POSTED UNDER Mini Facelift REVIEWS
Girin Plastic Surergy. My Review Part 1: Clinic Selection
ORIGINAL POST
Girin Plastic Surergy. My Review Part 1: Clinic Selection
Enthusiastic979645September 1, 2025
I’m a 44-year-old woman, no stranger to plastic surgery. Over the years, I’ve had procedures done in my home country (Norway), in Prague (which I saw as a safer alternative to Turkey), and now in South Korea. I also work in the healthcare industry, so I like to think I have a decent understanding of what to look for in a clinic. As a single mum, safety will always be my number one priority.
This summer, we planned an Asia trip for our vacation, and I thought why not take the opportunity to have some work done while I’m there? I started researching procedures, clinics, and safety regulations in Korea, and here’s what I found:
Ghost surgeries are largely a thing of the past , since 2018, new government regulations require CCTV in operating theaters.
Under Korean law, sedation anaesthesia does not have to be administered or supervised by an anaesthetist; it can be given by the operating doctor.
Deaths related to sedation anaesthesia have been increasing, though overall numbers are still low, and more often occur outside of proper operating theaters.
Korea is still a patriarchal society, with the largest gender pay gap in the developed world (around 30%).
Why does this matter? Because these factors shaped my clinic choice.
Many preventable healthcare deaths can be traced back to poor processes, lack of diligence, and lack of care.
If a clinic doesn’t have in-house anaesthesiologists, it often means the surgeon is administering sedation while operating or hiring contract anaesthetists. To me, that’s a sign of less robust systems.
In Korea’s medical culture, female doctors often have to work harder to earn their place and be heard among more traditional male colleagues.
From my experience in healthcare marketing, I’ve also noticed a generational shift: older doctors are often less inclined to incorporate patient wishes, while younger, digitally native healthcare professionals tend to weigh safety, efficacy, and patient goals equally, working with the patient for the best outcome.
Why Girin stood out:
Girin has in-house anaesthesiologists and ensures one is present even for sedation-only procedures. I only found two clinics that offered this: Girin was one of them.
In fact, I chose my anaesthesiologist before my surgeon. He was older, very experienced, and board-certified. I sent him my medication list beforehand, and he adjusted his anesthesia choice accordingly. He was more traditional, prioritizing safety and efficacy over my personal preference, but I didn’t mind. My first priority was to stay alive and well.
For my surgeon, I chose a wonderful young female doctor, Dr. Jeon Ji In who listened carefully and genuinely considered my wishes.
The consultation process:
I first consulted with Girin over WhatsApp. I suspect my initial consultation wasn’t directly with the doctor, but that was fine for me I knew I wanted forehead reduction, fat transfer, and possibly a facelift, and I’m aware that final surgical plans often change after an in-person consultation. (For more technically complex or detail-sensitive procedures like rhinoplasty or deep-plane facelifts, I’d take a different approach.)
Their translators were excellent professional, friendly, and made sure nothing was “lost in translation.” I also got the impression that Girin is one of those clinics where help is always available, whether for treatment or online consultations, no matter the day. It made me feel like they truly value accessibility and patient support. And this turned out to be very much true - I was able to contact them at any time for a prompt response after my procedure.
In my next review I'll go into the consultation, surgery day outcomes and post follow up/aftercare. But you can see the results below:
This summer, we planned an Asia trip for our vacation, and I thought why not take the opportunity to have some work done while I’m there? I started researching procedures, clinics, and safety regulations in Korea, and here’s what I found:
Ghost surgeries are largely a thing of the past , since 2018, new government regulations require CCTV in operating theaters.
Under Korean law, sedation anaesthesia does not have to be administered or supervised by an anaesthetist; it can be given by the operating doctor.
Deaths related to sedation anaesthesia have been increasing, though overall numbers are still low, and more often occur outside of proper operating theaters.
Korea is still a patriarchal society, with the largest gender pay gap in the developed world (around 30%).
Why does this matter? Because these factors shaped my clinic choice.
Many preventable healthcare deaths can be traced back to poor processes, lack of diligence, and lack of care.
If a clinic doesn’t have in-house anaesthesiologists, it often means the surgeon is administering sedation while operating or hiring contract anaesthetists. To me, that’s a sign of less robust systems.
In Korea’s medical culture, female doctors often have to work harder to earn their place and be heard among more traditional male colleagues.
From my experience in healthcare marketing, I’ve also noticed a generational shift: older doctors are often less inclined to incorporate patient wishes, while younger, digitally native healthcare professionals tend to weigh safety, efficacy, and patient goals equally, working with the patient for the best outcome.
Why Girin stood out:
Girin has in-house anaesthesiologists and ensures one is present even for sedation-only procedures. I only found two clinics that offered this: Girin was one of them.
In fact, I chose my anaesthesiologist before my surgeon. He was older, very experienced, and board-certified. I sent him my medication list beforehand, and he adjusted his anesthesia choice accordingly. He was more traditional, prioritizing safety and efficacy over my personal preference, but I didn’t mind. My first priority was to stay alive and well.
For my surgeon, I chose a wonderful young female doctor, Dr. Jeon Ji In who listened carefully and genuinely considered my wishes.
The consultation process:
I first consulted with Girin over WhatsApp. I suspect my initial consultation wasn’t directly with the doctor, but that was fine for me I knew I wanted forehead reduction, fat transfer, and possibly a facelift, and I’m aware that final surgical plans often change after an in-person consultation. (For more technically complex or detail-sensitive procedures like rhinoplasty or deep-plane facelifts, I’d take a different approach.)
Their translators were excellent professional, friendly, and made sure nothing was “lost in translation.” I also got the impression that Girin is one of those clinics where help is always available, whether for treatment or online consultations, no matter the day. It made me feel like they truly value accessibility and patient support. And this turned out to be very much true - I was able to contact them at any time for a prompt response after my procedure.
In my next review I'll go into the consultation, surgery day outcomes and post follow up/aftercare. But you can see the results below:
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