Who should I talk to before I book a flight?
Start with your primary care doctor in the United States, well before you travel. The CDC advises anyone considering medical travel to discuss it with their US healthcare professional in advance. They could also consult a travel medicine specialist four to six weeks before departure. Ask the Korean team for a plan for complications, and make sure both the Korean team and your US doctor have discussed it with you.
Bring a written list of questions to that appointment. Ask your US doctor whether there is a medical reason to delay or avoid the procedure, and whether any of your current conditions or medicines change the plan. If the procedure you are considering is rhinoplasty or double eyelid surgery, name it on the list so your doctor can answer for that specific procedure. Your US doctor's review does not replace the Korean surgeon's examination, and the surgeon's examination does not replace your doctor's review.
What does my US insurance cover once I am in Korea?
Get the answer in writing before you book, because coverage differs by plan. The CDC advises checking what your domestic health plan covers outside the United States. The State Department notes that Medicare generally does not cover medical costs outside the country, and that most plans do not pay to fly you home by air ambulance. The CDC adds that Medicare has limited exceptions, so check your own plan rather than assuming the general rule. Do not read any exception as coverage for elective cosmetic surgery in Korea.
- Ask whether the plan pays for care in Korea, and read its exclusions line by line
- Ask whether you need pre-authorization before any treatment or admission
- Expect to pay when services are provided, and keep every receipt
- Consider medical evacuation coverage, which most plans do not pay for
Check three different types of cover separately. The CDC distinguishes domestic health insurance, travel health insurance, and medical evacuation insurance, and a yes on one type does not answer the other two. Ask your insurer to confirm in writing whether it covers care abroad, medical evacuation, and elective cosmetic surgery with any related complications, and give the procedure name, the city, and the expected dates of care.
Ask how claims work from abroad: whether the clinic bills the insurer directly or you pay first and claim later, and which documents the insurer needs. The CDC advises keeping the treatment summary, claim forms, and receipts together.
Coverage varies by plan, so treat general statements, including this article, as a starting point rather than a promise for your policy.
Who decides whether surgery is right for me?
The Korean surgeon decides whether you are a suitable candidate, after examining you in person. COMEDI is a coordination service. It does not perform surgery, diagnose you, or recommend a specific clinic or procedure. Before you travel, check the surgeon's training, qualifications and reputation, as the State Department advises for anyone traveling abroad for care.
| Question | Who answers it |
|---|---|
| Is this procedure suitable for my body? | The surgeon, after examining you |
| Is my medicine list safe with this plan? | Your US doctor, working with the Korean team |
| What does my insurance cover abroad? | Your insurer, in writing |
| Are the surgeon's qualifications genuine? | You check with the clinic before booking |
| When can I fly home? | The surgeon, based on your follow-up visits |
Ask the surgeon whether they will examine you in person before any procedure is planned. A list of options from a coordinator, agent, or broker is not a medical decision.
- Your surgeon's training history and qualifications, checked before you book
- Whether the surgeon who examines you is the same surgeon who performs the operation
- Whether your US doctor has reviewed the plan before you book
A coordinator can help you prepare questions, but the clinic's doctors make the medical judgment.
What should I carry home in English?
Ask for your overseas medical records in English before you leave, and give them to any doctor who follows your care at home. The CDC advises requesting copies in English and sharing your full travel history, medical history, and every surgery or treatment you received during the trip. Also ask your doctor for a letter listing your prescription medicines by generic name, and carry copies of your prescriptions.
- Operative notes and a treatment summary, in English
- Your medicine list by generic name, with your doctor's letter
- Summary records, charges and receipts
- The written aftercare plan and the clinic's contact details
Before you leave, compare the English records with your own list. Each procedure and medicine should be written out in full, not only as an internal code. If a record is only in Korean, ask whether an English version is available, and keep the Korean original as well.
- Does the record name each procedure and each medicine given?
- Who can send a copy to my US doctor later, if I need one?
What happens if a problem appears after I return home?
Agree on the process before you fly. The CDC advises discussing the plan for complications with both your US healthcare professional and the team that performed the procedure. Ask the clinic for a named escalation contact in writing, and confirm how the time difference affects urgent calls.
