Negative Clinic Experiences
- Thread starter Phreakcodex
- Start date
Full Disclosure: I'm an American male living in South Korea for the past 6 years with my Korean Board Certified Plastic Surgeon wife.
I've been reading through these posts for the past few years and genuinely feel for those that have had complications during their surgeries. I hope those individuals were able to see a good Board Certified Plastic surgeon who could do their revisionals well. However, I do want to share that this thread gives an outlandish vibe to Korean plastic surgery. And to be honest, this "Blacklist" is kind of silly. While I think the intention isn't bad - I think it might be a little misguided. Any surgery, including cosmetic surgeries, has risk. Complications happen and may require revisional surgeries. Also, unfortunately, death is also a complication. A very rare complication. In addition, culturally, Korea is not a customer service centric country. You don't typically receive the aftercare and attention you might expect from a western hospital/clinic. Lastly, doctors, managers, coordinators are always moving clinics every couple of years and new clinics are always opening - so it's less about the clinic and more about the doctors you book with.
I wanted to share a few tips for people considering plastic surgery in korean - irrespective of this "black list" - hoping that it helps guide your research
0. Ignore this black list or feel free to use it as a guide for research, however there are names of clinics listed that I've never even heard of.. and I've lived here for the past 6 years. Some of the names I have heard of and know they're considered reputable in Korea - irrespective of how foreigners feel about them. Some of the clinics have closed. Take this list with a grain of salt.
1. Please only visit "Board Certified Plastic Surgeons" - there are thousands of clinics in South Korea - Mainly concentrated in Gangnam/Apgujeong. But if all the plastic surgeons there are not BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEONS... and you're looking for plastic surgery.... leave. That's not to say a Board Certified General Surgeon cannot do a rhinoplasty, eye surgery, or even a body contouring and give good results... But if there are complications, that's not their area of expertise, so revisionals or complications might be more difficult. You can look up board certified plastic surgeons here - Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (only issue is that there's a lot of kims, parks, chois, lees)
2. Doctors are always changing hospitals - I mentioned it above, but its not uncommon for plastic surgeons to move hospitals every few years. They do this as a way to expand their speciality or work with senior doctors that have that expertise in particular areas. Or they might not be happy in that particular work environment. So it's really less about the clinics than the actual doctor operating
3. Ghost doctors - I will neither deny nor state the existence of such practices - HOWEVER, I will say that in general hospitals, you have residents and fellows. Doctors that are training/growing/expanding in their specialty areas. For a private practice - just because you don't book with the owner of the hospital, doesn't mean you won't get incredible results. You may get a well seasoned (over qualified) plastic surgeon doing your eyes, etc. HOWEVER, if the stated doctor said he/she will solely operate on you - anything that deviates from that would be fraudulent... and I would be pretty P.O.ed by that as well. (Back to point 1 - make sure all the doctors operating in that hospital are Board Certified Plastic Surgeons)
4. Private Clinics vs. General Hospitals - In korea, Cosmetic procedures are mainly done in private clinics - at least that's the general population's thinking. General Hospitals are where life threatening operations take place. MOST Plastic Surgeons - if board certified - are trained as plastic and reconstructive surgeons in general hospitals. (Private clinics cannot Board Certify doctors, they must be training hospitals) Most PS doctors leave general hospitals to go to the private sectors in order to train on cosmetics/aesthetics. If you can find a board certified plastic surgeon that focuses on aesthetics - score - wherever you can find them - clinic or general hospital
5. If you don't feel comfortable with the doctor/clinic - Don't book with them. Simple as that. Plastic Surgery is highly competitive and very lucrative in South Korea. This is why so many non Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are doing plastic surgery. If for any reason, you don't feel comfortable - leave. There are plenty of other clinics or hospitals that would love to have your business. side-note: most (not all) consultations are free... but keep in mind - places that might charge a consultation fee are doing so to probably weed out non-serious shoppers, which means they value their time and they might not be a bad place to visit.
