post surgery

[kittygirl8]

The oral maxillo-facial surgery was MAJOR. They moved both the jaws and sewed them together for the next few weeks. The antibiotics so cleared my intestines of the necessary bacteria, I was retching so severely every 20 mins, I thought I was going to die! Eventually, I got some yoghurt and it was fine thereafter. But great weight loss programme!!
This is much MUCH M U C H less uncomfortable - you'll live this one down easily, then. That wasn't painful at the jaw either, what?!

Okay, I'm back from removing the splint. I LURVE MY NEW NOSE! Not too high and not too low. There is hardly any swelling as is supposedly the case with autologous implants. There was little to no discoloration around the face (my eye lids had been purplish on the first three days).
The alar work was great - you would need to be microscopic to detact a scar. Overall, good definition already - the tip still to settle further, but so far, 'tis good.

Okay, got the good Dr to answer a few questions.
1. Where did he get the cartilage from? He took 6 cm from the front of a lower rib. Ribs wrap around the back. The front, where it links to the sternum is cartilage - so now, there's a gap in front, just a couple of inches under my right nipple (away from the heart lah). Might be a problem when CPR is applied leh, come to think of it!! Shit!
2. Does cartilage warp? Yes, it can - esp for younger people as it's malleable. He said mine already had some calcification, so it should not be a problem for me. Yeh!
3. How long does it take to settle? The cartilage will attach itself in about three weeks. So will need to be extra careful till then. The tip will take a little longer and will shrink slightly to be more defined.
4. Does he ever do silicon implant? No, but he has done quite a lot of silicon removal.

I'm out of KHH tomorrow morning - gotta get some Zzzz now. Maybe get me some sunnies at HKG airport to fit the new nose - never could before!! We'll see....

Hey there, good to hear from you again! You know what, getting a sunnies is the first thing I told myself I'm gonna get right after my surgery! I can definitely identify with you on this, as sunnies pretty much slip down on a nose like mine with absolutely no bridge to hold it. Man, make sure you get a big big cool cool stylo milo sunnies lol!!

Not forgetting - Congratulations to you on your new nose!! Really happy for you, YAY!!!

By the way, did you happen to bump into Feline as I believe she's having a surgery done over there right this moment huh?

I agree with you that we should do PS for ourselves and not for anyone else, I'm just worried I might not be able to handle having people at work gossiping behind me, as you know, we still live in a conservative society, not everyone accept PS - sometimes I do wonder if God actually support me to do this cos there's always this saying that we should be contented with what God has given us....sigh.....

Thanks for helping to check with Dr Hsu on my questions. Did you not check with him how he obtain the rib ah? Did he have it done by, "SAWING" through it? I mean rib is bone you know, you can't just cut it with a scissors right? Eeeeeeeeeeeeee......

How come you didnt opt for ear cartilage instead of rib...?

Do you have to go back to KHH again for follow up har?

Wish you a safety journey back home and thanks again for sharing your experience with us, really appreciate that....

[4Kix]

No, you will definitely survive this one sans problemo - nothing beats jaw surgery in torture!

I'm back home now and a friend couldn't wait for the sun to set bfore setting eyes and she came by to see. She reckons it very nice! Very high but not TOO high - okay, I'm happy!

Forget to take a USB memory stick to Dr Hsu so he sent my photos over - he reckons I look younger and handsome now - ahhh, what man won't admire his own handiwork?! ... wait-a-minute, what was he saying about the 'before" look??!! Dang!

Now, all I have to do is not accidentally injure the nose and let it settle for the next three months.

Wonder how feline.eyes is doing. Hope you are doing great and very happy and not in too much pain. Take care.

[4Kix]

Hey Kittygirl8 - didn't see this post before I put mine in leh.

