V.LIF

I contacted 5 plastic surgery clinics in Seoul (via Whatsapp) requesting information about a facelift. 4 of them, according to information in forums, are clinics that specialize in facelifts. Vlif and one other clinic replied promptly and remained responsive throughout. When I arrived in Seoul, I visited Vlif and the other clinic for a face-to-face consultation.

The choice between Vlif and the other clinic came down to specifics in the procedure. Vlif uses suction drainage tubes post-op, removes the sutures after 7 days, and uses IV sedation instead of general anesthesia. The other clinic does not use drainage tubes post-op, removes sutures after 2 weeks, and uses general anesthesia.

From my research, a suction dainage tube helps prevent hematoma, although some literature also said that was not conclusive. A surgeon from California (from a youtube video I watched as part of my research) also mentioned that he prefers working on a face with resting muscle tone vs a paralyzed face under a full general anesthesia. Since I was traveling alone, I too did not want to deal with the after effects of a general anesthesia on my own. Lastly, I asked Dr. Youn, my plastic surgeon at Vlif, why remove the sutures in a week vs 2 weeks. He said that the longer the sutures stay, the more scaring becomes visible, and 6-9 days for suture removal is optimal for reduced scarring.

At the other clinic, I spent more time speaking to the clinic manager than to the surgeon himself, regarding clinical procedures. That felt a bit odd to me. I've had a different plastic surgery procedure performed last year in Seoul at a different clinic, and only spoke to the surgeon regarding clinical procedures. So that was my expectation. At Vlif, I spoke only to Dr Youn about clinical procedures, which I truly appreciated. Dr Youn is an attentive surgeon. He checked on me in the recovery room after the surgery, something my previous surgeon did not do. His consultation was comprehensive and I found his rapport with his staff to be very positive. On the contrary, at the other clinic, I sensed some patriarchal dynamics between the doctor and the staff that was not comfortable for me.

The Vlif team that supported me, Amy, Bella and Christine, were always cheerful, professional, organized and responsive. Amy always prepares me for what is going to happen so I know what to expect. That was very helpful for me, especially knowing ahead of time that certain preparatory procedures will be uncomfortable (e.g. the tying and taping of the hair to prevent it from getting into the incisions and the removal of the bandages). The team also helped with my hotel reservation at a hotel they contract at a special rate for their clients. The hotel is very clean and comfortable. It is also within walking distance to the clinic and the metro station.

Today is Day 4 and my face is healing well. There is some swelling but not a lot ... and I think credit goes to the suction drainage tubes and the compression dressing. I returned to the clinic this morning for the first time since surgery day. My bandages were removed, hair washed, and suture areas cleaned. I also received antibiotics and de-swelling medication through an injection. Finally, I had red light therapy to help with the healing.

On Day 8, my sutures will be removed and I look forward to seeing the final results of this procedure in the coming months.

*****This review is from an official V.LIF's Google review