6. There are NO doctors that have NEVER had any NO complications. If any PS tells you that... leave. From my experience, I've met plastic surgeons from across the globe at various conferences, meetings, dinners, etc. Most (not all) have huge egos - maybe the worst amongst all different types of doctors. But even the most prestigious plastic surgeons will share that they've had complications - but share how they've managed. Depending on your values - what eases you more? An experienced plastic surgeon lying to you that they have a perfect record OR one that is aware of the risks and complications, and shares his/her experiences working through them when they have risen.
It's hard to navigate Korea's plastic surgery ecosystem without Korean. And google/papago translator will only get you so far. I've only become familiar with it because of my exposure for the past half decade. I hope this helps a little and sheds light to some of the questions you might have had.
I've been reading through these posts for the past few years and genuinely feel for those that have had complications during their surgeries. I hope those individuals were able to see a good Board Certified Plastic surgeon who could do their revisionals well. However, I do want to share that this thread gives an outlandish vibe to Korean plastic surgery. And to be honest, this "Blacklist" is kind of silly. While I think the intention isn't bad - I think it might be a little misguided. Any surgery, including cosmetic surgeries, has risk. Complications happen and may require revisional surgeries. Also, unfortunately, death is also a complication. A very rare complication. In addition, culturally, Korea is not a customer service centric country. You don't typically receive the aftercare and attention you might expect from a western hospital/clinic. Lastly, doctors, managers, coordinators are always moving clinics every couple of years and new clinics are always opening - so it's less about the clinic and more about the doctors you book with.
I wanted to share a few tips for people considering plastic surgery in korean - irrespective of this "black list" - hoping that it helps guide your research
0. Ignore this black list or feel free to use it as a guide for research, however there are names of clinics listed that I've never even heard of.. and I've lived here for the past 6 years. Some of the names I have heard of and know they're considered reputable in Korea - irrespective of how foreigners feel about them. Some of the clinics have closed. Take this list with a grain of salt.
1. Please only visit "Board Certified Plastic Surgeons" - there are thousands of clinics in South Korea - Mainly concentrated in Gangnam/Apgujeong. But if all the plastic surgeons there are not BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEONS... and you're looking for plastic surgery.... leave. That's not to say a Board Certified General Surgeon cannot do a rhinoplasty, eye surgery, or even a body contouring and give good results... But if there are complications, that's not their area of expertise, so revisionals or complications might be more difficult. You can look up board certified plastic surgeons here - Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (only issue is that there's a lot of kims, parks, chois, lees)
2. Doctors are always changing hospitals - I mentioned it above, but its not uncommon for plastic surgeons to move hospitals every few years. They do this as a way to expand their speciality or work with senior doctors that have that expertise in particular areas. Or they might not be happy in that particular work environment. So it's really less about the clinics than the actual doctor operating
3. Ghost doctors - I will neither deny nor state the existence of such practices - HOWEVER, I will say that in general hospitals, you have residents and fellows. Doctors that are training/growing/expanding in their specialty areas. For a private practice - just because you don't book with the owner of the hospital, doesn't mean you won't get incredible results. You may get a well seasoned (over qualified) plastic surgeon doing your eyes, etc. HOWEVER, if the stated doctor said he/she will solely operate on you - anything that deviates from that would be fraudulent... and I would be pretty P.O.ed by that as well. (Back to point 1 - make sure all the doctors operating in that hospital are Board Certified Plastic Surgeons)
4. Private Clinics vs. General Hospitals - In korea, Cosmetic procedures are mainly done in private clinics - at least that's the general population's thinking. General Hospitals are where life threatening operations take place. MOST Plastic Surgeons - if board certified - are trained as plastic and reconstructive surgeons in general hospitals. (Private clinics cannot Board Certify doctors, they must be training hospitals) Most PS doctors leave general hospitals to go to the private sectors in order to train on cosmetics/aesthetics. If you can find a board certified plastic surgeon that focuses on aesthetics - score - wherever you can find them - clinic or general hospital
5. If you don't feel comfortable with the doctor/clinic - Don't book with them. Simple as that. Plastic Surgery is highly competitive and very lucrative in South Korea. This is why so many non Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are doing plastic surgery. If for any reason, you don't feel comfortable - leave. There are plenty of other clinics or hospitals that would love to have your business. side-note: most (not all) consultations are free... but keep in mind - places that might charge a consultation fee are doing so to probably weed out non-serious shoppers, which means they value their time and they might not be a bad place to visit.
