Breaking Stereotypes and Ending Rumors at Gangnam Seoyeon Plastic Surgery (feat. Patient Support)

I am writing this post encouraged by the support of my patients.

The title is

Breaking Stereotypes and Ending Rumors at Gangnam Seoyeon Plastic Surgery (feat. Patient Support)

A patient visited recently and brought a checklist of rumors they had heard about our clinic—or rather, about me, Dr. Choi Dong-il. Seeing those misconceptions written down made me realize I couldn’t let this slide, so I decided to write this post.

They mentioned these stories were circulating in a patient community.

I told them these claims were absurd and asked them to set the record straight for others, but they suggested I post directly on my blog instead... so here I am.

Let me address a few points.

1. Is Gangnam Seoyeon a ‘Blacklist Clinic’?

I heard that if you search on Google or YouTube, it appears as a related search term. So, I tried it myself.

What is this...?

If anyone knows why these terms pop up, please let me know.

However, when I searched for other clinics, similar terms appeared for them too. Is this just a default search algorithm thing?

2. How long does the surgery take?

Our clinic does not operate on a fixed timer.

I finish the surgery only when I feel the result is perfect.

I never stop just because a certain amount of time has passed.

However, most procedures are completed within an hour. This leads some patients to ask, ‘Why did it end so quickly? Are you rushing the surgery?’

That is simply not the case.

Our surgical staff are not novices; they are highly experienced professionals. Some have worked with me for over 10 years.

We barely need to speak during surgery. Why? Because we have worked together so many times that our coordination is instinctive. This efficiency allows the surgery to finish quickly, which actually helps minimize swelling for the patient.

Of course, some cases take over an hour. But most finish quickly because I have performed these surgeries so many times!

I haven’t performed facial contouring surgery in over 10 years. If I were to do it now, it would take me hours. However, specialists in that field finish within two hours, and the most skilled do it in under an hour. If I took 3 to 4 hours for a contouring surgery, would you call that ‘thorough’ or just ‘unskilled’?

For reference, I am frequently invited to perform live surgery demonstrations at academic conferences. Usually, these live sessions are scheduled for about an hour, during which other plastic surgery specialists observe the procedure.

Naturally, wouldn’t they invite someone who is accurate, fast, and skilled? Wouldn’t they choose someone whose skills are proven?

One might argue that speed doesn’t equate to quality, but at the very least, it indicates a high level of verified expertise.

As I’ve stated on my clinic’s website, I perform surgeries that I would not be ashamed to show to any fellow plastic surgery specialist.

These are the letters of appreciation in my office. I have been performing live surgeries since 2013 at various venues, as you can see.

Because I work efficiently, some ask if I’m performing an excessive number of surgeries a day.

Goodness... I am only human, and overworking is exhausting. Except for the rush before public holidays, I finish everything within regular working hours. I never overbook surgeries, so please rest assured.

You can simply ask my patients if they have ever had surgery late at night!

I believe these claims are also malicious rumors.

3. Why are there no reviews? Why was the clinic empty when I went for a consultation?

This is confusing. One person says I do too many surgeries, and another asks why there are so few patients. Isn’t that contradictory?

Regarding the consultation room: since COVID-19, we have strictly managed patient flow to prevent overlap as much as possible.

Even after the pandemic, we continue this practice to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Even if the lobby is empty, patients may be in the recovery rooms, operating rooms, or consultation rooms.

As for the lack of reviews, as of 2023, we do not run ‘review events’ where we offer discounts in exchange for reviews. Running such events would require significantly more administrative effort from my staff.

My personal motto is: ‘I should be happy, the patient should be happy, and the staff should be happy.’

Just as patients are someone’s precious family, my staff and I are also someone’s precious family members. I respect my patients as if they were my own family, and I hope patients treat me and my staff with the same respect.

I am always grateful when patients voluntarily leave kind reviews.

4. Does Gangnam Seoyeon use ‘deep fixation’? Does it create a ‘step’ (shelf effect)?

Not at all. I suture carefully without excessive tension, and for first-time surgeries, I use techniques that minimize scarring.

My fixation is actually quite light. Some also ask if the ‘skin-only’ (double-line) method creates a step.

Please refer to my other blog post regarding the double-line method:

https://blog.naver.com/medicdoctor/223038398554

When lowering a fold significantly, the upper skin naturally drapes over. This is sometimes misunderstood as a ‘step,’ but this happens in all line-lowering surgeries, including those for men. It is not a unique side effect of my method; it is a standard anatomical result of lowering a fold, regardless of where you get the surgery. It is a textbook procedure. If this were some strange method of mine, I would have been criticized by the academic community long ago.

https://blog.naver.com/medicdoctor/222858321482

5. The director seems cold during consultations. He says a lot of pessimistic things?

If I seemed cold, I apologize, but that is just my natural way of speaking... it’s hard to change. It’s not that I’m being unkind, but... sigh.

I greet patients and try to provide objective explanations. Some say I deliver ‘painful truths,’ so perhaps I don’t come across as ‘warm’ to everyone.

I suppose I’m just not cut out to be a sweet-talking salesman.

Regarding the ‘pessimistic’ comments:

The more knowledge and experience a surgeon has, the more they feel obligated to explain all possible outcomes—both good and bad.

Patients often ask about risks after revision surgery: ‘Will I get lagophthalmos? Will there be scarring? Will I get dry eyes?’

When asked, I must answer that these are possibilities. Even if it only happens to one person out of 10,000, if it happens to you, it is 100%.

The probability is low, but I cannot skip explaining even a 1 in 10,000 chance. Since patients often only want to hear what they want to hear, they might perceive a realistic warning as a ‘pessimistic’ remark.

I prioritize safety. I prefer to explain everything thoroughly and operate conservatively.

6. Do you only recommend the ‘double-line’ method for revisions?

That’s nonsense. I perform all types of revision surgeries. Ideally, we excise the old scar and work with clean tissue. I also perform line-raising, epicanthoplasty restoration, and lateral canthoplasty restoration.

I have written papers on epicanthoplasty restoration, and some of my work will be included in a newly published textbook on aesthetic plastic surgery.

If you find anyone spreading malicious rumors about our clinic, please leave a comment on this blog.

My principle is to ensure that innocent people are not harmed by misinformation.

Thank you for reading this long post.

I hope all patients who visit our clinic find happiness. I will always do my best.

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Adding content from a patient after yesterday’s post (2023.4.12)

I heard about this absurd situation.

It seems there are people spreading malicious rumors.

The characteristic of such people is always ‘I heard from someone I know’ or ‘I haven’t had surgery there, but I heard...’ to avoid accountability.

I hope no one becomes a victim of these rumors.

If a follow-up (AS) is needed, I certainly provide it. Also, tissue excision during ptosis correction is only done for severe cases; it is a rare and highly complex procedure. It is very uncommon for standard patients... while I am capable of performing it, it is rarely necessary.

I am so grateful to those who left these supportive comments.