Breast Augmentation in Korea for International Patients

Before booking: verify, don't assume

Korea regulates hospitals and clinics that treat international patients: institutions attracting foreign patients register with the government, and the official Medical Korea portal (operated under the Ministry of Health and Welfare) is the entry point for checking institutions and patient-support information. Separately, confirm that the operating surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon — in Korea this is a government-recognized specialty, and the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons represents that specialty. IMAGE Plastic Surgery in Gangnam (514 Teheran-ro, 10F) performs Motiva Preserve breast augmentation under Dr. Hong-ki Lee, a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Consulting from abroad: what to prepare

Before traveling, most planning can happen remotely. Useful items to prepare and share with the clinic:

• Medical history — prior breast surgery, medications, allergies, smoking status, and any plans for pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Any breast imaging you already have (mammography or ultrasound reports)
• Your goals and constraints, stated plainly — evidence supports realistic, individualized planning rather than a one-size answer (ASPS — Breast Augmentation)

Ask the clinic how language support works for consultation and consent documents before you commit. For IMAGE Plastic Surgery, international inquiries start at +82-2-539-9933.

Structuring your stay in Seoul

Motiva Preserve is typically a day-surgery procedure, but early recovery still needs time in the city. Rather than booking the shortest possible trip, plan your departure date with your surgeon: enough days for the operation, at least one post-operative check, dressing or suture care, and a review of warning signs before a long flight. The comfortable window differs by person — anesthesia response, swelling, and work demands all matter — so treat any fixed number you read online as a starting point for discussion, not a rule. General risks and warning signs of implant surgery are summarized by the U.S. FDA; reviewing them with your surgeon before departure is part of safe planning.

After you fly home: follow-up and records

Before leaving Korea, make sure you carry what your home-country physician would need:

• Operative record — implant manufacturer, model, size, serial numbers (Motiva implants used in the Preserve program are FDA-approved devices; FDA PMA P230005), and the implant warranty card
• A written follow-up plan — how the clinic handles remote questions, and which findings warrant a local visit
• Long-term surveillance expectations for breast implants, which apply regardless of where surgery was performed (FDA — Risks and Complications)

Implants are not considered lifetime devices; ongoing awareness rather than anxiety is the balanced position (Motiva — Preserve patient information).