What made you decide to get a tummy tuck?
After becoming a mom with twins and giving birth, my abdominal skin stretched by pregnancy and began to sag, leaving me with what’s often called “postpartum belly” or abdominal skin laxity. For nearly ten years after delivery, I tried everything, but my skin never recovered on its own. I also developed diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation) of about 10 cm, which caused not only cosmetic concerns but real physical discomfort. Before pregnancy, my stomach was flat and my waist was well-defined. But even after my weight returned to normal after childbirth, my belly kept protruding, and even choosing clothes became difficult. I wasn’t satisfied with how I looked, and I wanted to live my one and only life in a body I could feel beautiful in. I had dreamed of getting a tummy tuck for ten years, so once I finally decided, the choice itself wasn’t hard at all, this was my own mommy makeover moment, ten years in the making.
Why did you choose to have your abdominoplasty in Korea?
I’ve lived in Korea for 11 years, so I know firsthand how advanced Korean medical care, especially in the field of plastic surgery. It’s well known that people travel to Korea from all over the world specifically for plastic surgery in Korea. I also had deep trust in Korean surgeons, so I never really had to debate which country to choose for my abdominoplasty. For me, Korea was naturally the best option.
Why did you choose View Plastic Surgery?
Over the ten years I dreamed of this surgery, I consulted with several plastic surgery clinics, but I always walked away with lingering doubts and hesitation, unable to commit. After consulting with Dr. Son, all of that uncertainty disappeared. From the very first moment of the consultation, I could feel his high level of expertise and experience. He walked me through exactly what my own tummy tuck plan would involve, from the diastasis recti repair to the skin removal and explained that this was built entirely around my body and needs, not a fixed package, which made me trust the process even more.
Compared to other hospitals, the systematic, one-on-one consultation and patient care at this Gangnam plastic surgery clinic was also a major reason I chose it. Afterward, I learned the clinic has been operating since 2005 and has grown into a comprehensive plastic surgery hospital with decades of accumulated surgical experience. I also visited the hospital’s website to review the medical team’s surgical cases and patient testimonials. Even the doctors’ educational background and career history were fully disclosed, and the transparency of the information about the hospital and its medical staff gave me even more confidence.
What was your first consultation at View like?
My first consultation took place in a genuinely comfortable atmosphere. I’ve lived in Korea for 11 years and speak Korean well, but the hospital also provided a Russian interpreter, as part of its multilingual, one-stop interpretation service for international patients. Thanks to this, I could explain medical terms I wasn’t familiar with, as well as details about my own condition, much more comfortably which made the whole consultation experience even more satisfying. I later learned the hospital also assigns a dedicated coordinator to each foreign patient, which explained why everything felt so seamless from the very first meeting.
What impressed you most during your first visit to View Plastic Surgery?
What impressed me most was that the moment Dr. Son examined my abdomen, he immediately identified the diastasis recti. He explained that my muscle separation was fairly significant relative to my body type, and that this was exactly why my belly kept protruding forward and why I couldn’t achieve a defined waistline. He also explained in detail how repairing the rectus abdominis muscles would improve these issues. Honestly, I had always assumed muscle repair surgery only addressed pain, through this consultation, I learned new things about my own body that I never expected, and that really stood out to me.
What gave you the most confidence in the safety of the surgery?
Having lived in Korea for so long, I already had a strong understanding of how safe the Korean medical system is, so I wasn’t overly anxious about the surgery itself. What stood out in particular was that View Plastic Surgery has more than 20 years of history, with a highly experienced medical team. During the consultation, I was told that medical staff are always present in case of an emergency during surgery, that appropriate treatment would be provided immediately if needed, and that every safety system was fully in place — including no proxy or “ghost” surgery, meaning the surgeon I consulted with was the one who actually performed my procedure, and one-on-one anesthesia care from a dedicated anesthesiologist throughout. I also found out afterward that the hospital has its own in-house preoperative screening center and has been recognized as an Outstanding Medical Tourism Institution by Korea’s Ministry of Justice. Hearing and later confirming all of this gave me even greater confidence in the hospital’s safety standards.
What was your recovery like after the tummy tuck?
Because abdominoplasty is a major surgery that took about five hours, the hospital provided two days of inpatient care. Having continuous monitoring from the medical staff and nurses during that time was incredibly reassuring. The pain was much more manageable than I expected. The most difficult period was the first three days after surgery. During my hospital stay, I received ongoing IV fluids, vitamins, and pain medication, and Dr. Son personally visited every day during rounds to explain my recovery progress and current condition in detail. I was discharged on day 3, had some stitches removed on day 7, and the rest removed on day 14. Swelling appeared afterward, peaking around 2–3 weeks post-surgery. To help reduce swelling and support recovery, I received hyperbaric oxygen therapy at every hospital visit. At each visit, Dr. Son also explained in detail which stage of recovery I was in, what changes were happening in my body, and any precautions I needed to follow. On the day of surgery, the hospital also provided a custom-fitted compression garment made specifically for my body, so I didn’t need to shop for one separately — a detail that made everything so much more convenient.
How did your family and friends react to your decision?
My family and close friends knew I had dreamed of getting a tummy tuck for ten years, so they were genuinely happy that my dream had finally come true. Because they also trusted the high standard and safety of Korean medical care, they felt reassured about the results and fully supported me.
Looking back, what does this experience mean to you?
Looking back now, if I had known the results in advance, I would make the exact same choice all over again. Through this experience, I once again realized how attentively the medical team at View Plastic Surgery cares for even the smallest requests or concerns from patients. I always felt safely looked after at the hospital, and I came away with deep trust in both the medical team and the hospital’s overall system.
Are you satisfied with your tummy tuck results at View Plastic Surgery?
The first time I saw my stomach the day after surgery, I nearly cried tears of joy. The results exceeded everything I had hoped fo. I actually feel my stomach looks even better and more natural than it did before pregnancy. Dr. Son paid meticulous attention to every single detail and performed the surgery with real precision and care, giving me a result that looks completely natural rather than “done.” No matter how much I thank him, it doesn’t feel like enough for such a satisfying result.
