Stitch removal after eyelid surgery
Typically 4 to 6 days after surgery
Medical Travel
For International Patients
LEE HAKSOO Plastic Surgery is an eyelid surgery clinic in Seomyeon, Busan. We work on the eyes and nothing else, and Dr. Lee Haksoo has been doing that in the same place for 25 years. English consultation, quotes and booking are handled by KORA, our official medical travel partner, so you can plan the whole trip in English on WhatsApp before you buy a flight.
How it works
From first message to flying home
Five steps. Most of the work happens before you leave your country, so the trip itself stays simple.
1
Message on WhatsApp
Send photographs of your eyes taken straight on in daylight, open and closed, without makeup. Tell us what bothers you.
2
Photo consultation and quote
KORA reviews your photographs with the clinic and replies with the procedures that suit you and a written quote for that combination.
3
Book dates and travel
KORA holds your surgery date and helps you plan flights around it, so stitch removal falls comfortably before you fly.
4
Consultation on arrival
You meet Dr. Lee Haksoo in person with interpretation arranged. He examines your eyelids and agrees the plan, and surgery usually follows the same day or the next day.
5
Follow up and stitch removal
You return for follow up and stitch removal before flying home, so the person who operated on you is the person checking your healing.
English support
Who you will actually be talking to
We would rather be straight with you about this than have you arrive and be surprised.
The clinic team speaks Korean
Our doctors and nursing staff work in Korean, and we do not keep an English speaking front desk. It is more honest to say so now than to let you discover it on the day of your surgery.
Every part of your care that happens in English is instead handled by a partner whose whole job is exactly that.
KORA is our official medical travel partner, registered with the Korean government as a medical tourism agency under registration number A-2022-16-01-4490. KORA answers the WhatsApp number on this website, runs your photo consultation with the clinic, issues your written quote, holds your surgery date and arranges interpretation for your consultation with Dr. Lee Haksoo.
That is one English speaking contact from your first question to your last follow up, including after you fly home. Read more at koramedi.com, or about the clinic on our about the clinic page.
- All enquiries, quotes and bookings in English through KORA on WhatsApp
- Interpretation arranged for your consultation with Dr. Lee Haksoo
- Registered Korean medical tourism agency, registration number A-2022-16-01-4490
- Same contact before, during and after your trip
Planning your stay
How long to stay in Korea
The length of your trip is set by stitch removal, not by the surgery itself.
After eyelid surgery, stitches are typically removed about four to six days later. Most patients therefore plan roughly seven days in Korea: arrive and be seen, surgery the same day or the next day, a few quiet days of rest, then stitch removal and a final check before flying. A spare day at the end is worth having, so a follow up can move without putting your flight at risk.
Swelling and bruising are normal and are usually still visible when people fly home. That is expected. Your surgeon tells you at your final visit whether you are healing as he wants to see.
Typical trip length
Around 7 days in Korea for most patients
Consultation to surgery
In person consultation on arrival, surgery usually same day or next day
Non incisional double eyelid
No stitches to remove. About 4 days
Incisional double eyelid and ptosis correction
Stitch removal on day 4. About 7 days
Beautiful Eyes Trio
Stitch removal 4 to 6 days after surgery. About 8 to 9 days
Upper and lower blepharoplasty
Stitch removal 3 to 5 days after surgery. About 7 to 8 days
Under eye fat repositioning
Performed through the inside of the lower eyelid, so there is no external scar. No stitch removal needed. About 4 days
Revision eyelid surgery
About 7 days as a starting point. More involved revisions may need longer, which your surgeon confirms at consultation
Earliest advised flight home
No fixed rule. Many clinics avoid clearing long haul flights until at least a week after surgery, once early swelling has eased. Your surgeon confirms your own timeline
Getting here
Gimhae International Airport to Seomyeon
Busan has its own international airport, and the clinic sits in the middle of the city.
By train
From Gimhae International Airport, take the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail to Sasang Station, about nine minutes. At Sasang, transfer to Busan Metro Line 2 for Seomyeon Station, roughly a further half hour. Transfers between the light rail and the metro are free with a transportation card if made within thirty minutes.
Seomyeon Station is served by both Line 1 and Line 2. Leave through Exit 2 and the clinic is about a three minute walk, beside the Judies Taehwa department store.
By airport bus or taxi
The airport limousine bus serving Seomyeon and Bujeon runs between Gimhae International Airport and Bujeon Station, a distance of 15.7 kilometres, in about 50 minutes. As of January 2026 the adult fare is 6,000 won and seats can be reserved through the Bustago app. Buses run roughly every 60 to 80 minutes, so check the timetable against your landing time.
Taxis and ride hailing are also available at the airport and go directly to the door. A taxi to Seomyeon takes around 15 minutes and typically costs in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 Korean won.
Address
8F SJ Medical Building, 191-6 Bujeon-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan, Korea
Nearest station
Seomyeon Station, Busan Metro Line 1 and Line 2, Exit 2, about a 3 minute walk
Landmark
Next to Judies Taehwa department store
Clinic hours
Weekdays 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 16:00, lunch 12:30 to 14:00. Closed Sundays and public holidays.
Phone (Korean)
+82 51 817 1004
Email
leehaksooplasticsurgery@gmail.com
Full station exits, bus routes and landmark details are on our directions to the clinic in Seomyeon page.
