A good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning? At first, I asked whether such a surgery even existed (A story from Dr. Shin Jong-in of Objet Plastic Surgery)

A good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning? At first, I asked whether such a surgery even existed

(A story from Dr. Shin Jong-in of Objet Plastic Surgery)

Hello, this is Dr. Shin Jong-in of Objet Plastic Surgery.

Today, I’d like to begin with a story about a lecture I gave at a recent academic conference.

On April 20, at APS KOREA 2025, the Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, I had the opportunity to stand as a speaker for the first time in a long while. I presented my research findings on the topic of lower eyelid fat repositioning using a transconjunctival incision (Transconjunctival Lower Blepharoplasty Combining Infraorbital Fat Reposition and Septal Reset).

When I checked how long it had been since my last lecture, I realized nearly 10 years had passed, and I was struck by how quickly time had gone by. Thinking about standing on an academic stage again after so long made me feel awkward and nervous, but fortunately, thanks to my experience giving conference presentations over the years, I was able to finish the lecture well without too much trouble.

Since opening my practice in 2007, I have tried to diligently continue publishing papers and giving lectures on under-eye surgery and dark circle treatment, but recently I feel I may have been somewhat lacking. Still, this conference presentation gave me a chance to整理, once again, the surgical techniques I have used for lower eyelid fat repositioning over the years.

Now, thinking about it from the perspective of a doctor in my 50s, I feel that going forward, it would be better to share my thoughts more often and more widely. There were so many things I wanted to tell my patients over the years, but I regret that I wasn’t able to reach them all.

I’m glad that I can share my thoughts now, even if I worry that my story may be boring. Still, since I’ve put my honest feelings into it, I would appreciate it if you read to the end even if the content feels a little serious and not very entertaining.

Q1. What led to the popularization of lower eyelid fat repositioning?

In fact, it has not been that long since lower eyelid fat repositioning became widely known. When I first opened my practice in 2007, only a very small number of doctors were performing lower eyelid fat repositioning surgery.

The reason was that the procedure itself was not well known, and there was very little about it in plastic surgery textbooks. If you looked at the textbooks, there was not even a full page on lower eyelid fat repositioning—just a brief mention.

It was unfamiliar to me at first as well. As I studied various papers to understand what kind of surgery it was, I suddenly thought, what if dark circles could be treated with lower eyelid fat repositioning?

From that point on, I searched through both domestic and overseas papers and began researching the surgical method. There were many trials and errors even in the process of organizing and studying the technique. I had to perform surgery based on the techniques I had researched, and that was not easy either. Since patients also did not know much about this surgery, there were hardly any people who wanted to undergo it. It felt almost like trying to beat my head against a wall.

Then I performed my first surgery, and the patient was the daughter of a friend of my mother. She was a woman in her early 30s who said she was troubled by dark circles that looked more pronounced because of bulging under-eye fat. After hearing her story, I thought she was a suitable case for surgery, and that was how I performed my first transconjunctival fat repositioning procedure.

After the surgery, the patient was very satisfied, saying that the under-eye fat and dark circles that had worried her for so long had disappeared. Seeing the good result also put my mind at ease, and honestly, I felt proud. After that, perhaps word spread that this was a good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning, because many people with concerns about protruding under-eye fat or dark circles began to visit.

But when I actually consulted with them, many people asked what lower eyelid fat repositioning even was. Since it was not yet a widely known procedure, it felt unfamiliar to them. That was when I felt I needed to let people know about lower eyelid fat repositioning as quickly as possible.

So I added information about lower eyelid fat repositioning to the hospital website. Since it was a procedure that almost no one knew about, I wrote every piece of content for the website myself, one by one. I remember that at the time, fellow doctors would ask whether such a surgery even existed, and whether enough patients were coming in for us to include it on the website.

But now, there is practically no plastic surgery website that does not include information about lower eyelid fat repositioning. That shows how much it has become mainstream. It would not be an exaggeration to say there is no clinic that does not perform lower eyelid fat repositioning. I honestly think that I contributed to some extent, even if only in a small way, to the popularization of this surgery. ^^ Because I researched lower eyelid fat repositioning from the early days when it was not well known and consistently published papers and gave conference presentations, I believe many doctors and patients came to learn about it.

Q2. Is there a patient who left the strongest impression on you while performing lower eyelid fat repositioning surgery?

Over the past 20 years of performing lower eyelid fat repositioning surgery, I have met a great many patients. Because of the grateful title of being a good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning, I sometimes feel embarrassed by the excessive attention, but I am truly thankful.

Many people trust that Objet Plastic Surgery is a good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning and come to us, and among the patients who remain most memorable to me are those whose surgeries were a bit difficult. In other words, they are the patients I had to struggle with the most. Usually, these are people who had lower eyelid fat repositioning surgery at another clinic but did not get good results.

When someone comes to me urgently because the area under the eyes has suddenly become too hollow after surgery, or the shape has turned unnatural... I try my best to help in any way I can. I may not have been the doctor who performed the original surgery, but from the patient’s perspective, it must be extremely worrying and stressful. So I always approach these cases with the mindset that I must mobilize all the knowledge I have to help them somehow.

When those patients later tell me they are satisfied and say, “Ah, so that’s why Objet is known as a good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning,” I feel both grateful and embarrassed.

For lower eyelid fat repositioning, satisfaction after surgery is important, but so are how long the results last and whether there is any recurrence. It is a procedure in which recurrence can happen fairly often.

That is why I still do not neglect research on lower eyelid fat repositioning. Not only I, but all of the medical staff at Objet Plastic Surgery, live a life of continuous research and study. Only then can we achieve results that satisfy our patients.

Q3. A message for the patients who visit Objet Plastic Surgery

First of all, I would like to say thank you always. I am deeply grateful that you trust me and choose to have surgery with me, and I am even more thankful for those who go on to say, “Objet Plastic Surgery is a good place for lower eyelid fat repositioning.” I cannot fully express in words how grateful I am. Thanks to all of you, I am who I am today.

I always face patients with gratitude, but when I actually meet them, I feel that these feelings may not always come across, which I regret. I think that the way doctors are busy seeing patients and planning surgeries at the clinic may feel somewhat cold to patients. I believe this is something not only I but many fellow doctors worry about.

However, as a doctor, I believe that when it comes to surgery, we must approach it with a cool-headed and objective attitude. I believe that is part of the medical staff’s effort for the sake of patients. And that, of course, is also naturally reflected in the surgical results.

So, because I try to stay as calm as possible, I may come across as a bit cold to patients. But in my heart, I am always grateful and want to do well for them. It is hard to express that feeling. From the outside, I may seem cold, but if you could understand that I am always full of gratitude, I would be very thankful. ^^

Today, I had the chance to talk about my recent conference presentation and also open up about my true feelings. Going forward, I want to communicate with patients more often and create more opportunities to express my gratitude.

If you have any questions about me or about lower eyelid fat repositioning, please feel free to leave a comment and I will აუცილებლად answer.^^

As I wrote, this post became quite long. I will end here for today.

This has been Dr. Shin Jong-in of Objet Plastic Surgery. Thank you for spending time with this long post.

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• This post is medical information written by Objet Plastic Surgery Clinic in compliance with the Medical Advertising Act.

• The effectiveness of the procedure may vary depending on the individual, and side effects may occur.

We recommend that you make your decision only after having sufficient consultation with the medical staff in advance.