I had a consultation through an event on Gangnam Unni (thighs 1.29 million won). During the chat, they said thigh/hip line was 1.39 million won, and the Chanel line was an additional separate 400,000 won. (VAT and anesthesia fee included / compression garment separate only) They said they would give a 100,000 won discount if I had surgery within two days.
Before starting, I am from Daegu. The hospital where I had surgery was in Seoul.
Wiz&Me: compression garment separate, VAT and anesthesia fee included, thigh/hip line + Chanel 1.59 million (200,000 prepaid, 1.39 million on the day) Aftercare: 5 sessions of radiofrequency, 1 session of Lipoderm (2-week intervals), scar laser possible starting 6 months later, they said
10/29 consultation I had a consultation with someone called the counseling manager? They did not particularly pressure me to add anything. There were no additional fees either. I am a college student, so the only possible surgery date was the very next day. When I asked if it was possible, they said one person had just canceled their surgery, so it was possible. It sounded like total bullshit, but I said, “Ah, okay~ I see~” and paid a 200,000 won deposit.
10/30 surgery On the day of surgery, while I was having the consultation, a patient was yelling at the desk and crying while arguing with the counseling managers. It felt off, so I tried to go out and look, but they wouldn’t let me see. (This is where I started to get suspicious.) Consent form - general manager / design - head director After receiving the consent form, I asked the counseling manager? who the person who took the consent form was, and they said she was not a doctor but the general manager (doesn’t seem like she was a nurse either). Incision sites - 2 in front, 2 under the buttocks (they said the sutures were dissolvable)
11/3 Both inner thighs bulged out noticeably (water started accumulating from this point)
11/7 I called several times because of the fluid accumulation (probably about 5 times), but they didn’t pick up, so I sent photos and symptoms by text Spoke with the counseling manager (said she would relay the content to the director, said I needed to see the director quickly, said this can happen when too much volume is removed and that it needs to be drained with a needle, said because there was pain and heat there could possibly be an infection, so I needed to be seen quickly, booked an appointment for 11/10)
11/10 12:30 They drained fluid from both inner thighs with a needle and applied pressure with bandages 3 buttock injections, 1 IV shot, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory painkillers prescribed for 5 days. The general manager (not a doctor) treated the left leg, and a nurse treated the right leg. I was not examined by the director (doctor). Decided to check progress again a week later.
11/12 The same area filled with fluid again, so I called, but couldn’t reach them (I think I called about 3 times then too?). They called back a few hours later. Decided to visit the next day.
11/13 The vice director (doctor) drained the fluid (not the doctor who did the surgery. Who even is this person?) Drained 60 cc from the left and 40 cc from the right. Had radiofrequency (?) caps (capsulitis) once and got bandaged. Antibiotics prescribed for an additional 5 days. Could not remove stitches.
11/15 Stitches removed and antibiotics prescribed for an additional 5 days.
12/3 Received aftercare for the first and last time (a nursing student on leave did it for me)
After that, I just didn’t go * They said the sutures were dissolvable, but they weren’t. The thread was sticking out hard, festered, and became inflamed, so I went to a local dermatology clinic, and they said it was not dissolvable suture. So I had it removed under local anesthesia. (12/16 Daegu)
* Before surgery, they replied instantly, but after surgery they acted like they didn’t know me. When fluid accumulated, I called 5 times, but they didn’t answer, so I sent photos by text, and they called 2-3 hours later. I called 3 times because I thought I couldn’t make the aftercare appointment, but they didn’t answer. I got pissed off and didn’t go for aftercare.
* The most annoying thing is that when fluid accumulated, they said on the phone that I probably needed to be examined by the director, but then someone called the general manager? and a few nurses looked at it and just drained the fluid. I honestly wonder whether the general manager is even a medical professional. When I asked the counseling manager, she clearly said she was neither a nurse nor a doctor. How does it make sense for someone who is not a medical professional to perform an invasive procedure?
* When I lay on the operating room bed, the nurse who helped with injections, disinfection, oxygen, and anesthesia seemed Chinese, but she was kind. The counseling manager is kind, but seems Chinese.
* For reference, the antibiotics were also prescribed by the person called the general manager without me even seeing a doctor.
* Current status: lots of fibrosis only. The scars are not very noticeable (because I had 5 scar treatments at another dermatology clinic in Daegu, and since I am a nurse myself, I managed it really diligently.)
* Conclusion: Only do it here if you are someone who says, “I’m okay with things feeling sketchy. Cost-effectiveness is important. I’m okay without aftercare. Results are case by case, I’ll leave it to fate. I’m okay even if there are many Chinese people. I’ll risk my life to have surgery.” If not, please go to another hospital.
* Reason I chose this place: nothing except the price. Also, among the reviews I saw on Gangnam Unni, there seemed to be some fairly good cases. Do I regret it? Yes. Very much. If I had known it would be like this, I think I would have paid a little more and gone somewhere more professional and safer. Looking back after doing it, I feel like I risked my life.