My Journey with Back of Head Augmentation in Korea

[dpnot]

hi!
yes actually i did a procedure with him last october. i had a forehead augmentation. couldn’t say I’m satisfied with the result. here are the problems:

1. after the surgery i had my whole face swollen badly, like, VERY bad for about a week (it got better and better each day, the first three days was HORRIBLE). the swell left a dark circle under my eyes. Gurlek helped treated it with no additional cost but it was a depressing experience.

Gurlek explained that it happened because the augmentation elevated the face but this explanation did not really comfort me. he asked if I had been sleeping on the side, and i didn’t. the whole time after the surgery i made sure i slept facing up.

because of this i had to stay in istanbul for two weeks after the surgery.

2. i am not happy with the result. the surgery left me with visible ridge at the side of my forehead. this comes from the uneven distribution of the implant material. i have to cover it with my hair.

now I am reaching out to Dr. Song to help me correct the result, but he hasn’t replied to my mail for some weeks now (the first email was replied but not the subsequent ones). he asked for CT scans, it took me awhile after finally i could reach him again with the CT but I still got no answer from him. I want to visit him in April, so if anyone here has contact with him tecently, would you mind telling me whether he was responsive lately? (i am thinking of calling the clinic but not too sure if this would be a better way to communicate)

another note,
I did a little research regarding complications in cranioplasty and some medical journal research suggests that symptoms and output like mine are likely to happen and that there are corrective procedure for them. fingers crossed that Jogak will be the answer for me.

last, regarding Dr. Ali Gurlek,
the other significant problem was he doesn’t speak much details. he is a senior plastic surgeon who has good reputation in turkey so i fell for that. when i was there, there was a guy having back head augmentation and the result looked great. Gurlek showed me many before-after pics of his patiens and they looked good too. his patients are mostly girls, rich women from middle east, some from eastern europe. he is more like can-do-all type of plastic surgeon. i am not too sure whether what happened to me was a pure bad luck or i should have refrained from having the surgery with him at the first place. if you search clinic dr ali gurlek istanbul, google will give you only few reviews and some of them looked really really bad (i remember one bad review from a lady having “cat eye” procedure)

Sorry to hear about your experience. :/ i've heard many bad things about forehead implant which is why I was looking for other options like fat graft or also bone cement. Hope your case can be resolved soon

 

[mrtst93]

Everything feels normal, like its always been there as “your head.” Its my 6th day after my final surgery and I still have my staples in, so naturally my scalp feels a bit tight and there is some tension pain, but it’s nothing too bad and getting better each day. In one more week, I take my staples out.
In total, I had 2 surgeries using bone cement MMA with Doctor Hsu at Line Plastic surgery clinic in LA. Even though the 1st surgery was a significant improvement from the original head shape, I felt that did not achieve the results I had anticipated. Later, I learned that my thick hair and not shaving my head pre surgery had some effect on the initial outcome. Line plastic surgery was kind enough to agree with my situation, and agreed to have me come back for a revision surgery. Everyone was kind and welcoming, and easy to talk to. Eunice, my consultant at Line LA, was wonderful about keeping me in the loop of things and communication was great. I was nervous and had my doubts having to go through this for the second time around, but she constantly reassured me and kept up regular communication which put me more at ease. I had my 2nd and final surgery performed by Dr Hsu once again on Feb 24 this year, and I feel that he did a phenomenal job. Recovery seemed to be easier the second time around, and in contrast to the first initial surgery, I did not experience the same level of swelling and bruising the second time around. Its worth noting; I got a very close buzz cut this time around, and commmunicated exactly what I needed done, and even helped the doctor by marking a dot on the back of my head to show him EXACTLY where I needed the occipital bump (ridge) to be more round and defined. He was gracious enough to agree with me, and working within the realm of reality on how much more MMA my scalp could accommodate, added an additional 35cc of MMA on top of the 50cc which was already there from the initial surgery back in November. In total 80cc of bone cement after the 2nd and final surgery.
In all, I realize I will never have the “perfect” shape I would have liked to have, but Im honestly very satisfied with the final result of the 2nd procedure/revision. Overall, I think the current shape works for my facial symmetry, and I am pleased with the results. I feel I can comfortably rock a buzz cut or wear my hair longer without any issues of self consciousness regarding my profile view. I would recommend Dr Hsu at Line plastic surgery clinic in LA, but I would definitely recommend you to shave your head prior to surgery. Even though he doesn’t require it, I feel from personal experience that it significantly helps the doctor see EXACTLY what he is doing with no obstruction or optical illusions due to the hair covering you head shape, and I think the chance of your final result being aesthetically pleasing to you is certainly better. Win, win.
The first 2 photos represent where I started before I had surgery using bone cement. The second set, is after my initial surgery in November of last year at the same clinic. Even though the 1st surgery was a significant improvement from the original head shape, I felt that we could have done better.
The last set of photos is the final result of the 2nd MMA procedure for the back of the head after 6 days post op. The swelling which was there immediately post op, has mostly subsided. You can see the exact shape which was molded using MMA bone cement. My staples come out next week, and I can move on.
I hope sharing my journey on here helps someone that was in my position or considering or looking for a doctor who will perform this surgery. I can say that an implant would likely achieve a more predictable result, as they are custom molded and require a 3d CT scan however; there is only one doctor in the US who actively performs them, the procedure is more time consuming and drastically more complicated, and is NOT CHEAP. This procedure with MMA isn't cheap either, but its far less expensive than an implant, and probably more attainable to more people. Being that I had experience with this clinic and this surgeon, I would definitely recommend Dr Hsu at Line in Los Angeles California.

