Planning rhinoplasty in Korea from abroad and wondering whether you can get a firm price before you book flights? How Edition Plastic Surgery in Gangnam handles cost questions, why the surgery cost is set only after 3D CT and consultation, who you will talk to about cost, and how to plan around that.
Hello from Edition Plastic Surgery Clinic & Dermatology in Gangnam, Seoul. If you live abroad, the cost of rhinoplasty is not a detail you can leave until the last minute. Flights, accommodation and time off work all depend on it, and it is natural to want a firm number before you commit to any of them.
At Edition, a general cost conversation can start before you travel — a brief price consultation is possible through KakaoTalk, and general cost enquiries are handled by the patient coordinator. The cost of surgery itself, however, is set only after a 3D CT has shown the inside of your nose and you have had a consultation. That is not a way of avoiding the question. It is because the operation that suits your nose — and therefore its cost — is not known until the structure underneath has been seen. This article explains how the process works and how to plan a trip around it.
Why can't the surgery cost be fixed from photos?
A photograph shows the outside of the nose. It does not show the bone and cartilage underneath, how thick the skin is, whether the septum is deviated, or — in a revision — what was used before and what state the tissue is in now. Those are exactly the things that decide which operation is suitable.
Dr. Daehee Han put it simply in a written answer to a patient who asked about basic costs and about removing threads previously placed in the nose (translated from Korean):
"Threads placed in the nose are removed during the surgery. The surgery cost is determined through consultation after checking the inside of the nose with CT. General cost consultation is handled by our patient coordinator."
The same principle appears in the clinic's stated pricing policy: a brief price consultation is possible through KakaoTalk, but for surgery, the cost is given after consultation.
What decides the cost of rhinoplasty?
Without naming any amounts, it helps to understand which parts of the plan can vary from one person to the next:
- First surgery or revision. Revision may involve removing an existing implant and rebuilding the bridge and tip.
- Materials. Edition gives priority to the patient's own tissue where it suits — septal cartilage, rib cartilage and dermis. Where an implant is used, it is silicone shaped to the patient's bone structure. Which materials suit you depends on the examination.
- Function as well as shape. Functional rhinoplasty corrects a deviated septum and improves the appearance at the same time, where that is needed.
- Anaesthesia. Fasting rules differ for sedation (8 hours) and general anaesthesia (12 hours).
- Operating time. Rhinoplasty at Edition takes 1.5 to 3.5 hours, depending on what the plan involves.
Each of these depends on what the CT and the examination show. That is why two people who send similar-looking photos can end up with different plans.
Who will I talk to about cost?
It is useful to know this in advance, so that the conversation is not confusing. At Edition, medical and surgical consultation, the operation itself and follow-up are handled by Dr. Daehee Han directly. General cost consultation is handled by the patient coordinator.
In practice, that means the questions "what should be done to my nose?" and "what does that cost?" are answered by different people, in that order. The surgeon decides the medical plan; the coordinator explains the cost of that plan. If you contact the clinic and are connected with the coordinator for a cost question, that is how the process is designed.
What can I find out before I travel?
Quite a lot, even without a final surgery cost:
- A general cost conversation. A brief price consultation is possible through KakaoTalk. Edition also runs a WhatsApp number for English-speaking patients.
- Whether your concern sounds like a first surgery or a revision, and what kind of information will be needed.
- How long to plan to stay. For patients who live abroad, Edition often recommends staying in Korea for about 7 to 10 days after rhinoplasty.
- What to stop before surgery. Edition asks patients to stop smoking 2 weeks before rhinoplasty, and to stop supplements such as omega-3, vitamins and red ginseng 1 week before.
What you cannot get in advance is a final, fixed cost for surgery. Any plan made purely from photos would be a guess about what is underneath.
How should I plan my trip around this?
Because the cost is confirmed at consultation, it helps to plan your trip so that the consultation comes first and leaves room to think. A few practical points:
- Book the consultation early in your stay. The CT and consultation happen before surgery, and you will want time to consider the plan and its cost.
- Bring your history. Dates of previous operations, what was used if you know, any fillers or threads. Dr. Han has written that threads placed in the nose are removed during surgery.
- Prepare your questions about cost. Ask what the cost includes and what it does not, so that you can compare like with like.
- Keep the follow-up in mind. Your follow-up schedule is explained at consultation, and Edition offers real-time recovery consultation through KakaoTalk after you return home.
What questions are worth asking when cost is discussed?
- Is this cost based on the plan the surgeon has just explained to me?
- If the plan uses my own cartilage, which source — septum, rib or dermis — is assumed?
