Grand Plastic Surgery: The Korean Wave of medical tourism
The Korean Wave of medical tourism
The Korean Wave refers to the current
international trend of Korean culture like K-POP or TV shows, and this
popularity is continuing on to medical tourism. The number of foreign patients
who visited Korea for medical tourism has been on the rise in recent years.
According to the ministry of Health and Welfare, the estimated number of foreign
patients who came to Korea last year was about 122,300 individuals, a growth of
49.5% compared to the year before.
In 2011, approximately 15,000 foreign patients came to Korea for dermatology and plastic surgery. This is a growth rate of 36% over 2010, about 4,000 more patients.
Korea's plastic surgery is not only popular among countries in Asia such as China or Japan, but is increasingly so among Asians in North America as well. International press has been spotlighting the aesthetic of Korea's plastic surgery, focusing on current trends and the latest surgical techniques that are mostly being used in Korea.
This surge in foreign patients is not completely attributed to the Korean Wave, but is also due to the high level of Korea’s surgical skills, leading to desirable and impressive results.
According to experts, the reason behind Korea's surgeons' delicate, meticulous technique is because of the high demand for plastic surgery, leading to an enhancement in the quality of overall medical services. For instance, according to 2011 data reported by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Korea tops the list of the world's highest rate of cosmetic plastic surgery in terms of percentage of population. It was reported that for every 1000 Koreans, 16 had undergone plastic surgery of some variation.
Depending on race and nationality, different types of surgery are preferred. Body contouring surgeries such as breast augmentation, liposuction and anti-aging related surgeries are most popular procedures for Caucasian patients. On the other hand, many Asian patients are interested in facial contouring surgeries such as 3D malar rotation, V-line angular jaw reduction, or simple eye and nose surgeries. This is attributed to the flatter and wider facial structures of Asians compared to that of Caucasians.
Ryu Sang Wook, CEO of Grand Plastic Surgery, one of the biggest plastic surgery clinics in Korea says, "Not only do we have patients from China or Japan but patients who originate from more than 20 countries from all over Asia, Europe, North America, Russia, Africa, etc. They are coming to visit Grand Plastic Surgery because of the rise in medical tourism. Offering a satisfying, differentiated medical service to foreign patients will lead to trust in Korea's overall medical practice and it is a great way of enhancing Korea's competitiveness in the world market of plastic surgery."
Since the rise in medical tourism, some plastic surgery clinics offer various services exclusively to foreign patients. At Grand Plastic Surgery, a one-stop medical care system for foreign patients, multi-lingual interpreters are available for English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and other nationalities. This facilitates the smooth progression of every step in the procedure, including reservation, consultation, operation, and postoperative care. Additionally, direct hotlines are available to make the communication process as effortless as possible.
Grand Plastic Surgery's multi-lingual web site is beneficial to foreign patients who speak little or no Korean as all the information regarding surgery is easily accessible in various languages. In addition, online consultations and reservations are offered through computerized simulations to predict a patient's before & after results.
Constant effort is definitely needed in order for Korea's plastic surgery industry to improve even more in the future. It is crucial to conduct research on new surgical technology, pioneer a new market, and develop new items for medical tourism. Thus, in order to achieve these goals in the future, a cooperation of government and medical institution as well as their active participation will be needed.
In 2011, approximately 15,000 foreign patients came to Korea for dermatology and plastic surgery. This is a growth rate of 36% over 2010, about 4,000 more patients.
Korea's plastic surgery is not only popular among countries in Asia such as China or Japan, but is increasingly so among Asians in North America as well. International press has been spotlighting the aesthetic of Korea's plastic surgery, focusing on current trends and the latest surgical techniques that are mostly being used in Korea.
This surge in foreign patients is not completely attributed to the Korean Wave, but is also due to the high level of Korea’s surgical skills, leading to desirable and impressive results.
According to experts, the reason behind Korea's surgeons' delicate, meticulous technique is because of the high demand for plastic surgery, leading to an enhancement in the quality of overall medical services. For instance, according to 2011 data reported by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Korea tops the list of the world's highest rate of cosmetic plastic surgery in terms of percentage of population. It was reported that for every 1000 Koreans, 16 had undergone plastic surgery of some variation.
Depending on race and nationality, different types of surgery are preferred. Body contouring surgeries such as breast augmentation, liposuction and anti-aging related surgeries are most popular procedures for Caucasian patients. On the other hand, many Asian patients are interested in facial contouring surgeries such as 3D malar rotation, V-line angular jaw reduction, or simple eye and nose surgeries. This is attributed to the flatter and wider facial structures of Asians compared to that of Caucasians.
Ryu Sang Wook, CEO of Grand Plastic Surgery, one of the biggest plastic surgery clinics in Korea says, "Not only do we have patients from China or Japan but patients who originate from more than 20 countries from all over Asia, Europe, North America, Russia, Africa, etc. They are coming to visit Grand Plastic Surgery because of the rise in medical tourism. Offering a satisfying, differentiated medical service to foreign patients will lead to trust in Korea's overall medical practice and it is a great way of enhancing Korea's competitiveness in the world market of plastic surgery."
Since the rise in medical tourism, some plastic surgery clinics offer various services exclusively to foreign patients. At Grand Plastic Surgery, a one-stop medical care system for foreign patients, multi-lingual interpreters are available for English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and other nationalities. This facilitates the smooth progression of every step in the procedure, including reservation, consultation, operation, and postoperative care. Additionally, direct hotlines are available to make the communication process as effortless as possible.
Grand Plastic Surgery's multi-lingual web site is beneficial to foreign patients who speak little or no Korean as all the information regarding surgery is easily accessible in various languages. In addition, online consultations and reservations are offered through computerized simulations to predict a patient's before & after results.
Constant effort is definitely needed in order for Korea's plastic surgery industry to improve even more in the future. It is crucial to conduct research on new surgical technology, pioneer a new market, and develop new items for medical tourism. Thus, in order to achieve these goals in the future, a cooperation of government and medical institution as well as their active participation will be needed.
25 August
2012
Author / Source
Ryu, Sang-Wook, CEO of Grand Plastic Surgery /
Plastic Surgeon
Country
South Korea
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