Eight days ago I had Lasik in Seoul. It’s something I have always wanted to do (because glasses and contacts are annoying) and also something that I have never wanted to do (because the thought of lasers and incisions in my eyes makes me want to throw up). But, when all of my friends here in Korea started to get the procedure done with AMAZING results, I worked up the courage to schedule my surgery too. And even only eight days post-op, I can say that the surgery was 100% worth every drive up to Seoul and every single cent we paid.
Getting Triple SMILE Lasik in Seoul
I know, I know. It seems a little bonkers to get elective surgery while living in another country. But medical tourism (and plastic surgery tourism) are really big here on the peninsula. Why? Well, for one, they do a DANG GOOD JOB here with state-of-the-art technology and experienced doctors. And secondly, it’s cheap. Where Lasik in the States typically costs $1,800-$3,000 PER EYE, you can get it done here for $1,800 TOTAL – unless you’re like me and you get the “special treatment” (aka, your eyes need a little bit of extra help and also you want the surgery with the fastest recovery time because you have 6 thousand kids). But even with the necessary extras, I still came out paying significantly less than half of what I was quoted by an ophthalmologist in the States.
My Experience with Lasik in South Korea
If you’re in South Korea and you’re thinking about having Lasik, but you don’t know exactly how to proceed, then this post is for you! At the bottom of this post you’ll find my list of Tips for Getting Lasik in South Korea. I don’t promise it is interesting (in fact, I can promise it’s about the most boring thing you’ll ever read), but it may be helpful, especially if you’re someone like me with anxiety that occasionally likes to show its ugly face. I detail how to go about scheduling an appointment, how to get to Lotte World Tower, and what to expect on examination day, surgery day, and what MY experience was with recovery.
I arrived at Lotte World Tower on February 13th HOPING to do my consultation and surgery on the same day. However, during the tests, they discovered that I had a small hole in my retina. They wanted me to undergo a simple retinal laser treatment prior to receiving Lasik. I was then scheduled for surgery on February 20th because I had to wait at least a week after the retinal treatment so that my eye would have time to heal. My eyes were dilated and numbed and I went into a small office where I leaned up against a machine and had lasers shone in my right eye for about three minutes straight. It wasn’t fun and it wasn’t horribly comfortable and, honestly, the recovery from that was more annoying than recovery from the actual Lasik surgery. Plus my pupils were HUGE afterwards, so I walked around looking like I’d been doing drugs. Eh. It’s fine.
On February 20th, we headed up to Lotte World Tower AGAIN for the actual surgery. To say I was nervous would be the understatement of the century, but mostly I was just so excited to get it all over with. Brandon drove me up and was such a good sport hanging out in Lotte World Mall with all of the kids while I was in surgery. I walked into the eye clinic at about 9:00am and was finished with the surgery and walking out by 10:30am.
And here is where you skip ahead if you don’t want the more cringy details of the surgery
The surgery itself wasn’t super fun, but I can’t say it hurt either. My eyes were completely numb, so there was no pain, but there was some pressure and my brain was definitely playing tricks on me. The doctor started with my right eye and put a clamp on it to keep it wide open. The machine was then moved close to my eye and I was told to stare into the green light in the machine. You have to hold COMPLETELY still during this process which sounds a LOT scarier than it actually was. Because my eye was numb, I could have sworn that I was moving my eye all over the place, but I really wasn’t (and the doctor made sure I knew that I wasn’t). The laser process was probably only about 15 seconds long – and FYI, the green light DOES disappear at some point and that’s normal.
After that, the bright light was turned off and the doctor squirted something cold and wet onto my eye and rubbed it with a cotton swab of sorts. Again, that sounds incredibly cringy, but my eye was numb. So, while my brain was totally registering that my eye was literally being touched by a cotton swab, there wasn’t any pain. The part that almost sent me into a panic was just before the bright light was turned back on, when I could see the silhouette of the doctor’s hands holding what LOOKED like a small scalpel and tweezers just above my eye. Before I had time to really panic, the bright light was turned back on and I was completely blind – and only vaguely aware of some pressure as the doctor did… whatever he was doing. It was something straight out of an episode of Criminal Minds, I tell you.
Okay, so it wasn’t THAT bad. But it’s not something I want to undergo again any time soon. They switched to the left eye and repeated the entire process before telling me that the surgery went well and sent me on my way.
Cringy parts over – this is a safe space now
That all being said, if you want another perspective, check out my friend Missy’s Experience with Smile Lasik in South Korea on her blog. She and I both selected the same type of Lasik but, presumably because of differences in our vision and eye-shape, we actually had COMPLETELY different experiences with the surgery itself. Where mine took at least 5 minutes from start to finish, Missy’s was done in around 60 seconds and she doesn’t remember there being anything done BESIDES the lasers.