- Does it include follow-up after surgery, and the medication prescribed after surgery? Edition prescribes antibiotics, pain medication and an ointment after rhinoplasty.
- What would change the cost on the day, if anything?
- How do I contact the clinic about recovery once I am home?
Asking these questions is not distrust. It is how you make sure the cost you are given matches the operation you are agreeing to.
Why does a revision need the CT even more before cost is discussed?
In a first rhinoplasty, the main unknowns are the structure of the nose and how much of your own cartilage is available. In a revision, there are more. What implant is in place, and of what material? Is there contracture? How thin has the skin become? Is there enough septal cartilage left, or will rib cartilage or dermis be needed?
3D CT is used in revision to see the existing implant and the state of any contracture. Dr. Han has written that Gore-Tex, for example, is harder to remove than silicone and that the skin can become thin, so more care is needed in surgery. Each of these findings changes the plan, which is why cost in revision is discussed only once the plan is clear.
Planning the rest of your budget
Beyond the surgery cost itself, a trip for rhinoplasty has other parts you can plan before you fly, without waiting for the consultation:
- Length of stay. For patients who live abroad, Edition often recommends about 7 to 10 days in Korea after rhinoplasty. Accommodation within easy reach of Gangnam Station helps, since the clinic is a one-minute walk from Exit 10.
- The clinic's hours. Monday to Friday 10:00 to 19:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays. Visits after surgery have to fit these hours.
- Glasses. Glasses should not rest on the nose until about 4 weeks after rhinoplasty, including sunglasses on the flight home. If you rely on glasses, raise it at consultation.
- Time off. The usual guidance for returning to daily and social routine is from around day 7, and strenuous exercise should wait until 4 to 6 weeks.
None of these depend on the final surgery cost, and planning them early means the cost conversation at consultation is the last piece rather than the first.
What happens if the plan changes after the CT?
It can happen that the plan discussed after the CT differs from what you expected from photos. For example, a nose you hoped could be treated without an implant may, on examination, be better suited to a silicone implant shaped to your bone structure, or the reverse. Dr. Han has written that he could not give a definite answer about such a choice without seeing the patient and taking a CT.
When the plan changes, the cost conversation follows the new plan. This is one more reason to leave time between the consultation and any surgery date: you can consider the medical plan and its cost together, without pressure, before deciding.
In short
You can start the cost conversation before you fly, and you can plan the length of your stay, your time off and your follow-up in advance. The one thing that waits for Seoul is the surgery cost itself, because it follows a plan that depends on what the 3D CT and the examination show. Knowing that in advance makes it a step in the process rather than a surprise.
Frequently asked questions
Q1) Can I get a rhinoplasty price by email before I fly?
A1) A brief price consultation is possible through KakaoTalk, and general cost enquiries are handled by the patient coordinator. The surgery cost itself is set after 3D CT and consultation.
Q2) Why is the CT needed before a cost is given?
A2) The CT shows the bone and cartilage structure inside the nose and, in a revision, the existing implant and any contracture. Those findings decide the operation, and the operation decides the cost.
Q3) Will Dr. Han tell me the cost?
A3) Medical and surgical consultation, the operation and follow-up are handled by Dr. Daehee Han directly. General cost consultation is handled by the patient coordinator.
Q4) I have threads in my nose. Does removing them need a separate procedure?
A4) Dr. Han has written that threads placed in the nose are removed during the surgery. Mention them at consultation.
Q5) How long should I plan to stay in Seoul?
A5) For patients who live abroad, Edition often recommends staying in Korea for about 7 to 10 days after rhinoplasty. Your follow-up schedule is explained at consultation.
Q6) Can I contact the clinic in English?
A6) Edition runs a WhatsApp number for English-speaking patients, and also offers consultation through KakaoTalk.
Recovery and results differ between individuals. Please make decisions after a full consultation with a specialist.
Rhinoplasty may cause swelling, bruising, nasal congestion, reduced sensation or temporary skin discoloration around the nose, asymmetry, and infection. The nasal tip may also drop gradually over time. The degree and duration vary from person to person, so please consult your doctor thoroughly before deciding.
Revision rhinoplasty (autologous rib cartilage, implant removal) may cause swelling, bruising, nasal congestion, reduced sensation in the nasal tip, a visible step between the implant and the nasal tip, asymmetry, infection, and pain or scarring at the rib cartilage harvest site. Results may be limited depending on the extent of tissue damage from previous surgery. The degree and duration vary from person to person, so please consult your doctor thoroughly before deciding.