My Experience w/ NANA Plastic Surgery (under-eye fat repositioning + thread lift)

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retrothicc

Member
May 6, 2021
58
92
Hi there,

This is my plastic surgery experience with NANA. I will try to keep it as organized as possible, but I'm aiming for detail, so warning long post.

Style Key:
Red - Prices
Bold - Advice, Important

About Me
I am a 23-year-old, American, transgender male. Ethnicity-wise, I am half white, half Chinese. Before NANA, I have had only two cosmetic procedures before: a transgender mastectomy (top surgery) in 2019, and lip filler in 2020. Both procedures were in the states, both with very well-known (albeit overpriced) clinics. I will draw from those experience a lot when rating my experience at NANA.

Logistics
I went to Korea for a month from June 13th, 2021 - July 21st, 2021. Yes, I went through government quarantine, even though I'm vaccinated. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Cold food, broken intercom, broken air conditioner, borderline inhumane, a huge waste of money, and a huge waste of time. I was already going to be in Korea for school, however, so my dates could not be pushed back until quarantine requirements were amended. If you're going purely for plastic surgery and you don't know whether or not to hold off, my advice is this: If you're planning on staying in Korea for 1 month +, then it's worth it. Otherwise, the government facilities are a huge gamble and you WILL pay 1,500,000-2,000,000 won, no matter how luxurious or run-down your placement. I paid more for an unnecessary quarantine than I did for plastic surgery.

My surgery date was July 13th, 2021 at 12pm with Dr. Jeong Mi Sun. She performed under-eye fat repositioning and thread lift (8 threads).

Price + Consultation
Under-eye fat repositioning - 650,000KRW
thread lift - 616,000KRW (8 threads)
Anesthesia - 110,000KRW (comped/included with both thread lift + undereye surgery)
Total: 1,266,000KRW
~VAT included in all prices~


I contacted NANA via WhatsApp about two months in advance. They replied promptly, and my consultation was done with their head interpreter, Honey. She was fluent in English. I will warn native English speakers that she is very casual, using emojis and joking around and such, which was endearing to me, but perhaps off-putting for others.

She answered all of my questions....And I had a lot of them lol. I originally didn't know if I wanted laser ultherapy or threads, and I was on the fence about under-eye fat repositioning. I am quite happy with my face, and I was only interested in dissolvable procedures, not permanent ones. But after sending my pictures to JW, they went out of their way to say that my problem was my under-eye bags. Honey was very patient with me and explained just how minor under-eye fat repositioning is. She explained the longevity of the results, the fact that the procedure can be repeated, and emphasized that no fat is removed from the eye unless necessary (fat under the eye is precious, because we lose it as we age). She had several opportunities to upsell me, but to her credit, she did not -- because I also asked about fat grafting, and she told me the price started at 1.5 mil KRW, but that if I have hesitation about an undereye procedure, fat grafting was much more invasive.

I used the app Gangnam Unnie to look up my doctor. I didn't see many pictures of results, so I actually asked to change doctors. I asked about getting a doctor I saw in one of their youtube videos, and I was actually told that he no longer worked at NANA haha. Honey directed me to an eye specialist, Dr. Jeong. I looked her up, was satisfied with her reviews, and decided to go with her instead. I paid a $200 deposit to hold my appointment date. That $200 went toward my final balance dude.

Why I chose NANA
I consulted with JW, Face Plus, Dream, and NANA. NANA's instagram seems a bit butchered and over-processed, but their youtube page was much more informative. I ended up choosing NANA because their prices were reasonable, their staff was forthcoming, and their youtube page had full surgery videos, doctor interviews, and patient vlogs. Gangnam Unnie had all 5-star reviews on my doctor specifically, and I had never heard of major complaints from NANA. On the other hand, JW and Dream had a number of vocal complaints against them, never mind the fact that both clinics quoted me almost 1,400 USD for thread lift alone and $4,000 USD + for under-eye fat repositioning.

Pre-Op: Day of the Surgery

before surgery:
I arrived two hours early to have my labs done + talk with my doctor to design my face. Within 15 minutes, they secured my interpreter, who shadowed me from the moment I arrived to the moment I went under. She was extremely intelligent and personable, and a recent master's graduate from Yonsei. When I told her about my top surgery, she affectionately mislabelled it "gender transformation surgery" instead of transition. Similarly, I had a second interpreter at a later point in the day who helped me secure my medication; but unfortunately, she was unfamiliar with drug terminology such as tretinoin and testosterone -- this was solved with a bit of googling, but if you take any kind of involved cocktail of medication, it may be helpful to have a list translated before you go. None of my interpreters spoke English as their first language, which comes with its barriers.