Where to stay
Staying in Seomyeon
Seomyeon is one of the busiest districts in Busan, and the area around the clinic has a wide range of hotels and serviced accommodation, much of it within walking distance of the building. Staying close is genuinely useful after surgery, because it turns each follow up visit into a short walk rather than a journey across the city while you are swollen and tired. Convenience stores, pharmacies, cafes and the Seomyeon underground shopping centre are all on the same streets, so cold compresses, water and simple food are a minute from your door.
We do not recommend or take commission from particular hotels, so we will not name any here. Tell KORA on WhatsApp your budget and the kind of place you have in mind, and they will point you towards suitable options close to the clinic.
Costs and payment
How pricing works
A written quote after a photo consultation, before you book anything.
We do not publish a single price for eyelid surgery, because there is no single operation. What you need depends on your eyelid anatomy, your skin, whether the inner corner is covered by a fold, and whether you have had surgery before. Two people who both ask for double eyelid surgery can end up with quite different plans and quite different prices, so quoting a number before anyone has looked at your eyes would be guesswork.
The sequence is simple. You send photographs on WhatsApp, the clinic reviews them, and KORA sends a full written quote for the combination discussed. You have that quote before you commit to flights, and it is the reference point when you arrive. If the in person examination changes what Dr. Lee Haksoo recommends, the change and its cost are explained before anything goes ahead. We never push procedures you do not need.
Consultation fee
Confirmed by KORA before you travel
Photo consultation and quote
Confirmed by KORA before you travel
Surgery fees
Quoted individually after your photo consultation, based on the combination of procedures you need
What the quote includes
Ask KORA to confirm exactly what is included before you accept a quote
Payment methods
Confirmed by KORA on your written quote
Deposit
Confirmed by KORA before booking your date
Tax refund for foreign patients
Ask KORA, since this depends on current regulations and your eligibility
Scope of practice
What we do and what we do not do
Knowing where a clinic stops is as useful as knowing what it offers.
What we do
We work exclusively on the eyelids and the eye area: double eyelid surgery, ptosis correction, epicanthoplasty, rejuvenation of ageing upper and lower lids, and revision work on eyelids operated on elsewhere. Twenty five years in one place doing one thing is the whole idea, and it is why we are known for eyes and chosen for natural results.
What we do not do
We do not perform nose surgery or other facial procedures. If what you want falls outside the eye area we will say so plainly rather than take the booking, because you are better served by a surgeon who does that work every week.
1
Beautiful Eyes Trio
Double eyelid surgery combined with ptosis correction and epicanthoplasty, planned together as one result rather than three separate operations.
Learn more2
Double eyelid surgery
Incisional and non incisional approaches, chosen according to your eyelid thickness, skin and what you want the crease to do.
Learn more3
Eye area rejuvenation
Upper blepharoplasty for heavy, hooded upper lids, and treatment of the lower lid and under eye area for tired looking eyes.
Learn moreYou may also want to read about incisional ptosis correction, epicanthoplasty, under eye fat repositioning and revision eyelid surgery, or look at real cases on our before and after page.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special medical visa to have eyelid surgery in Korea?
It depends on your nationality and how long you stay. Eyelid surgery trips are short, and Korean immigration guidance states that visitors on ordinary short term visitor status may receive treatment where care is needed for a period of not more than 90 days. Korea also issues a dedicated medical tourist visa, C-3-3, allowing a stay of up to 90 days, normally supported by an invitation from a registered medical institution or international patient facilitator. For treatment lasting 91 days or more there is a separate long term treatment status, G-1-10. Entry rules change, so confirm the current requirement for your passport with your nearest Korean embassy or consulate before booking flights. If you need invitation documents, tell KORA on WhatsApp.
Who will actually perform my surgery?
Dr. Lee Haksoo. He is the founding director and personally takes responsibility from your first consultation through patient analysis to the surgery itself. The clinic has stayed in one location in Seomyeon for 25 years working on one specialty. You meet him in person before surgery, and nothing is decided until that consultation has happened.
What language will my consultation be in?
The clinic staff speak Korean. All English communication is handled by KORA, the clinic's official medical travel partner, registered with the Korean government as a medical tourism agency under registration number A-2022-16-01-4490. KORA manages your WhatsApp messages, photo consultation, quote and booking, and arranges interpretation for your consultation with Dr. Lee Haksoo. You do not need to speak Korean at any stage.
Is a deposit required to book my surgery date?
Ask KORA before you book flights. The clinic's deposit terms, accepted payment methods and cancellation conditions are confirmed in writing by KORA as part of your quote, so you know the arrangement before you travel.
How soon after eyelid surgery can I fly home?
Most patients plan around seven days in Korea, because stitches are typically removed about four to six days after eyelid surgery and it is better to have that done here than at home. Swelling and bruising are normal when you fly and continue to settle over the following weeks. Your surgeon gives the final clearance based on how your healing is going, not on a fixed rule.
What happens if I want a revision after I go home?
Eyelid tissue needs time to settle before anyone can judge a result fairly, and an early appearance is not a final appearance. If you are unhappy later, contact KORA on WhatsApp with photographs and your case will be reviewed by the clinic. The clinic performs revision eyelid surgery, including cases originally operated on elsewhere. As with any revision, the clinic generally waits until about six months after the original surgery, once the tissue has settled, before assessing what can be improved. Whether a fee applies depends on the case.
What if I have a complication once I am back in my own country?
Message KORA on WhatsApp straight away and send photographs so the clinic can look at it quickly. For anything urgent, such as sudden severe pain, a change in vision, heavy bleeding or signs of infection, see a doctor where you are first and contact KORA in parallel. Distance is a real limitation of surgery abroad and is worth weighing before you travel.
Results vary from person to person. All surgery carries risk. This page is general information and not medical advice.