In the clinic's own records for patients travelling from Japan, the average was about 2 days after eye surgery before flying home. The factor that most often changes the plan is stitch removal: when an incision is closed with stitches, they are usually removed at around one week, sometimes as early as day 5 and sometimes as late as two weeks. Your own schedule is confirmed at the consultation.
Hello, this is SM Plastic Surgery in Gangnam, Seoul. If you are travelling to Korea for eyelid surgery, the length of your stay is often the first practical question, even before the choice of method. The number of days depends less on the country you fly from than on how the surgery is done and how the incision is closed.
In the clinic's own records for patients travelling from Japan, the average was about 2 days after eye surgery before flying home. The factor that most often changes the plan is stitch removal: when an incision is closed with stitches, they are usually removed at around one week, sometimes as early as day 5 and sometimes as late as two weeks. Your own schedule is confirmed at the consultation.
What decides how long I should stay in Seoul?
Three things shape the plan:
- whether the procedure involves an incision in the skin
- how that incision is closed, and whether stitches need to be removed at the clinic
- how many days you want before you are back to your usual daily activities
The figure of about 2 days is an average from the clinic's records for patients from Japan, across eye surgery as a whole. It is not a figure for every procedure or every person, and it is not the same as being fully recovered.
When are stitches removed after eyelid surgery?
When an incision is closed with stitches, removal is usually at around one week. Depending on how the incision is healing, stitches may be removed as early as day 5 or as late as two weeks. A return flight booked before removal leaves that step unfinished, so share your travel dates at the consultation before you book anything non-refundable.
Can the skin be closed without stitches that need removing?
For suitable cases, SM Plastic Surgery uses Dermabond, a skin adhesive that closes the incision without stitches that later need to be removed. When it is used, showering is possible relatively early. Whether it can be used for your surgery is decided at the consultation, and so is whether any other visit, such as a check of how the incision is healing, should take place before you fly home.
How soon can I return to daily activities?
| Procedure | Back to usual daily activities | Main swelling settles |
|---|---|---|
| Under-eye fat repositioning | About 3 days | About 3 days |
| Lower blepharoplasty with a skin incision | About 7 days | About 7 days |
These figures are the clinic's guidance and are approximate. Some people need longer, and returning to daily activities is not the same as the final result.
In general, an approach with a skin incision tends to involve longer swelling and bruising, while recovery without a skin incision is often quicker. After revision eyelid surgery, swelling and bruising may last longer than after a first operation. If your plan includes more than one procedure, ask how that changes the number of days.
Does the method affect the length of the trip?
Yes, because the method decides whether there is a skin incision and whether stitches are involved. For the lower eyelid, fat repositioning is mainly for bulging and shadowing, and lower blepharoplasty with a skin incision is mainly for loose skin. The clinic identifies five situations in which transconjunctival fat repositioning alone has limits: loose skin, a weakened orbicularis muscle, too little fat to move, a hollow midface and pigmentation. In some of these cases another procedure, such as lower blepharoplasty or fat grafting, may need to be combined, which can change the schedule. The details are covered in Under-Eye Bags in Korea: Fat Repositioning or Lower Blepharoplasty, and How Long to Stay.
For the upper eyelid, double eyelid surgery is not simply a choice between incisional and non-incisional techniques. There are several approaches for different goals, including ptosis correction. See Double Eyelid Surgery in Seoul: Why It Is Not Just "Incisional or Non-Incisional".
What should I plan for after I fly home?
Ask at the consultation how follow-up is arranged once you are back home, and what to do if you notice something unexpected. Knowing this before surgery makes it easier to decide how many days to stay.
Frequently asked questions
Q1) Can I fly home the day after eyelid surgery?
A1) In the clinic's records for patients from Japan, the average was about 2 days after eye surgery before flying home. Your own timing depends on the procedure and on how the incision is closed, and it is confirmed after your condition is checked following surgery.
Q2) Do I have to come back to the clinic to have stitches removed?
A2) If the incision is closed with stitches, they are usually removed at around one week, as early as day 5 or as late as two weeks. If a skin adhesive (Dermabond) is suitable and used, there are no stitches to remove. Which applies to you, and whether any other visit is needed before you fly, is confirmed at the consultation.
Q3) How long until the main swelling settles?
A3) As a guide, about 3 days after under-eye fat repositioning and about 7 days after lower blepharoplasty with a skin incision. These figures are approximate and vary between individuals.
Q4) Is the surgeon I consult with the one who performs the surgery?
A4) Yes. At SM Plastic Surgery, Dr. Lee Moo-young, the medical director, handles your care directly from consultation to surgery.
Results and recovery differ between individuals. Please make decisions after a full consultation with a plastic surgeon.
SM Plastic Surgery · 9F Juryuseong Building, 435 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul · about 2–3 minutes on foot from Gangnam Station Exit 10 · +82-2-537-3707 · Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–16:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays
Results and recovery speed differ between individuals and are not guaranteed. Depending on the procedure, bleeding, infection, swelling, bruising, scarring, asymmetry, or changes in sensation can occur, and the specific risks of each procedure are explained at your consultation.