Samsung Medical Center
Samsung Medical Center — ranked 3rd worldwide in oncology. A MEDIWIN partner hospital under a formal patient-referral agreement.
Reconstructive surgery restores form and function after trauma, tumour removal or a congenital difference. It is done in a university hospital by a plastic and reconstructive surgery team working alongside oncology, ENT, ophthalmology or oral and maxillofacial surgery — not in a cosmetic clinic.
That distinction matters when you are looking for care abroad. Korea is widely known for cosmetic surgery, and that reputation obscures a different and more demanding capability: microsurgical reconstruction at tertiary centres, where free flap transfer, nerve repair and bone grafting are routine.
MEDIWIN holds formal patient-referral agreements with Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, and has coordinated ear reconstruction at Asan Medical Center, jaw reconstruction at Samsung Medical Center and orbital fracture repair at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.
Ear reconstruction (microtia). Staged reconstruction of an absent or underdeveloped ear, usually using the patient’s own rib cartilage. A long-horizon procedure requiring a surgeon who does it regularly.
Jaw and facial bone reconstruction. After tumour resection, trauma or infection — including free fibula flap reconstruction of the mandible and dental rehabilitation afterwards.
Orbital fracture repair. Reconstruction of the bony eye socket after trauma, where the objective is restoring eye position and function, not appearance.
Head and neck reconstruction after cancer surgery, coordinated with the oncology team that performed the resection.
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy, immediate or delayed.
Cleft lip and palate, including secondary correction in older children and adults.
Burn and scar reconstruction, including contracture release restoring movement.
Reconstruction is often staged across more than one trip, which makes planning the difficult part.
— Translation of your history, operative reports from any previous surgery, CT imaging and photographs
— Submission to the plastic and reconstructive surgery team, with the relevant partner department involved
— A staged plan: how many procedures, how far apart, and what happens between them
— Written cost estimate and expected length of stay for each stage
— Medical visa documentation for the patient and an accompanying family member where the patient is a child
— Interpretation at every consultation
— Remote follow-up between stages, so you are not left waiting without contact
No. Reconstructive surgery restores function and form lost to trauma, tumour removal or a congenital condition, and is performed in a university hospital by a team working with the relevant specialty. Cosmetic surgery is elective aesthetic work, usually done in private clinics. They are different disciplines with different surgeons.
Ear reconstruction using the patient’s own rib cartilage is generally staged and timed to the child’s growth, so the appropriate age is a clinical judgement made by the surgeon after reviewing the case. Send imaging and photographs and the team will advise on timing before you plan any travel.
Secondary or revision reconstruction is harder than a first operation but is regularly done at tertiary centres. Previous operative reports matter a great deal here — send them along with current imaging and photographs.
Frequently, yes. Staged reconstruction is normal, particularly for ear reconstruction and jaw reconstruction with dental rehabilitation. The hospital sets out how many stages and the interval between them so you can plan.
The hospital issues a written estimate per stage after reviewing the case. MEDIWIN adds no fees to your medical bill — you pay the hospital directly.
Important. MEDIWIN provides this service to patients residing outside Korea only. It is not offered to residents of Korea. MEDIWIN is a medical tourism facilitator, not a medical provider: every clinical opinion, diagnosis and treatment decision is made and issued by a licensed physician at the treating hospital. MEDIWIN translates and delivers your records to that hospital and delivers the hospital’s response back to you. It does not write, alter, summarise or interpret any medical opinion.
Related: how to apply to Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center or Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital as an international patient.
Samsung Medical Center — ranked 3rd worldwide in oncology. A MEDIWIN partner hospital under a formal patient-referral agreement.
General hospital
General hospital
Women’s health, General hospital