If you suspect a complication, do not delay seeking care, whether you are still abroad or back home. In an emergency, use local emergency care at once, without waiting for a reply from the clinic or your US doctor. Write the escalation plan down before the flight, with the clinic's urgent contact and your US doctor's details, and ask which contact answers after hours and on Korean public holidays.
- Which language does the urgent contact use, and is the reply confirmed in writing?
- Will the clinic send follow-up notes to my US doctor, and in what format?
COMEDI is a coordination service, so a message to COMEDI does not replace a message to the clinic or to your own doctor.
Your US doctor needs the Korean records to follow your care, so keep them with you and treat them as part of your aftercare.
Rhinoplasty (nose job): what is used
| Devices, products and methods | |
|---|---|
| Open approach | A small cut is made across the strip of skin between the nostrils, in addition to cuts inside, so the skin can be lifted and the framework seen directly. |
| Closed approach | All cuts are made inside the nostrils, so there is no visible scar on the outside of the nose. |
| Silicone implant | A smooth, solid, carved implant used to raise the bridge; the body forms a capsule around it rather than growing into it, and it can be taken out if problems occur. |
| ePTFE (Gore-Tex) implant | A synthetic implant with microscopic pores, used to raise or even out the bridge; its pores let the surrounding tissue hold it in place. |
| Your own cartilage (septum, ear or rib) | Cartilage is taken most often from the partition inside the nose, sometimes from the ear, and from a rib when a larger amount is needed; it is used to build or support the tip and bridge. |
| Donor rib cartilage | Screened and processed rib cartilage from a deceased donor, supplied fresh-frozen or irradiated; it avoids a cut on the patient's own chest when a large amount of cartilage is needed. |
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Approach | Surgery is done by an open approach, with a small cut between the nostrils, or a closed approach, with cuts inside the nostrils only. Bone and cartilage are then reduced, reshaped or built up with grafts or an implant. |
| Anaesthesia | It is generally done under general anaesthetic; some surgeons use intravenous sedation. The choice depends on the clinic and the extent of surgery. |
| Operating time | It generally takes about 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on what is being changed and the materials used. |
| Hospital stay | UK health service guidance describes a stay of 1 or 2 nights. Practice differs by country and clinic, so confirm what your clinic does. |
| Stitches & splint | A splint is generally taped over the nose for about 7 days, and stitches that do not dissolve are removed after about a week. Packing or splints inside the nose, if used, stay in for a few days. |
| Known risks | Reported risks include breathing difficulty, heavy nosebleeds, numbness, infection, a hole in the nasal partition and a result that needs further surgery. With implants, infection, shifting and the implant working through the skin are also reported. |
Full details and sources: Rhinoplasty (nose job)
Facts to check before you book
| Registration | Clinics and agencies that work with international patients must be registered with Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare. Medical Korea lists 3,114 registered medical institutions and 1,927 registered agencies (as of March 2025), and registered institutions have had to carry medical malpractice liability insurance since 2016. Ask for the registration number before you pay a deposit. [1] |
| Official help line | The Medical Korea Information Center answers on +82-2-1577-7129, daily 09:00 to 18:00 Korea time, and has desks at Seoul Station (B2, Airport Railroad) and Incheon Airport Terminal 1. It gives information on clinics, takes complaints and dispute enquiries, and takes reports of illegal brokers. [2] |
| Entry (US passports) | Countries currently exempt from K-ETA, including the United States, stay exempt until 31 December 2026 (Korea time). You may still apply if you want to skip the paper arrival card, but the fee is charged and is not refunded. Check the entry rules again before you fly. [3] |
| Tax refund | Korea's VAT refund for cosmetic procedures for foreign visitors (Restriction of Special Taxation Act, Article 107-3) applied only to procedures received at registered clinics on or before 31 December 2025, and the refund had to be claimed within three months of the procedure. Procedures received now are not covered, so do not plan your budget around a refund, and ask the clinic whether VAT is included in the written quote. [4] |
| If something goes wrong | The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency accepts mediation applications from foreign patients. Patients living abroad apply by email or fax ([email protected]), and the counselling line is +82-2-1670-2545. Keep your records, receipts and consent forms. [5] |
Checked on 2026-10-07. Rules change, so confirm with the official source before you travel.