Nana is located on the top floors of a gangnam high rise, with seemingly little effort put into organizing the space. I remember walking up and down multiple sets of stairs / riding in elevators to go from the blood lab, to the front desk, to the consultation area, and finally, to the operating theater. The amount of foot traffic and patients was more reminiscent of a medical spa than a plastic surgery facility.

The doctor arrived for my consultation. Drew some lines on my face. Seemed to be rushed, but she wasn't awfully concerned because the procedures were so minor. She told me I could do anywhere from 8-10 threads in my face, but I probably only need 8. She asked me to explain what I wanted the threads to fix, and I told her about the drooping silhouette around my jowls. She pushed my skin back and asked me if I wanted a result like that. So she did seem to want to communicate the results to me, she just wasn't very personable. In and out within 5 minutes.

Then came price, which was exactly as quoted.
I was told that I had a promotional offer on my thread lift, and the quote would be honored, but I'd have to write 3 reviews. The interpreter then took me through the Korean documents I had to sign, translating section by section. I joked with her that I'd probably never reviewed a document so thoroughly in my life, even in English. She seemed to take her time with me and really cared, which I appreciated.

I finished everything with 30 minutes left until my surgery. My interpreter stayed with me and talked with me the entire time. When we went up to the operating theatre, she waited outside for me to change. And when I came out, she had also changed into a gown and hair net. She was literally going into the theater with me.

the surgery:
When I got to the surgery floor, I was very very nervous. There were A TON of nurses running around everywhere. The operating theaters weren't theaters at all, just rooms back to back with sliding doors. One door was ajar as I passed, with a patient inside (!), and a nurse hurriedly pushed it shut. They corralled me into my room, and under the headboard of the operating table, I saw a forgotten cotton patch, covered in blood. I'm starting to freak out internally, because the first thing going through my mind is "this place isn't sterile and they're going to open my up in here." It looked like a dentist office, not an operating room.

Before I can really think straight, they put me on the operating table and strap both arms in. The interpreter is translating that they're putting the IV in, it may sting. Then she said they were putting the anesthesia in. She asked me if I felt sleepy twice, then on the third time, when she asked I replied, "I think I'm feeling it," then I was out. It wasn't until an entire week later that I realized: I actually never saw my doctor enter the room before I was put under.

recovery room:
Post-op meds: 49,000 KRW
Post-op care package (free): 1 reusable cold pack, 3 packs of pumpkin juice, 2 face masks, a draw string bag

When I woke up, it was as if no time had passed at all. There was a cold pack on my eyes. I could vaguely tell that I was sitting in a chair, that there was someone typing on a computer in front of me, and that there was a sliding door a few feet away that kept opening. I was so loopy and cold that I put my knees to my chest. The nurse on staff kept telling me "mask, mask" which I thought meant the mask on my eyes. She was actually trying to get me to put my mask on that I'd placed inside my robes before the operation. She asked me "괜찮아? are you ok?" and I went, "네 괜찮아. ye, i'm ok." Which was essentially the limit of my Korean lol. Each time the automatic door slid open, I could literally hear nurses screaming at each other like a school yard. I remember wondering if that was the surgical area on the other side of that door, and why did it sound like a war zone? My interpreter came after a while. She explained that my other interpreter was helping a different patient, so she would help me with the rest of the journey.

She stayed with me until my IV was flushed and then after a bit, she walked me through standing up on my own. I took off my cold pack. I changed and we made our way down to the pharmacy. As I mentioned above, there were some 2-3 minute delays getting the pharmacist up to speed with what I was currently on. I received 4 days worth of medication, already sorted and put into pouches labeled "breakfast," "lunch" and "dinner." Then I was also given eyedrops and a cream for my waterline. I actually had to go out of my way to ask which pill was the pain killer (because I don't usually take pain killers unless absolutely necessary). The interpreter then walked me through what each pill was, one antibiotic, one pain killer, and something else I can't remember. Then she told me how often to take everything. To this day, I don't actually know what they gave me because they never told me the names of the drugs. But as far as pain meds, I'm guessing hydrocodone, because oxy knocks me on my ass and makes me super sick.

