Devices preferred by patients
During consultation I realize that today’s patients are increasingly more knowledgeable about medical procedures. Most patients do research on the internet or ask around about the desired procedure before visiting a plastic surgeon. For example, a patient wanting to receive breast augmentation may already know about the types of procedures available, advantages and disadvantages, as well as equipment, and even manufacturers of the equipment. Some have very specific demands such as a breast augmentation with teardrop implants.
Some of the most popular surgical materials and devices among patients include teardrop implants, threads of certain manufacturers, Restylane, Ulthera, MICOOL, and Zeltiq, etc. However, not all specific demands can be met. The appropriate device and material may differ depending on the conditions of the patient and surgical area. Therefore, it is important to reach an agreement with the patient through sufficient communication. Especially, filler products differ in effect in terms of injection site and have widely varying prices depending on the manufacturer. For example, even if the patient wants Restylane for hollowed cheeks, I recommend Sculptra because it is more effective in the cheek area. Fortunately, only about 10% of patients pinpoint a certain manufacturer and most follow doctor recommendations without problems.
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Attracting Chinese patients
As Korean patients are changing in their demands and expectations, Chinese patients are following suite. Chinese patients are also starting to focus more on the body shape correction rather than bone structure change. In particular, the Chinese people residing in Western countries tend to pursue newer trends.
Korean aesthetic plastic surgery enjoyed a boom thanks to Hallyu (Korea waves) bringing an influx of Chinese patients to Korean doctors. However, Korean doctors now commonly visit China to perform surgery. Personally, doctors traveling abroad to perform surgeries do so only to fatten their pockets and do not contribute to the country’s economy. The quality of surgery given in such circumstances is also questionable. I believe optimal outcomes can be achieved when the surgery is performed in the operating room that the doctor is most familiar with. As the saying goes ‘much noise and no seopstance.’ Many Korean plastic surgeons trying to make a name for themselves in China are in fact bringing the reputation of Korean plastic surgery down. There are more benefits to bringing Chinese patients to Korea, unless you are opening a practice in China. This is the same for foreign patients including those from Hong Kong, Thailand, Mongolia and Russia, etc. Caution and modesty, rather than hubris will help maintain the current popularity of Korean medical service among foreign patients.
-To be continued-