I didn't get them sunnies as there is some settling to be had before the final look 'appears', but it gives shopping a certain twist now - no more riding on the cheeks with each blessed smile. So many to choose from - may be the next big fashion accessory for me now but don't want to end up like crazy folks with shades indoors as well.
I wear glasses and even the lightest ones leave an indentation right now, so Dr Hsu has asked me to tap them to the forehead for the next three weeks - weird leh! But I'm home so it's okay.
Eh! Didn't ask HOW he took the rib out lah but it was 6cm (with a nice 4-5cm scar to show. As the bone comes round the back it changes to cartilage nearest to the sternum (mid bone). He took it from there. I don't think saw lah - maybe just a very sharp scalpel - it's only cartilage.
Now one rib left dangling leh - but he assured me it will work in tandem with the rest of the ribcage as they generally operate as a whole. Kena sai if someone does CPR or executes the Heimlich maneouvre on me. Just have to clean the wound regularly and put antibiotic ointment on the columnella and alar cuts. To do a proper reconstruction of the tip, he needed to cut me nose and invert it ... all the way up to the bridge - I asked if he had pictures but he just laughed (at me or the question, I'm left to guess!)
If you wanna be a purist, please walk around the blessed place naked huh. He sure didn't make us with clothes nor fancy dyed haircuts. Some need more help than others! Much like the way we go for endless tuitions or hang on to the latest trendy outfit/bag/sunnies/shoes/I can go on. Come on - get with the programme!! Now you see why I have no problems with detractors? Gossipers will find something to say about you in anycase - good grief, it's their lifeline!! Can't live our lives ... eh, you remember the story about the guy who wanted to sell his donkey at the market?? You might have left kinder before they got to this story??!! Hahaha...
I used rib cos I wanted a much more substantial nose and know that both ear cartilages wouldn't suffice. My take is, if you're going to go through all that trouble to have something done, DO IT BIG. Make it what youve always dreamed it to be (uh, within logical limits hor) You regret when you pare things down to make it less noticable, more subtle, etc... WHY??? To pander to the opinion of lesser mortals? Then surgery isn't for you lor.
No, I shook Dr Hsu's hand and bade him goodbye - we'll correspond on email but I can't see me in KHH in the near future. KHH folks are some of the sweetest I've seen of chinese society; they care for you. But nothing else to do there leh... really NOTHING.... It's 1.5 hrs from HKG so, unless I'm around that area, might hop on a DragonAir flight out... note, Dr Hsu is not in KHH - he just uses the hospital facility.

[kittygirl8]

Hey hey thanks for taking the time to reply again, appreciate that. Don't you find all this pretty surreal, just not too long ago you were in pain at the hospital, and the next you're back at home, wondering which sunnies you should get! Man I wish there is this 'remote' like the movie 'Click', then I could just fast forward to where you are at now, skipping the 'pain' portion hehehe...

Hmmm wonder where is Feline, dunno how her surgery goes....did you not see her when you went back to the hospital?

Sorry leh I kinda confused about the part where you explain about the rib turning into cartilage....? How does that work????Can you elaborate on that - PLEASEeeeeeee.....

Hey what you said about the CPR thingy with a missing rib makes me laugh so hard!!! Did you check with Dr Hsu anot if the rib can actually heal itself after a period of time? Don't tell me the rib will stay hanging forever...????

Funnily I keep having this image of him sawing through the rib and then he accidentally saw too hard and the whole bone structure with all the ribs in the body collapse....too imaginative lor hor? Hehe.....

How did you find Dr Hsu huh? Is he attentive and good...? Does he brush you off etc...?

I can understand how you feel about now wanting to go back....if me I oso dun wanna go back again...once is enough oreadi!!! But what if say got infection after that how har...? Do we have to fly all the way back again, lagi expensive right??

Yes, must learn to live for ourself and not other people, must learn must learn...

wahaha...

[kittygirl8]

By the way ah, how long did you correspond with Dr Hsu before you make the appointment with him? Does he takes a long time to reply email...?

[4Kix]

I'm not the smartest cookie in the jar, I'll tell you that... just realised that when I click reply to a post, the rest actually follow below for easy referencing! Sigh ...

I corresponded with Dr Hsu a couple (that's two for the uninitiated) times and then booked the date. I saw his work on Hello84 (this guys is organising a trip to TPE in Aug/Sep) and it was really good. I couldn't understand anything else since his site is in Chinese. He answers in a day or two but you best enumerate your queries cos he tends to skip some things in his responses. He's careless that way. BTW, I reckon he is booked out for months. He used to just operate on Wed, but while I was there, he operated on Thu as well... hmmm... Even the taxi driver was telling me, lots of people go to that hospital to do rhinoplasty - strange for a hospital that doesn't have a plastic surgeon.