The instructions were written entirely in Korean, and my memory from this encounter was spotty. Thankfully their WhatsApp support post-op is incredibly responsive, and they reiterated everything they'd told me in person. I actually forgot my glasses and the interpreter helped me cancel my cab and used her own phone to call me a new one. She walked me all the way out to it and told the cab driver something that made him leave me alone the whole ride (which is nice because cab drivers in Korea can be super frustrating).


Post-Op
I had what appeared to be silicone tape under my eyes and by my thread injection sites. I couldn't remove it for three days. It was quite greasy by the time I removed it. But after removing it, I had essentially no bruising. What bruising I did have (on my right eye) went away within a day. The swelling on my face made me look a bit like the alien emoji :alien:, but I suspect that is from the threads and not the under eye surgery, because I still have a bit of it even now. Immediately post-op, I'd liken the pain to a mild ache, similar to about 1/2 the pain of having your wisdom teeth removed.

It's been 15 days since my surgery. I've had some strange eye boogers and days where I wake up and my lids are crusted shut, but otherwise I've felt zero pain in my eyes.

The threads on the other hand...They've felt sore since day one, and if they are pushed upward(like if you accidentally rest your head in your hands), they cause a shooting pain. If anyone here has severed and reattached flesh in a surgery, or had skin grafted, the pain feels very similar to the pain of nerves reconnecting. It feels almost like a spasm. For those who haven't experienced the former, it sort of feels like a very bad charley horse, or the pain of moving a limb after it fell asleep for a long time. In the beginning, it hurt to smile, to laugh, and to open my mouth beyond a certain width. Now, it hurts at random. Sometimes I will find the tiniest bit of dried blood at the injection sites. But I have had no bruising or lumping.

Results
So far, I can tell my eye bags are less severe, but there is still a noticeable line/contour from my tear ducts. I'm still thinking that these are not my final results though, and there is still some settling to be done on the inside of my eyes. As far as my face, it still looks wide around my cheek bones, but everyone says my lower half looks snatched and my skin looks smoother.

Comparisons + Final Thoughts
I will compare this to the only other major operation I've had - my transgender mastectomy (top surgery) in 2019. My surgeon was Dr. Mosser in San Francisco. He charged me $5,000 for the procedure, and anesthesia was $5000, making the entire procedure $10,000. And let me tell you, money definitely bought a difference in experience. Not only was I the only patient on the entire floor, for the entire time block and perhaps the entire day, I was given pills before I entered the operating theater, in order to calm me down. The room looked exactly like a surgical operating room ought to look. Super clean. And I was faded enough to not care when they strapped me to the table. Obviously, a mastectomy is much more invasive than what I got done with NANA, and I don't know if I would be comfortable with anything less from a facility, if I were doing a major procedure.

NANA is cheap for a reason. They clearly have multiple patients going at once, their facilities are efficient but not exactly sterile. I trust that I didn't have a ghost doctor, though maybe that is naive of me. I didn't actually see her before I went out. Though now that I think about it, I barely remember when Dr. Mosser walked into the room. Before going to NANA, I paid top dollar to renowned procedure specialists in America. Even visiting Beauty Park Medical Spa in Santa Monica for Lip filler, it was a celebrity esthetician clinic that clearly charged for the experience and the feeling of safety. NANA was a culture shock by comparison.

I think my results with NANA have been very natural and subtle. They do an incredible job of enhancing people's natural features, judging from all the work I've seen. My friend was looking for a place to do Rhino, and even though I've been to NANA, we both think maybe NANA may not be the place for them. So if you're looking for dramatic results, this may not be the place for you.

All things considered, I paid about 16-20% of what American plastic surgeons charge for the same procedures. Yes, it kind of felt like a plastic surgery puppy mill, but the results, so far, seem quality. And the experience was curated in just the right areas. I wouldn't pay top dollar, but I would certainly pay what I did. Maybe even a bit more than what I did. I came in for undereye fat repositioning and a thread lift, both procedures that take specialized plastic surgeons (especially eye procedures!). I got what I wanted, and I also healed incredibly well, compared to recovery photos I've seen. I actually went back to class two days after my operation and no one noticed. Based on my experience, I think NANA is 100% worth the money and the minor hiccups it comes with.


Please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks for reading!
 