Immediately after my surgery, my vision was extremely blurry, but I could still see slightly. Within a couple hours, I couldn’t keep my eyes open, and within about three hours I had the worst headache I have ever experienced. I literally rode home in the car with my sweater over my head, the A/C cranked, and wondering if I was going to throw up because the headache was so terrible. It was NOT the most wonderful hour of my life. Once we got home, I went immediately to bed. You’re not supposed to nap following the surgery, but it seems like just about everyone does. That being said, I’m not sure if I actually fell asleep, but I didn’t open my eyes for a few hours (except to have Brandon give me eyedrops). Not only did that help the headache, but it helped me rest after a really exhausting day.
One of the main appeals of getting Triple SMILE Lasik at BGN is they provide you with eyedrops that they make from your plasma. Right before the surgery, they drew some blood and then extracted the plasma from it to make these drops which are truly incredible. The human body is amazing and these are the most hydrating, refreshing eye drops I have ever used. This was also how I learned that my name in Korean is 애슐리 which everyone at the clinic pronounced “Ay-Chul-Ree.”
For the next few days I didn’t have too many complaints. My vision would be blurry when I would first wake up, but by late morning it was significantly improved. I had a dull headache, but it was nothing that some over-the-counter medicine couldn’t help. My eyes were incredibly sensitive and I did sometimes need to wear sunglasses even indoors. My biggest complaint was honestly just the eye fatigue – which I found to be a symptom of dry eyes. Upping the amount I was using the eye drops seemed to take care of that, and by day seven (yesterday) that symptom disappeared altogether.
I honestly don’t think I could be more pleased with my experience with getting Lasik so far. I’m still fairly early in my recovery process, but already I am so satisfied with my results. Not only was I able to get Lasik for a killer price, but I felt safe and relatively comfortable throughout the whole experience too. If you’ve been considering Lasik and you’re here in South Korea, I HIGHLY recommend BGN Eye Clinic in Seoul.
’til next time…
Ash
Tips for getting Lasik in South Korea:
Scheduling an Appointment: I reached out to BGN Eye Clinic through their Facebook Page. I sent them a message and they got back to me within about 10 minutes. They sent me information on the different types of Lasik they offer and they helped me schedule an appointment! It was insanely easy.
Getting to Lotte Tower: BGN Eye Clinic is located on the 11th floor of Lotte Tower. If you plug 서울 송파구 신천동 into Naver, it will take you to Gate 4 for the underground parking garage. Park underneath the mall and follow the signs through the mall to Lotte Tower.
Getting to the 11th floor: Honestly, I had some massive anxiety figuring out how to get into the tower – especially since my appointment was at 9am so we were showing up to the mall before it was actually open. Everyone we talked to was super nice (we used Google Translate to communicate, because you can’t always assume people speak English) and so we were able to eventually navigate to the right floor. That being said, I’ll make this easier for you: head to floor B1 and find the Lego Store. Just down from the Lego Store are some glass doors (and some glass revolving doors). If you go through those doors you’ll be on a lower level of Lotte World Tower. There are elevators right there that will take you all the way up to the 11th floor.
If you’re getting there before the mall is open, don’t worry. There are so many employees heading in to work that you won’t feel TOO out of place walking around, although it is a little weird walking around a closed mall. Some of the areas are blocked off though, so your best bet is to get to level 1 (you can exit the mall on floor B1 and go up some stairs outside to the 1st floor) and then enter the tower and take the elevator up. But, as I said, there are people everywhere and employees whose literal job is to help you navigate.
Getting to BGN Eye Clinic: Once you get out of the elevators on the 11th floor, you will see signs for BGN Eye Clinic. One sign will be pointing to the left and one to the right. Follow the sign pointing to the left: go through the automatic sliding doors and all the way down the hall. Then take a right toward BGN Eye Clinic and check in with the front desk. They’ll have you fill out a little bit of paperwork and then their “English Specialist” will meet you and walk you through everything.
What to know about examination day: Examination day is filled with a LOT of different tests. I couldn’t tell you what the tests were or what they were testing for, but the entire process took roughly 30 minutes (including waiting time in between tests). The English Specialist does an excellent job making sure you’re where you need to be – and most of the technicians spoke at least SOME English (even if it was only to say “blink” or “glasses off”).
