Researching for the right doctor

[Amie]

When researching for the doctor, what criteria should I look for?

How do I know if I can trust that doctor/clinic just by looking at the pictures online since each case is individualized?Just because the doctor did a great job on that one person doesn’t mean I can achieve the same result.

What questions should I bring up during the consultation to make sure that I’m in good hands?

How do I prove that the doctor has the training, credential and experiences that they claim to have?

 

[Jeet Singh]

Hi @amie

This is a good question, here is some general criteria. First you want to make sure the doctor is a board certified plastic surgeon in good standing.

You should come to the clinic equipped with your clear explanation of what you want to achieve, but before going in it would be helpful to research various sites and videos that often explain common approaches and treatment methods.

One way you can decide on which clinic to choose is by making a list of what we call your “Top 5 factors” for choosing the right doctor.

These will be different for everyone, but here some common factors below:

1. Communication (you and the doctor are on the same page)
2. Procedure/Method (the doctor’s surgical plan, and method they would use)
3. Budget (does the cost seem reasonable to you)
4. Experience (how many cases have they done, do they have cases similar to yours)
5. Bed Side Manner (what is their attitude and attentiveness like)
6. Facility & Staff (does it look well maintained and operated, are the staff easy to communicate with)

You could then score these doctors are on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the best.

Look at past cases:

For facial procedures, look for patients that have a similar facial structure, are around your age, and have some of the same concerns.

Things to ask yourself:

Do I like spending time with this surgeon?
Do I feel like I can trust this surgeon to recommend what’s safe and right for me?
Would I feel comfortable asking this surgeon any question I might have throughout the process?
Do I feel comfortable disclosing my full medical history and habits to this surgeon? (This is critically important to your safety!)

I got some of these tips from the American Board of Plastic Surgeons website. They have a very nice checklist you can download. Tips for finding the right cosmetic surgeon

[Catherine]

I too am looking to go to Korea after complications during my second pregnancy which left me with unsheddable excess pounds. 20 weeks of hospitalized bed rest was not fun!

not to mention there are things I want to get done to my face.  I have a list of procedures I am looking to get done but I have read so many contradictory opinions on websites, blogs and chat rooms about suggested clinics that am I left more confused about Who to use.

the advice listed above is great but I need further help.

[Catherine]

I am a 40 yrs old caucasian female from Canada and I’m Looking at the following procedures 🙂

(As stated in my previous post, my last pregnancy was the worst. And has left me with a body that I no longer recognize or am happy with, not for lack of trying!)

Clinics I was referred to Banobagi, Cinderella, ID and JL. Opinions for below stated procedures?
Breast lifting
Tummy tuck
Entire body liposuction
Incision double eyelid with ptosis correction
Rhinoplasty
Angular jaw correction + Genioplasty
Pricing ranged from 58 to 65 million KRW  for everything, as in the entire list.

I do have many concerns and reservations
What scares me are the articles on “ghost doctors” and the many doctors that are unlicensed and operating with disastrous results thus contributing in the current wave of lawsuits in Korea.

I hear V line is dangerous and painful to get done due to all the nerves in the jawline. Some people have been left with chronic jaw pain as a result of it being done poorly. Anymore input on this would be appreciated 🙂
I have heard that if something is botched that we have little to no recourse. The malpractice suits In Korea are handled very differently than in North America, with the outcome usually favouring the clinic or hospital. This makes me leery despite wanting the surgeries. I don’t want to spend that kind of money, because like for most, it’s a lot money and be in constant pain or worse yet disfigured and have no recourse.

I have also heard that the Korean Kibun can pose problems as well. The doctors want to project  confidence that they will do well by you even if it’s a surgery they are not proficient in. Instead they will perform the surgery so as not to disappoint with bad results.

Not to mention the countless reviews from past patients can be frustrating. Just when you think you’ve found a clinic you are ready to go with, you find past patients negative reviews and then you’re back to being undecided again.