6. There are NO doctors that have NEVER had any NO complications. If any PS tells you that... leave. From my experience, I've met plastic surgeons from across the globe at various conferences, meetings, dinners, etc. Most (not all) have huge egos - maybe the worst amongst all different types of doctors. But even the most prestigious plastic surgeons will share that they've had complications - but share how they've managed. Depending on your values - what eases you more? An experienced plastic surgeon lying to you that they have a perfect record OR one that is aware of the risks and complications, and shares his/her experiences working through them when they have risen.
It's hard to navigate Korea's plastic surgery ecosystem without Korean. And google/papago translator will only get you so far. I've only become familiar with it because of my exposure for the past half decade. I hope this helps a little and sheds light to some of the questions you might have had.
Thank you for taking the time to write all this. It was very levelheaded and I appreciate that. It’s is incredibly difficult to weed through all the different options here. Are there any clinics you/your wife can recommend for BA and TT?
Thank you again!!
Braun seems to have gained recognition in the last few years in the forum. Is it still considered one of the bad one right now?Please share all the bad clinics to protect the future
This is a list of all the bad clinics in Korea and what happen there
You need to be very careful when you choose where to do surgery
you can find all the sources on this thread posts
Here is a list of BLACKLISTED clinics and hospitals in Korea:
My blacklisted clinics list
BANOBAGI Plastic & Aesthetic Clinic
ID Hospital
FACELINE Clinic
JEWELRY Plastic Surgery Center
BK Plastic Surgery Hospital
GRAND Plastic Surgery
CINDERELLA Global Beauty Medical Group
WONJIN Beauty Medical Group
TEUIM Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic
VIEW Plastic Surgery
TL Plastic Surgery
IWELL Plastic Surgery
IOU Plastic Surgery
BANDOEYE Aesthetic Plastic Surgeral Clinic
DAEHAN Surgical Clinic
BRAUN Plastic Surgery
DA Plastic Surgery
LIFE Plastic Surgery
VIP International Plastic Surgery Center
OZ Cosmetic Clinic
CHEONGDAM U Plastic Surgery
SAMSUNG Medical Center
SHIMMIAN Clinic
THE LINE Clinic
TLPS Plastic Surgery
AONE Clinic
SHIMMIAN Plastic Surgery Clinic
REGEN Plastic Surgery
BEAUTYLINE Clinic
Right? I’ve noticed that they’ve gained a lot of attention in the past years. I also watched a lot of their YouTube videos and they seem to have fantastic results. I believe their doctors also specialize in one specific procedure and I herd the facial contouring doctor is one of the best … so maybe they’re better now?? I would like to read more on that girl who wrote that blog and also why people find this clinic not as good cause I’ve been considering doing plastic surgery with them ..
Requesting advice please! I had rhinoplasty, zygoma reduction, and incisional DES at Deesse Clinic in September.
So far I’m happy with their rhino, but not pleased with my other procedures. My zygoma still looks protruding even though they advertised triangle cheekbone reduction method which is supposed to give me visible cheekbone reduction effect and make my face look smaller. My incisional DES are too deep and doesn’t look natural.
Should I speak to the clinic and express my concerns to see if Dr can fix it or should I look for another clinic? Will my clinic fix my concerns for free or will there be another charge? If I decide to have revision surgeries at another clinic, which clinics and Drs do you recommend for zygoma reduction and double eyelids? Any input will be appreciated. Thank you!
So far I’m happy with their rhino, but not pleased with my other procedures. My zygoma still looks protruding even though they advertised triangle cheekbone reduction method which is supposed to give me visible cheekbone reduction effect and make my face look smaller. My incisional DES are too deep and doesn’t look natural.
Should I speak to the clinic and express my concerns to see if Dr can fix it or should I look for another clinic? Will my clinic fix my concerns for free or will there be another charge? If I decide to have revision surgeries at another clinic, which clinics and Drs do you recommend for zygoma reduction and double eyelids? Any input will be appreciated. Thank you!
Sorry to hear that
Revisiting the clinic and see how it goes would be the best option.
It is hard (and useless) to speculate. The clinic might do free revision so why not try?