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Your result looks amazing! Glad you had the stamina to go for another surgery to be really satisfied!
I would like to go to Jogak, but this stupid quarantine in South Korea does not make it possible...
So I think I should get in touch with LPS aswell and see what they are offering.
Sorry, maybe you mentioned it already - but what did you pay? I heard they charge you a bit more than at Jogak (8-9k?).
Have you noticed anything in your daily life with the MMA? Or does it feel really hard/robust so that you dont need to worry about it (for example if you would accidenatley would bump your head).

I'm also a bit worrying about the skills at LPS, I think they will do a decent job, but I'm not sure if it would be worth a higher price. From what I've read so far Dr Song seems the most skilled surgent in this field.
Another stupid general question: how can I write personal messages to anyone here?
Many thanks!

 

[dpnot]

Your result looks amazing! Glad you had the stamina to go for another surgery to be really satisfied!
I would like to go to Jogak, but this stupid quarantine in South Korea does not make it possible...
So I think I should get in touch with LPS aswell and see what they are offering.
Sorry, maybe you mentioned it already - but what did you pay? I heard they charge you a bit more than at Jogak (8-9k?).
Have you noticed anything in your daily life with the MMA? Or does it feel really hard/robust so that you dont need to worry about it (for example if you would accidenatley would bump your head).

I'm also a bit worrying about the skills at LPS, I think they will do a decent job, but I'm not sure if it would be worth a higher price. From what I've read so far Dr Song seems the most skilled surgent in this field.
Another stupid general question: how can I write personal messages to anyone here?
Many thanks!

click on their profile and then click on ''start conversation''

 

[Jo-Tchong]

I would like to go to Jogak, but this stupid quarantine in South Korea does not make it possible...

Regarding south korea's covid strategy we are lucky as they adopted a "live with it" strategy.
Recently they suspended the vaccine pass nationwide and curfew was postponed to 11pm. Now, there are rumors about travelers quarantine ending soon (a quantantine update/announcement is expected by the end of march)
So wait a couple of weeks before making a decision, if you can

 

[mrtst93]

click on their profile and then click on ''start conversation''

Thank you for your response, but still cant see it maybe I need to make a minimum of posts first?

Regarding south korea's covid strategy we are lucky as they adopted a "live with it" strategy.
Recently they suspended the vaccine pass nationwide and curfew was postponed to 11pm. Now, there are rumors about travelers quarantine ending soon (a quantantine update/announcement is expected by the end of march)
So wait a couple of weeks before making a decision, if you can

Yeah, I'm daily checking the news good to hear that there are updates expected at the end of March, thanks!

 

[CorePlus]

Hi donewithit2021. You look great after the 2nd surgery. My back of my head is more flatter than yours before the surgery and I've been conscious about it all my life. I am planning to have the surgery done with Dr. song in Korea this year. Putting that much bone cement (80cc) on back of your head, does that stretch out your face skin? How much was the surgery? do you feel heaviness on back of you head? What about the scars? is it noticeable? I was told that it hardly becomes visible after awhile. I would greatly appreciate it if you can reply back. Thank you.

 

[donewithit2021]

Hi donewithit2021. You look great after the 2nd surgery. My back of my head is more flatter than yours before the surgery and I've been conscious about it all my life. I am planning to have the surgery done with Dr. song in Korea this year. Putting that much bone cement (80cc) on back of your head, does that stretch out your face skin? How much was the surgery? do you feel heaviness on back of you head? What about the scars? is it noticeable? I was told that it hardly becomes visible after awhile. I would greatly appreciate it if you can reply back. Thank you.

