The double eyelid surgery Korea price you are quoted depends first on technique: a buried suture fold, made through tiny punctures without cutting the skin, sits at the lower end of the scale, while a full incision with skin or fat removal sits higher. Correcting a weak lid opening (ptosis), adding inner-corner work or revising an earlier operation each raises the fee again. Clinics quote one surgical fee for both eyes before VAT, and 10% VAT is added at payment. Before comparing figures, ask what the fee includes, such as anesthesia, stitch removal, medication, follow-up visits and any policy if a suture fold loosens.
Guide
Suture fold or incision: the choice that sets the base fee
The buried suture method, often called non-incision, passes fine stitches through small punctures to link the skin to the structures that open the lid. Theatre time is short and nothing is removed, so it carries the smaller base fee. It suits thin lids with little excess skin. The trade-off is durability: a suture fold can loosen over time, and some people later convert to an incision. Online figures for a double eyelid surgery price Korea search usually describe this simplest plan.
The incision method opens the skin along the planned crease, lets the surgeon trim skin and fat, and fixes the fold internally. It takes longer, swelling lasts weeks rather than days, and a fine scar sits in the crease. It is indicated for heavy lids, loose skin, and for anyone combining the fold with ptosis repair. A partial incision sits between the two.
| Technique | Who it is usually planned for | Recovery to expect | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buried suture (non-incision) | Thin lids, little excess skin or fat | Swelling mostly settles within days | How many fixation points, and what happens if the fold loosens |
| Full incision | Heavy lids, loose skin, durable fold wanted | Weeks of residual swelling, crease scar matures over months | How much skin is removed and when stitches come out |
| Incision with ptosis correction | Weak lid opening, sleepy look | Longest of these, adjustment visits likely | Whether lid height is checked awake during surgery |
Guide
Add-ons that turn an eyelid quote into a larger plan
Many consultations end with more than a crease. Ptosis correction advances the muscle that lifts the lid and is priced as a separate line. Inner-corner opening (epicanthoplasty) and outer-corner work are listed separately too, and the surgeon should explain why each is needed.
Lower eyelid surgery is a different operation with its own fee. In a 2023 review in Facial Plastic Surgery, Sobti and Joshi describe lid retraction as a feared complication of lower blepharoplasty and point to lid laxity and a negative orbital vector as anatomy that raises the risk. If a package adds lower lid work, ask how the surgeon assesses lid support before quoting it.
Guide
Why a revision costs more than a first operation
Revision fees are higher because the surgeon works through scar tissue and may have to release an old fold first. In a 2020 review in Facial Plastic Surgery, Young and Kim group the complications of Asian double eyelid surgery into patient dissatisfaction, crease problems, lid height problems, suture-related issues and general eyelid surgery complications. In practice that means asymmetry, a fold that fades or sits too high, and a lid that droops or will not close smoothly.
Each of those needs a different repair, so a revision is quoted only after examination, and the double eyelid surgery Korea cost for a second operation can exceed the first. Bring the date and type of your earlier surgery.
Guide
What the written fee should state before you pay
The price of double eyelid surgery in Korea is usually written for both eyes as one surgical fee. Check that the paper names the technique, the number of fixation points or incision length, the anesthesia, and the follow-up visits, including stitch removal. Ask how long the clinic offers a re-operation for a loosened suture fold or an uneven crease, and what that covers.
Plan your stay around the technique: incision stitches usually come out after several days, so a short trip suits a suture fold better. Searches for a korea double eyelid surgery price rarely show these inclusions, and two quotes are only comparable when they describe the same plan.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Complications of Asian Double Eyelid Surgery: Prevention and ManagementFacial Plastic Surgery · 2020 · doi:10.1055/s-0040-1717147
Review grouping double eyelid surgery complications into dissatisfaction, crease, lid height, suture-related and general eyelid problems, with prevention and revision advice.
- Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty: Minimizing Complications and Correction of Lower Eyelid MalpositionFacial Plastic Surgery · 2023 · doi:10.1055/s-0043-1761912
Review of lid retraction after lower blepharoplasty, the anatomy that raises its risk, and ways to prevent and correct it.
FAQ
Questions about Plastic surgery in Gangnam
Is the non-incision method always cheaper than an incision?
In most clinics yes, because a buried suture fold takes less operating time and removes no tissue. The gap narrows when a suture fold uses many fixation points or is combined with small fat removal through a puncture. A suture fold can loosen, so a lower first fee may be followed by a second operation later. Compare what each method is likely to cost you over several years, not only on the day.
Does the quoted eyelid fee include VAT?
Usually not; surgical fees in Korea are quoted before VAT and 10% VAT is added when you pay. Some clinics print the total at the bottom of the estimate, others only the base figure. Ask for the final payable amount in writing so you can set it against another quote on the same basis. Deposits are normally deducted from that total.
Why did two clinics give me very different eyelid quotes?
The two clinics are probably quoting different plans. One may propose a suture fold while the other adds ptosis correction or inner-corner work, or the anesthesia and follow-up visits differ. Staffing and how much time the surgeon books also shape the fee. Lay the written plans side by side, line by line, and ask each clinic to explain any step the other did not include.
Can I get an accurate eyelid estimate from photos before my trip?
A photo estimate gives a rough range but not a final fee. The surgeon needs to see lid skin thickness, fat, muscle strength and how your lids move. Ptosis is easy to miss in a photo, and finding it in person can change both the plan and the fee. Treat any remote figure as provisional until the consultation. Bring any earlier eyelid records.
What is usually not covered in a double eyelid surgery package?
Extras most often missing are prescription medicine, sedation, extra follow-up visits and a revision outside the stated period. Some estimates also leave out stitch removal or scar care. A clear estimate lists each item or says it is included. If you plan to fly home soon after surgery, ask how a later concern is handled. Get the answer in writing.
How do I pay for eyelid surgery as a foreign visitor?
Most clinics in Korea take international credit cards, and some ask for a deposit to hold a surgery date. Ask whether the deposit is refundable if the surgeon decides at consultation that surgery is not appropriate for you. Keep the itemized receipt for travel insurance or a follow-up at home, and check your card's foreign transaction charges. before the visit.