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the surgery:
When I got to the surgery floor, I was very very nervous. There were A TON of nurses running around everywhere. The operating theaters weren't theaters at all, just rooms back to back with sliding doors. One door was ajar as I passed, with a patient inside (!), and a nurse hurriedly pushed it shut. They corralled me into my room, and under the headboard of the operating table, I saw a forgotten cotton patch, covered in blood. I'm starting to freak out internally, because the first thing going through my mind is "this place isn't sterile and they're going to open my up in here." It looked like a dentist office, not an operating room.

This part is really frightening :panic:Thank you for your honest review! Prices are really cheap
Wish you to see the final results sooner!!
 
Ah ok thanks! I guess everyone is different. But there are lots of contradictions and this doctor generally advises against repositioning


...
gave me a mini heart attack there. I almost thought I got something done that I shouldn’t have. The title of the video is very misleading, for starters. He says it’s not advised when he performs a variation of it himself? Lol

I think Nana only removes some of the fat when necessary, but not all. They don’t really specify on the website. But in my case and I believe in most, they don’t remove it.

This video does not call into question the procedure I received. To clarify, He only cautions against it when the fat is removed. But I think nana never removes it entirely, that’s mostly a western trend. In fact, the doctor in the video performs under eye fat repositioning the same way I received mine.

He stresses that most surgeons don’t know how to perform it, and complications can include bumps, cut off blood supply beneath the eye, and hollowing. All of which are minimized with an eye specialist. The operation should only be performed by a plastic surgeon that specializes in eyes.
 
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actually the doctor in that video references filler injections into the eyes which is VERY risky, and can lead to migration of the filler into the skull cavity and behind the eyes. here’s a video that describes the risk of injections into the tear trough. The doctor in the YouTube video you linked doesn’t even question the utility or risk of fillers in the eyes... every procedure has its risks.

 
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He says when doctors do the procedure, they remove mostly fat, and a tiny fraction of fat is repositioned at 5:25. But I agree with your link, I don't think fillers are a good idea and I would stay far away. Well, as long as youre happy with the outcome, that's all that matters!
 
My surgeon did not remove any fat. A few days ago, I asked my interpreter and she said twice explicitly that no fat was removed. So unless they're lying to me, I believe she performed the surgery the same way as that yt vid doctor does in his own practice.
 
Update post-op:

some people have dmed me asking for follow up. My eyes look 100 times better. They get a bit red at the corners, almost like the skin is thin and sunburned. Feels a bit like the itch of fiberglass. It lasts for 30 sec-2min and goes away. Redness too. I think it may be allergies (I’ve never had eye sensitivity or allergies before), or just a strange side effect.

With regard to the thread lift, I really really like the results. I do not feel or see the threads, besides an overall smooth and lifted look. I have one tiny spot on my jaw that is sore, but only when the skin is scrunched or pulled in that area. I usually never notice it until I have the misfortune of leaning on that side of my face. Then it’s probably like 6/10 pain, the kind you feel when a cystic pimple is coming on, except I’m 100% positive it’s a thread.

Overall, I would recommend both procedures, but the thread lift was much more painful, and how dramatics your results are is said to vary by person. I’ll probably update one more time after this. But so far, I’m very happy with my investment. Feel free to dm me if you’d like to see result pics
 
@retrothicc Thanks for sharing your experience! Can you please DM me your before/after photos for the thread lift (I don't seem to have the ability to DM others currently)? I'm considering the procedure as SMAS lift seems too invasive but I've heard thread lifts don't last long...
 
@retrothicc Thanks for sharing your experience! Can you please DM me your before/after photos for the thread lift (I don't seem to have the ability to DM others currently)? I'm considering the procedure as SMAS lift seems too invasive but I've heard thread lifts don't last long...
Sure! As a an update, all of the random shooting pain and tightness from the thread lift is gone now. As painful as it was, I really enjoy the results. When you’re young, your skin elasticity makes it such that thread lifts results will vary; some people’s features can be pulled up more than other’s. I’ll send you my b/a ~
 
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They are called Nana Hospital so I would expect they would have operating heaters for the more invasive major surgery. I hope where you went and what you saw was the area for aesthetic cosmetic procedures which can be performed at a doctor's office under local. For example, a lot of doctors in the US do facelifts now under local in the office. Having said that I would expect Nana to have proper operating theaters for their facelifts, rhinoplasty, facial contouring where you obviously would not have gone, after all it's a sterile area and not open to the casual traffic. Do you agree?
 
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