Why people look abroad
People consider surgery abroad for different reasons: a technique that is not offered near home, waiting times, cost, or privacy. This page does not rank countries. It explains how treatment here works so you can weigh it against your options at home.
What Podo treats
The clinic performs 4th-generation labiaplasty, a laser-based technique that closes the incision without sutures.
Pelvic ligament suspension surgery was developed by Dr. Mo Hyung-jin, the clinic's medical director. It is used for stress urinary incontinence, cystocele, rectocele and uterine prolapse.
Consultations are available in English. All three doctors are board-certified specialists in obstetrics and gynecology.
A clinic registered for international patients
A medical institution in Korea that wants to recruit or receive patients from abroad must register with its city or provincial government under rules set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The register is run by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) under the Medical Korea name. To register, a clinic must have at least one specialist for each department it offers to foreign patients and carry medical liability insurance or an equivalent mutual-aid policy. The registration is valid for three years.
Gangnam Podo Women's Clinic is registered under number M-2022-01-08-6530, and you can look it up in the Medical Korea directory run by KHIDI. The directory is in Korean, and the easiest search is by the last four digits of the registration number.
Registration is a legal minimum, not a quality rating, and it does not evaluate surgical results. Whatever clinic you consider, ask for the written plan, the name of the doctor who will operate and the type of anesthesia before you pay anything.
Before you fly
Send us your history, your medication list and any previous operative notes. After an online pre-consultation you receive a written plan and an estimate in English. For incontinence or prolapse surgery, plan for 5 to 10 days in Seoul; for other procedures the plan gives the number of days to allow.
Visa and entry
United States and Canadian passport holders can enter Korea without a visa for short visits. Check the official K-ETA site before you book, because entry rules change. Citizens of some other countries need a medical visa (C-3-3) arranged before travel; ask us early if this applies to you.
The medical visa is the short-term C-3-3 category. A companion's entry route depends on their own passport.
While you are here
The clinic is on the second floor of a building on Gangnam-daero, near Gangnam Station. Recovery rooms are private single-occupancy suites. Each suite has its own bathroom. Overnight stays are available in the clinic's recovery suites. Patients have a 24-hour nurse contact line after surgery.
Patients usually go home the same day; an overnight stay in a private recovery suite can be chosen.
Cost and payment
Prices follow the clinic's published fee schedule. After the pre-consultation you receive a written estimate in English, which confirms the items for your case. That fee schedule and the estimate are the basis of your cost, so this page quotes no figures.
Payment can be made by international credit card. Payment by international bank transfer is also accepted. We do not bundle flights or hotels; we suggest nearby areas to stay.
Insurance documents
We prepare the documents international insurers typically require: an itemized English receipt, a medical certificate, procedure codes and a completed claim form. Whether a procedure is reimbursed depends on your policy; we provide documentation, not coverage decisions.
After you go home
You leave with discharge instructions and an operative summary in English. Patients have a 24-hour nurse contact line after surgery. A video follow-up is scheduled after you return home.
Follow-up care is provided for ten years after surgery under the clinic's aftercare policy: a repeat of the same procedure is free of charge; sedation anesthesia fees and any additional procedures performed at the same time are charged. Medical records and receipts are issued in English on request.
Before you decide: what the CDC advises about care abroad
The CDC advises anyone considering care abroad to check what their health insurance covers and to make sure they can get any needed follow-up care in the United States. Those two questions shape most of this page.
How a trip is structured
Most trips follow five steps. First, an online pre-consultation by message, with your history, your medication list and any earlier operative notes. Second, a written plan and an estimate in English. Third, travel arrangements: entry paperwork, flights and somewhere to stay. Fourth, your days in Seoul, which cover the consultation and tests, the procedure, rest and a final check. Fifth, the flight home and follow-up from abroad.
Plan for 5 to 10 days in Seoul after incontinence or prolapse surgery. A final check is done 5 to 10 days after surgery, before you fly home. For the 4th-generation laser procedure, the number of days to allow is written into your plan after the pre-consultation.
Insurance cover and follow-up abroad
Ask your insurer before you travel whether it covers treatment abroad, and keep every receipt. Follow-up care may not be covered even when the operation is, according to the CDC.
Questions
Do I need a medical visa for surgery in Korea?
It depends on your passport. Many visitors, including United States and Canadian citizens, enter visa-free for short stays. If your country requires a visa, a medical visa (C-3-3) is the usual route; tell us early so the timing works.
Is there a package price?
The estimate covers everything the clinic provides. We do not bundle flights or hotels.
Is Podo registered to treat foreign patients?
Yes. Gangnam Podo Women's Clinic is registered under number M-2022-01-08-6530, and you can look it up in the Medical Korea directory run by KHIDI.
How long should I plan to stay in Korea?
Plan for 5 to 10 days in Seoul after incontinence or prolapse surgery. For other procedures, your written plan gives the number of days to allow.
Do I need to speak Korean?
No. Consultations are available in English. Medical records and receipts are issued in English on request.