He is a jumpy and jerky sorta guy - he speaks in sputters (maybe it's the language he has to translate as he speaks) and always seems to be in a rush. I had to slow him down. But he is VERY nice and not at all high and mighty (ala certain PS who misguidedly portray themselves as God's gift to mankind as you may have read on this forum). He has a sense of what will work and somehow doesn't articulate this as clearly as one may need to hear. Still he did ask me to trust him and he did a splendid job (at least with what I can see up till now lah!!). Make sure you give him very clear indications of what you wish ask him to tell you what will work FOR YOU. You know, here's a strange thing, I wouldn't recognise him on the streets today if I saw him - he always had a mask over his face. But he's from the South and, I reiterate, KHH folks are lovely souls.

Bones rarely attach to bones, there's cartilage betwixt them. So at the sternum, it's cartilage first. Then it attaches to the bony part of the rib cage - yeah, think I will ask about if it grows back, somehow I doubt it though. ; 6cm is too much to bridge. Also doubt if it is a saw - too messy and cartilage is soft.... remember, he has to shave it around to shape it to be able to use it in the nose.

I asked if he had operated on a Singapore girl the night I had my stitches removed and he said yes. I wanted to pass Feline the map I collected but he said he had already provided one. He said she spoke Chinese and had her sister there as well so, I left it at that. Haiyah all these people bluff cannot speak chinese, I thought like me - totally dependant on hand signals and the couple of phrases, of which I used "tui pu ji, woh pu huey jiang hwa yu" the most! Hope to hear good news from her soon. Then you can get another perspective on things.

Chill...

[mintgirl]

Hey 4kix

man...Dr Hsu sounds like an awesome doc. It's good that I can speak chinese, but my reading and writing are pretty bad (probably primary school level) cos I've live all my life overseas (I'm not living in an asian country).

If you don't mind me asking....will you be posting before and after pics of your results? Is it possible to pm your pics later on? I want to see Dr Hsu's work, and since you said it's a really good job, I would very much like to see it ^^.

*pls?*

thank you

[4Kix]

I think Dr Hsu will, in due course, put the photos on his site - not sure when. I just compiled the before-after and sent to him leh. I'm kinda nervous sending photos of me around the internet, might end up on some salacious site ... superimposed on a gorgeous bod in a compromising position, quickly ending a promising political or movie career ... ahem (after effects of the drugs) ... But do go to his site, he has all the befores & afters there. Anyways don't think I can PM as yet.

Okay, have some answers for K8, the scaredy-cat.
1. The cartilage is cut with a scalpel and dissector.
2. The area will be filled with scar tissue. I'm so curious, I wanna take an X-ray now!
3. CPR is done slightly to the left (so please, only trained CPR folks need apply should I collapse), and for the Heimlich, there're still ribs below that were untouched. Phew, I choke at the thought.
4. Each cartilage is sutured together and in three months, they'll stick to the skin, the periosteum (the membrane of the bone), and together - thus this wait period. Dr Hsu is writing a new article expounding on the differences between the septal, ear, rib cartilage - all will be revealed.

[kittygirl8]

I think Dr Hsu will, in due course, put the photos on his site - not sure when. I just compiled the before-after and sent to him leh. I'm kinda nervous sending photos of me around the internet, might end up on some salacious site ... superimposed on a gorgeous bod in a compromising position, quickly ending a promising political or movie career ... ahem (after effects of the drugs) ... But do go to his site, he has all the befores & afters there. Anyways don't think I can PM as yet.

Okay, have some answers for K8, the scaredy-cat.
1. The cartilage is cut with a scalpel and dissector.
2. The area will be filled with scar tissue. I'm so curious, I wanna take an X-ray now!
3. CPR is done slightly to the left (so please, only trained CPR folks need apply should I collapse), and for the Heimlich, there're still ribs below that were untouched. Phew, I choke at the thought.
4. Each cartilage is sutured together and in three months, they'll stick to the skin, the periosteum (the membrane of the bone), and together - thus this wait period. Dr Hsu is writing a new article expounding on the differences between the septal, ear, rib cartilage - all will be revealed.