As a possible future patient how can I go about verifying the doctors actual credentials?what about equipment? After care? Follow up?
what happens if there is in fact a problem? How do they make sure it is corrected properly? If not, what recourse do we have?

i can see how foreigners can be see as “cash cows” so to speak, because once the surgeries are completed and primary follow up is done, you’re pretty much on your own after that because we have to fly home. So if you’ve gotten a shoddy job you won’t really know until months after the surgery until it’s fully healed. Then it’s too bad so sad correct?

I was really gung-ho at first but now I am wary. Any help and advice on my concerns would be greatly appreciated! 🙂

[Jeet Singh]

@catherine

Thanks for sharing your concerns, I can tell you are not alone and by you coming forward and expressing yourself and your worries will help encourage others to enter the discussion.

That’s the very reason I founded My Seoul Secret was to help solve this problem.

Stacking Multiple Treatments

These are a lot of procedures you are stacking together which will increase your health& safety risk. Before coming to Korea, I would first explore options available in Canada.

I can tell you right now that any hospital that offers to all those procedures at one time, is going to jeopardize your health. Those are way too many procedures to do in one shot, you will be putting your body through tremendous amount of pressure and stress.

If you can stay in Korea for at least 2 to 3 months, then I would recommend breaking up those procedures concentrating on Face for one stack of treatments, and then body for the other. It might be good to break it up into 3 surgery dates separated by 4 to 6 weeks each.

Safety & Warranty

Like any industry, there is always a chance for people to cut corners. There have been clinics using ghost doctors who step in to do the actual surgery, while the senior surgeon goes back out to do consultations. One way we ensure this does not happen to our users is when they manage their treatments through our case managers and coordinators. The clinics we work with are pre-screened and their is no funny business when they know the patient has boots on the ground here.

In our startup’s early stages I have personally watched our users surgeries if they asked me to make sure there is no doctor swapping. Since were are a government licensed medical treatment facilitator we are able to do this. These days surgeries are also recorded by CCTV, some clinics also allow friends and family to watch via an iPad.

Research & Verifying Information

This can be very frustrating. Over the years I met many patients offline while building our startup and conducted interviews with them. Many were what I call “DIY Surgery Shoppers.” They joined underground beauty chatting communities and women’s lifestyle forums, and were often misinformed by a wide range of conflicting accounts and reviews. Plastic surgery is very emotional, a lot of us bring our own complexes and insecurities to the operating table (I know I did). And we are our own worst critics, so reviews can be very subjective. I’ve seen some patients look great and hate their results, and other patients come out so so, and are completely satisfied and feel like they’re ready to be the next top model. Having someone who knows the industry with established clinic back channels to assist and consult or hunt facts for you makes things easier.

Timing is also important. I have seen patients speak too soon, but after their swelling has subsided and all the cell-rebuilding and micro biological processes take effect, they then appreciate their result, but never go back to update their review.

Recourse for Unsatisfactory Treatment & Care

It’s true that patients have very little recourse and options when getting treatment abroad. This why I always recommend to remain calm and always approach the clinic in a concerned but amicable manner. It’s much easier and less stressful to get your issue resolved by working with the clinic, than to hit the nuclear option and make legal escalation or defame a hospital online. This will close many doors and limit options, especially when legal routes end up leading to dead ends, and all bridges have been burned.

But patient recourse options are improving. The Korean government has made an agency for medical arbitration. We have helped one user file a claim with them because the government agency is still limited in English communication, but unfortunately the clinic rejected to enter arbitration. There is a new law that may pass soon that will force the clinic to enter arbitration no matter what.

This is another reason why we suggest for users who are planning complex treatments, to consider enlisting a medical case manager and coordinator because they can help you communicate issues and come to an agreement with a clinic. But choosing a good case manager is also important because there also sub par ones that are simply profit driven or illegal brokers pretending to be translators.

Most clinics offer a 1 year warranty, but it’s good to get this in writing, and again have some boots on the ground here to advocate for your concerns.

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