My favorite is my neck/jaw line and my under eyes.
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Check out the scar lines at 30 days, the forehead reduction line is very smooth and clean compared to the side face incisions. With some vitamin T (time), i'm sure all will be resolved. Can't wait for the full recovery!! (I would have posted more pics, but this only allows 12 photos total)
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How are you and your mother healing? We would love to see your progress after all these months? Please consider posting updated pictures
Thanks