Hi everyone, I wanted to write a review of my procedure to help anyone considering DES. Basic info:
Surgery: Non-incisional DES with epicanthoplasty, ptosis correction and jaw b*tox
Date of procedure: March 16, 2025
Doctor: Dr. Suh
Cost: $2,250 CAD Why I decided to get the procedure and how I chose my clinic and doctor My main concern was that I was using my eyebrows to open my eyes and express myself, which I felt was causing headaches and would lead to forehead wrinkles down the line. Starting about 8 months out, I researched on the UNNI app, Reddit, Purse Forum, and Sungyesa, narrowing down to 10 clinics with good reviews for similar procedures. I sat on the decision for a few months before getting more serious around the 3-month mark. From there, I looked more closely at how each clinic marketed itself, any malpractice news, and approximate price points, and also asked friends who had similar procedures. I eventually settled on Wink, Girin, and Marble. I did an online consultation with Wink and in-person consultations with Girin and Marble. All three initially recommended incisional DES with ptosis correction. A friend had a positive experience at Marble the year prior, which was the deciding factor for me. As I was only in Korea for 10 days, I prebooked my surgery date and put down a deposit of 400,000 won. Consultation My consultation and procedure were pushed back 2 hours on the day of, though I was notified via KakaoTalk about an hour beforehand. The wait was a bit frustrating since I was fasting, but I killed time at Olive Young and Daiso. When I arrived, I changed into a hospital gown, removed my jewelry, and was brought to the consultation room for before photos. The initial consultation was handled by an English-speaking consultant who had a clear picture of what I wanted before the doctor arrived. I'm Korean but still wanted a translator to make sure I wasn't missing anything. When Dr. Suh arrived, he walked me through the differences between incisional and non-incisional methods, first asking what I already knew to gauge what information I needed. He said I was a candidate for either method, but recommended non-incisional for a more natural, lower crease result. He also explained that while non-incisional sutures can loosen over time, revision would be simpler than revising an incisional procedure. He noted that because my eyes are set further apart, a medial epicanthoplasty would help bring more symmetry to my face. I appreciated his transparency throughout and there was no pressure at any point. Procedure After agreeing to the procedure, I completed payment at the front desk and waited outside the operating room. The nurses were a bit rough but explained everything as they went, which helped. Once the sedation set in, I didn't feel anything until I began waking up toward the end. I could feel the sutures being placed but there was no pain, similar to getting a dental filling where you feel pressure but not pain. Once complete, Dr. Suh had me open my eyes to check the results, then I was brought back to the waiting room with an ice pack. The whole procedure took about an hour. One thing I wasn't expecting was feeling very cold as the sedation wore off. After procedure I picked up my medication from the pharmacy and got food nearby afterward. My eyes were swollen but the pain hadn't set in yet. The evening of surgery was the most painful. Days 2–3 were the worst for swelling, but I walked around frequently and slept with my head elevated. Bruising went from purple to green to yellow over about 2 weeks. Pain was mostly gone by day 3, leaving just some soreness. At the 1-week mark, I returned to the clinic to have my sutures removed and received red-light therapy. The suture removal was more uncomfortable than any part of the recovery, but it was over in under 5 minutes. I went to Japan shortly after and had no issues getting around. I held off on makeup until the 4-week mark to let the inner corners heal fully. Overall thoughts I'm extremely pleased with the results, exactly the natural look I was going for, and I love the addition of the epicanthoplasty. Even though I was fairly vague in describing what I wanted, Dr. Suh designed my eyes exactly how I'd envisioned. I would definitely recommend both him and Marble clinic.