Aiya dun call me scaredy-cat leh, I know I sound vely kia-si (wahaha) but rib leh, flesh and bone leh, must be extra extra super ultra careful mah...wat if something happen (Choy! Choy! Touchwood!!) Somemore in a foreign land leh....hehehe...

Thanks for helping me to find out the questions, really appreicate that!

In other words, the rib will heal right? It will not stay dangling right??

Oooohhhh...dissector....so he did use a 'scissor' afterall....whew then not so scary than a saw le hehe....hey u didnt go tell Dr Hsu a siao cha bor think that he uses a saw to cut patients rib hor...? He will think I dunno come out from where wan hehe....

Wahaha youyr comment about people superimposing your photo, somemore compromising position damn funny lor wahahaha....after surgery so handsome olreadi meh....

[4Kix]

What the hec? You go into surgery thinking all sorts of things one ah? Please don't kill yourself.

Eh, I'm being nasty - found this on You Tube - just for you guys : http://youtube.com/watch?v=zcjLfwMhCD4&feature=related
Ewe! Could be you! See the ways the septum is cut and shaped... hello?.. uh hello?? ... pengsan already ah?

No lah, I don't discuss other people with Dr Hsu; neither does he indulge. But I'm curious how Feline turned out - hope she's well.

Also. I'm realistic about aesthetic surgery. I do it to find a balance I can accept rather than that gorgeous look (just hope they are not mutually exclusive, of course). Need to manage that expectation lest you end up disappointed. I'm now miles ahead of where I was lah... but need to let the nose settle first. Much like the oral maxillo-facial surgery, y'know what I mean?

[Sungho]

Gratz to your surgery 4kix =) IS golf hotel somewhere between the hospital and dr hsu's clinic... since u are doing the surgery at the hospital and probably removed ur stitches at his clinic?

[kittygirl8]

What the hec? You go into surgery thinking all sorts of things one ah? Please don't kill yourself.

Eh, I'm being nasty - found this on You Tube - just for you guys : http://youtube.com/watch?v=zcjLfwMhCD4&feature=related
Ewe! Could be you! See the ways the septum is cut and shaped... hello?.. uh hello?? ... pengsan already ah?

No lah, I don't discuss other people with Dr Hsu; neither does he indulge. But I'm curious how Feline turned out - hope she's well.

Also. I'm realistic about aesthetic surgery. I do it to find a balance I can accept rather than that gorgeous look (just hope they are not mutually exclusive, of course). Need to manage that expectation lest you end up disappointed. I'm now miles ahead of where I was lah... but need to let the nose settle first. Much like the oral maxillo-facial surgery, y'know what I mean?

Yalah pengsan aleady lah u so bad....

[feline.eyes]

[mintgirl]

I don't know whether to go to dr hsu or dr chuang
I was originally planning to use goretex for my rhino, but then after hearing about rib cartilage I was like ' hmmm...that sounds like the safer option'
but now???!! After emailing dr chuang, he said this about using rib cartilage
'I did a lot of total rib rhinoplasty in the past. However the side effect and complication make me unlike to do this operation. There will be possible warpping issue anytime after operation so you will always worry about your nose. Once the issue is appeared it is not fixable all the time. Besides the chest wall scar is another issue especially you would like to do breast augmentation. We charge____ including general anaesthesia for this surgery.'

ahhh!! I dunno what to do...do you guys think it's better to use rib or what? I don't want it to warp =/

[4Kix]

Gratz to your surgery 4kix =) IS golf hotel somewhere between the hospital and dr hsu's clinic... since u are doing the surgery at the hospital and probably removed ur stitches at his clinic?

Dr Hsu's OWN clinic is outside Kaohsiung. He mentioned about 50km or so away. I only met him at the ENT Clinic at the hospital. That's why I only saw him briefly b4 surgery after hours at the hospital; before I checked out at his lunch hour; and to remove stitches after hours again. I never went to his OWN clinic.

Golf is just around the corner from the hospital - about 15 mins walk. You can take a cab (the hotels somehow always insist on calling the cab for you) - that would take all of three minutes and TWD85 (flag fare) to get there!