Do u use translator ? If possible, bring him/her and help u negotiate.
Sorry to hear that
Revisiting the clinic and see how it goes would be the best option.
It is hard (and useless) to speculate. The clinic might do free revision so why not try?
Do u use translator ? If possible, bring him/her and help u negotiate.
I really appreciate your input!
Hi, as I mentioned in my previous post, it's really less about the clinic but more about the doctor. You might want to find a doctor and/or clinic that specializes in BA and TT. Most clinics will offer everything - but the doctors that specialize in a particular area will def. have more experience and probably give you better results. I'm happy to refer my wife - as thats her specialty area, but msg me directly if you're interested. Other factors that you might want to consider... does the hospital offers in-patient rooms, is there a charge, do they provide meals, where is it located, do they have english speaking staff to support, will you need drains? How many followups should you go in for and when. When can you official fly out? Potential complications? (No doctors never has no complications... how do they deal with common complications) Do they do revisional work if there's anything major that you're unhappy with? Will they charge you? Also keep in mind that Korean doctors are used to operating on asians - skin laxity, scarring, healing, etc vary by ethnicity as well as individual. If you visit a clinic/doctor who has minimal experience with international patients, you might find a great price, but iffy results. Hope that helps.
Hi thformula1 I'm sure you've gone to see the doctor after your surgery a few times for a post-op check-up. What did she/he say in regards to your dissatisfaction? I imagine it takes some time for the swelling to go down for you to see the actual results. I believe it takes up 3 months before you see how your eyes will look and up to 6 months before they're fully healed? My recommendation is to first talk to the operating doctor. Most clinics will not charge for revisional surgeries... though they might charge minimal cost - operating costs - minus doctor fee. But keep in mind if the doctor thinks he/she accomplished what you agreed upon, they might not recommend a revisional. (it's time and money for them). Always make sure to have a thorough consultation. Most doctors will try to keep it short.. because of language and/or because again... time is money. I've heard stories of patients visiting my wife and not wanting to go to their operating doctor because they had such a bad experience trying to talk to their doctor. But even in those cases, they spoke to the operating doctor first. If you go somewhere else for a revisional, you're more than likely going to pay more for a revisional because its more work to fix something than to do it right the first time. I don't know any specialists in revisional zygoma reduction surgery, but I do know a PS that specializes in revisional eye surgeries. If you're interested in that doctor's information, feel free to message me directly. I know he's been "studying" english... but honestly, I don't know how accomodating his clinic is to english speakers. They might be very... i just don't know. I hope that helps... maybe if you give everything time to heal, the results might be better?
Hello, I wonder if you've found out more about Dr. Jang later? Or have you had a consultation with him?
ohh, all blacklist. No where left to go.Please share all the bad clinics to protect the future
This is a list of all the bad clinics in Korea and what happen there
You need to be very careful when you choose where to do surgery
you can find all the sources on this thread posts
Here is a list of BLACKLISTED clinics and hospitals in Korea:
My blacklisted clinics list
BANOBAGI Plastic & Aesthetic Clinic
ID Hospital
FACELINE Clinic
JEWELRY Plastic Surgery Center
BK Plastic Surgery Hospital
GRAND Plastic Surgery
CINDERELLA Global Beauty Medical Group
WONJIN Beauty Medical Group
TEUIM Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic
VIEW Plastic Surgery
TL Plastic Surgery
IWELL Plastic Surgery
IOU Plastic Surgery
BANDOEYE Aesthetic Plastic Surgeral Clinic
DAEHAN Surgical Clinic
BRAUN Plastic Surgery
DA Plastic Surgery
LIFE Plastic Surgery
VIP International Plastic Surgery Center
OZ Cosmetic Clinic
CHEONGDAM U Plastic Surgery
SAMSUNG Medical Center
SHIMMIAN Clinic
THE LINE Clinic
TLPS Plastic Surgery
AONE Clinic
SHIMMIAN Plastic Surgery Clinic
REGEN Plastic Surgery
BEAUTYLINE Clinic
Thank you for taking the time to provide so much helpful information. I am just beginning my search for a board certified PS specializing in face contour and nose. Quite daunting and overwhelming, but your insights are very helpful. Thank you again.