A "no" at a consultation is usually information, not a refusal of care. Most often it means the requested procedure may not suit your anatomy, or that the product is not available in Korea. Knowing which reason applies helps you decide your next step.
Hello, this is SM Plastic Surgery in Gangnam, Seoul. Patients who travel a long way for a consultation sometimes arrive with a very specific request — a named technique, a particular implant, a certain size — and hear that it may not be the right choice for them. That can be frustrating, especially after a long flight.
A "no" at a consultation is usually information, not a refusal of care. Most often it means the requested procedure may not suit your anatomy, or that the product is not available in Korea. Knowing which reason applies helps you decide your next step.
Why would a surgeon decline the procedure I asked for?
There are a few common reasons, and they can be told apart:
| Reason | What it means | Example at SM Plastic Surgery |
|---|---|---|
| The technique has limits | It may not reach the goal on its own | Fat transfer has a limit on how much breast volume it can add |
| Your anatomy calls for a different approach | Skin, fat or muscle conditions need another technique | Loose lower-eyelid skin is not corrected by the transconjunctival approach alone |
| The product is not available | It is not imported into Korea | For Motiva, only the first-generation implants are currently imported into Korea |
| The request rests on a simplification | There are more options than the request assumed | Double eyelid surgery is not simply a choice between incisional and non-incisional (suture) techniques |
What do these reasons look like in practice?
Under-eye surgery. Many people ask for the transconjunctival approach, where the incision is made inside the lower eyelid rather than on the skin surface. Recovery tends to be quicker than with an incision on the skin, although this varies from person to person. In the clinic's assessment, it generally suits people in their 20s and 30s whose skin is still firm and elastic. Dr. Lee Moo-young lists five situations in which transconjunctival fat repositioning alone has limits: sagging lower-eyelid skin, weakened orbicularis muscle (the muscle that closes the eye), too little fat, a hollow midface and pigmentation. In some of these cases, an incisional lower blepharoplasty may need to be added; this is decided after examination.
Breast fat transfer. Using your own fat is appealing, but Dr. Lee notes that fat grafted to the breast generally retains less of its volume than fat grafted to the face, and injecting more at once does not simply mean more volume. In his words, if you want an increase of one cup size or more, fat transfer has limits and implants are generally the more suitable option.
A specific implant. Sometimes the request is for a product seen online. If it is not imported into Korea, the clinic cannot offer it, and will explain what is currently used instead: Motiva (only its first-generation implants are imported into Korea) and Mentor (the lines known in Korea as Classic and Xtra).
Why does it matter who does the consultation?
At SM Plastic Surgery, Dr. Lee Moo-young, the medical director, handles your care directly from consultation to surgery. The person who tells you what is and is not suitable is the same person who would perform the operation, so the explanation does not pass through several people.
The clinic is also direct about practical arrangements. For example, sedation is administered by the medical director himself, and when general anesthesia is required, a freelance anesthesiologist is engaged for that operation; there is no anesthesiologist on staff full-time. Knowing these facts early helps you compare clinics on the same terms.
What should I ask when I hear "no"?
- Is the reason my anatomy, the technique's limits, or the product's availability?
- What would happen if we did it the way I asked?
- What do you suggest instead, and what are its own risks and recovery time?
- Would combining techniques change the answer?
Asking these questions turns a disappointing moment into a clearer decision. Dr. Lee described the field this way in a 2014 magazine interview: "In a changing medical world, we have to keep studying and keep improving" (Weekly People vol.895, April 11, 2014; translated from Korean). Techniques change, and so do the answers to these questions over time.
Frequently asked questions
Q1) Should I look for another clinic that will perform the procedure I want?
A1) You are free to seek another opinion. When you do, ask each clinic to explain its reasoning in terms of your own anatomy, so you can compare the answers fairly.
Q2) Can I send photos first to find out if my preferred procedure is possible?
A2) Photos help us understand your concern, but the final answer depends on an in-person examination.
Q3) Who explains the options at SM Plastic Surgery?
A3) Dr. Lee Moo-young, a plastic surgeon in Korea, who 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.
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.