After all the tests are finished (including a DNA test to check for a specific disorder), the English Specialist will pull you into an office and talk to you about your options for surgery, as well as disclose the pricing (if they haven’t already). You will be instructed on how to proceed from there. It is possible to have surgery on the same day as your examination and consultation. However, even if you choose to have the surgery on a different day, I suggest having someone else drive you to and from your appointment. In the event that they have to dilate your eyes or do any kind of procedure (like in my case), you won’t be able to drive home afterward. If you are hoping for same-day surgery, make sure not to wear any makeup or fragrances.
What to know about surgery day: DO NOT PLAN TO DRIVE ON THE DAY OF SURGERY. If you have surgery on a different day than your consultation and examination, another vision test will likely be conducted, just to make sure everything is in order. You’ll then put all of your belongings in a locker, set a code for the locker, and then they’ll have you take a seat. You probably won’t wait for very long and then they will call you into a dim room, have you remove your shoes and give you slippers to wear, and place a gown over your clothes. They’ll also have you pull your hair up (for those with long hair) and put a hairnet on you. You’ll sit down for a minute and they will give you some numbing eyedrops, wipe your face with a wipe, and then lead you into a dark room and tell you to sit back with your eyes closed while the numbing eyedrops take effect. It’s hard to tell exactly how long I waited, but it couldn’t have been more than 15 minutes.
You’ll then be led into the operating room where you’ll be guided to the operating table. From start to finish, my procedure took about 5 minutes, although others I have talked to had theirs done much quicker (and by “much quicker” I mean less than 60 seconds). After the procedure, you’ll be guided back to the dark room and told to keep your eyes closed for another 15-20 minutes. You’ll then be guided back out to the main clinic where you’ll be told to gather your belongings and you’ll be good to go. However, because your eye-sight may not be very good (mine was just really blurry, but my friend, Missy, was pretty much blind immediately following her surgery), it’s okay to ask for help in getting your belongings out of your locker and calling whoever is coming to pick you up. Then you can wait in the reception area until your spouse, friend, etc. comes to get you.
What to know about recovery: Because everyone has such unique experiences with recovering from Lasik (and because there are multiple different kinds of Lasik that all have different recovery times), I can really only speak to MY recovery. I received “Triple SMILE Lasik.” While I was eligible for any of the procedures that they offer, I opted for the Triple SMILE because, while more expensive than their Lasik or Lasek procedures, it boasts a much quicker recovery time. And I have to say that I was expecting a quick recovery and, in hindsight, that’s exactly what I got.
My vision was extremely blurry (worse than my vision without glasses prior to the surgery) for about three hours after the surgery. After that I got a SPLITTING headache (truly the worst I have ever experienced) and so I laid in bed with my eyes closed (and a sweater over my eyes) for about three hours – opening them only to put in eye drops every 10 minutes (with my husband’s help). By the time the evening rolled around, the headache was duller (thanks Tylenol and Ibuprofen) and my vision was definitely better than it had been before the surgery.
By the next morning, my vision was still a little blurry (which was made apparent at my follow-up appointment that morning) and the headache was back. But, with alternating between Tylenol and Ibuprofen I was able to keep the headache mostly under control. I was told that my vision was about 90% of what it will be when I’m fully healed from the surgery.
By day four, I was regretting my decision to have surgery. My eyes felt tired and I didn’t feel like my vision was as clear as it should have been. I reached out to the clinic via Facebook and they reminded me to use eyedrops regularly as the “eye fatigue” was likely caused by dry eyes. I made an effort for the next three days to OVERUSE the eyedrops and it seemed to do the trick.
By one week post-op, I was feeling VERY happy with my decision to have the surgery. My eyes were still sensitive to light (but as someone with light blue eyes, this is nothing new) and my vision still wasn’t PERFECT (it takes up to 6 months for the full effect of the surgery to show), but it was very clear and seemed to get clearer as the day progressed.
At one month post-op I’ll go in to have another follow-up and I anticipate that my vision will be 20/20. Because I don’t have any desire to make another trip up to Seoul, I plan to have my follow-up at Dream Optical in the Ville by Camp Humphreys. It’s important to note that if you go back up to BGN in Seoul for your follow-up, it is free. Whereas when you go to Dream Optical, you do have to pay out of pocket.
Cost: The cost of the procedure varies based on what procedure you have done, what kind of deals or discounts they having going on at the time, and what kinds of extras you choose to have done (or are required to have done). For me: I chose to do a DNA swab for the required DNA test because it’s more accurate, which cost me an extra ₩100,000. In addition, they discovered a hole in my retina on examination day, so I was required to undergo a laser retinal treatment if I wished to proceed with Lasik. That procedure costed ₩200,000. When all was said and done, I paid ₩3,000,000 (which amounts to about $2,300 – which was still significantly less than I was quoted in the United States for the same – or similar – procedure).