Here is what I look like now just over two weeks after my 2nd surgery, just got a haircut today, finally a nice skin fade without having to feel self conscious! To answer your questions:
1. No the surgery does not stretch our your face skin. You will have swelling immediately post op which will be more so the first 3-7 days. Afterwards the swelling is not major and not very noticeable, and goes down quick. I returned to all my normal activities almost immediately post op.
2. The price varies between $7500-$9000 depending on which doctor you go to. In my case it was under $9000
3. No heaviness in the back. You will feel some pain, possibly a few headaches but its bearable and subsides over the weeks.
4. You will have a scar. Depending on how you wear your hair I dont think its too noticeable because its at the top of your head. Im also 6’1 so pretty tall, and I dont think anyone will see it. It also heals better over time and becomes less noticeable. Its a very small scar, worth the tradeoff to fix a head shape irregularity.
I am very happy with my outcome, I went to Dr Hsu at Line Plastic surgery in LA California. I flew there from Florida, it was a 5 hour flight.
Overall, Line took great care of me and did right by me. The staff was great and Dr Hsu did a tremendous job. Id recommend him.

 

[donewithit2021]

click on their profile and then click on ''start conversation''

Thanks!
You have two options, deal with the stress of flying overseas to Korea, or fly to California.
You will obviously pay more in the United states, but it will be easier to deal with the surgery incase something goes wrong or you aren’t satisfied with the results, it would be hard to do with Korea.
Here is what I look like just over 2 weeks post op. My staples are out and I got a fresh skin fade. The first pic is where I started, and the last 3 are now.
Id recommend Hsu at Line. Tell them Edward Alexander sent you!
Get a hold of Eunice and tell her I referred you. They may give you a discount!

 

[dpnot]

Thanks!
You have two options, deal with the stress of flying overseas to Korea, or fly to California.
You will obviously pay more in the United states, but it will be easier to deal with the surgery incase something goes wrong or you aren’t satisfied with the results, it would be hard to do with Korea.
Here is what I look like just over 2 weeks post op. My staples are out and I got a fresh skin fade. The first pic is where I started, and the last 3 are now.
Id recommend Hsu at Line. Tell them Edward Alexander sent you!
Get a hold of Eunice and tell her I referred you. They may give you a discount!

Lool thank you for the referral info. I contacted them and they sent me a form to fill out but haven't heard from them yet. I don't know how you did it but consult+surgery dates from them seems hard specially since I'm also out of state and I'm trying to go early April since my schedule is really tight.... don't know how you managed to get a surgery date near consult day when you stayed i think 10 days??

 

[CorePlus]

Thank you for replying back Edward. You look completely a different person after the surgery. thank you so much for the information.

 

[donewithit2021]

Lool thank you for the referral info. I contacted them and they sent me a form to fill out but haven't heard from them yet. I don't know how you did it but consult+surgery dates from them seems hard specially since I'm also out of state and I'm trying to go early April since my schedule is really tight.... don't know how you managed to get a surgery date near consult day when you stayed i think 10 days??

I had the surgery date booked. You have to stay on top of it or call them, keep in mind they do other procedures there and they get busy. Just pull the trigger, commit, set a surgery date based on when the doctor has availability and go. You will have a consult with the doc then surgery. Last time I went just for 4 days. Consult and surgery was the same day I got off the plane. 3 days to get the gauze wrap taken off and flew home the next day after that.

 

[dpnot]

I had the surgery date booked. You have to stay on top of it or call them, keep in mind they do other procedures there and they get busy. Just pull the trigger, commit, set a surgery date based on when the doctor has availability and go. You will have a consult with the doc then surgery. Last time I went just for 4 days. Consult and surgery was the same day I got off the plane. 3 days to get the gauze wrap taken off and flew home the next day after that.

Yeah but since it's my first time I thought I needed to stay longer for them to take out the staples? Thank you, will call them soon.

 

[donewithit2021]

Yeah but since it's my first time I thought I needed to stay longer for them to take out the staples? Thank you, will call them soon.

You dont need to do that. You get the staples taken out at any doctors office or your primary care doctor when you get home. I did this both times.

 

[Camcam77550]

@donewithit2021 Hi ! I do have some questions about the resilience of the implant. First of all, is it fixed to your skull or is there like a gap in beetwen the implant and your skull ? Secondly, I was wondering if the implant could move from its initial position after an impact ? For instance if you would receive a ball on the back of your head whilst playing basketball or soccer.

Thanks for your feedbacks !

 

[donewithit2021]

@donewithit2021 Hi ! I do have some questions about the resilience of the implant. First of all, is it fixed to your skull or is there like a gap in beetwen the implant and your skull ? Secondly, I was wondering if the implant could move from its initial position after an impact ? For instance if you would receive a ball on the back of your head whilst playing basketball or soccer.

Thanks for your feedbacks !

Ummmm… The bone cement is bonded to your bone, so no there is no gap.
As far as getting hit with a ball while playing basketball or soccer I don’t know. I suppose anything is possible.. Personally, I dont plan to be putting myself in a situation where that may or may not happen. All I can tell you is that its solid, its hard like your own bone. I am very happy with the results and the outcome of the surgery. I can officially put this all behind me and move on with my life at 37 years of age.