Getting LASEK at Glory Seoul Eye Clinic Gangnam

Did you know about 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide? In the US, over 40 percent of the population requires glasses for myopia or nearsightedness to be able to see. Since I was in first grade, I’ve always had to wear glasses. I’m dating myself here, but this was back in the 90s when it wasn’t cool to be a geek or nerd (seriously thank God for Spiderman) and I got called four eyes. No one ever complimented me on how cute my glasses are, but seriously, kids are savage.

Through the years, my vision only got worse and the power of my contacts and glasses stronger. Unfortunately, I can’t say this helped my confidence. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to wear glasses, but for me personally, I’ve always imagined a version of myself that didn’t have to scramble around every morning to find them or fight with my dog to get them back because she loves to chew on them.

You know what I’ve always imagined—seeing a crystal clear world when I wake in the morning, watching a sunset at the end of the day without dry tired eyes because of my contacts, and seeing the leaves of the trees and flowers in Autumn with the same clarity. So here I am, a twenty something about to take my vision into my own hands. 

As you’re already aware, Korea is the plastic surgery capital of the world, but did you know it’s also making waves in medical tourism? Going to a doctor can be scary in your own country but going in a foreign country seems even more terrifying. When you want expert care in your own language, the task can be daunting. Glory Seoul Eye Clinic in Gangnam has one of the best reputations with foreigners for offering top notch care in fluent English. You can check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well if you’re the social media type. 

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About Glory Seoul Eye Clinic

With 15 years experience giving high quality care, you know you’re in good hands right from the get go. Their top three doctors, Dr. Gu, Dr. Park, and Dr. Kim are experienced cornea, retina and cataract surgeons. They’ve done over 100,000 surgeries in their practice. Their expertise ranges from LASIK/LASEK surgery, implanting lens for myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, and hybrid LASIK/LASEK procedures for presbyopia. The doctors there are compassionate and confident but their nurses and other staff are absolutely wonderful as well. Everyone at the clinic is dedicated to making your procedure as smooth and comfortable as possible. 

What to Expect

As soon as you walk in, the front desk personnel will greet you and ask for your alien registration card and information. I felt at home immediately because it was just like walking into a normal clinic in America. In the waiting room, the lights are a yellow hue for patients coming out of surgery. There’s also relaxing arm chairs and couches for you to lounge around in. 

When it’s your turn for an eye exam, a friendly staff member will walk you through a series of eye tests to check corneal thickness, pupil size, tear production, stability and refractive error. The best part of the check up? The extensive 30-40 minute eye examination is completely free. You don’t even have to get the procedure done right after. If you change your mind and chicken out, you have 3 months to decide before those results expire and you have to redo it.

Once all your details are recorded, you’ll meet with a qualified physician who will guide you through the process. Most doctors will recommend getting LASEK as it has less of a chance for regression and you will completely heal afterwards. A lot of people shy away from this option for its longer recovery time, but one of the bright sides of LASEK is it is a safer procedure. My contact prescription is a -5.5. Because my vision is so bad, I have a higher chance of regression when doing LASIK. In addition, if I would have chosen LASIK, I could not re-operate in the future to fix my vision if it does regress. After talking it over with Dr. William Kim, the best course of action for myself was LASEK. 

Before the surgery, you’ll be given a card with what procedure you will receive an after care pamphlet, and sent down to the pharmacy to buy your eyedrops, protective goggles, and anti-inflammatory/painkilling medication. The pharmacy next to the clinic is awesome since the staff also speaks perfect English and will walk you through how to properly use your eyedrops and take the medication.  

The Benefits of LASEK

It is proven that LASEK patients report slightly better long term results. There’s less post operative discomfort and infection, and decreased incidences of corneal haze after LASEK. There’s a faster recovery of nerve sensation and less incidences of dry eye.

The Surgery

Unlike America, you will not get any relaxers. Don’t let this hinder you. The procedure is relatively quick and only takes about five minutes for both eyes compared to the 15-30 minutes it takes in America. You will be taken into the waiting room, given a hair net and then put on a table with a special headrest. It’s a bit cold in the surgery room so I would wear long yoga pants or a long sleeved top if that suits your fancy. The nurses will put in the numbing eye drops and wait about 5 minutes for it to completely set in. They’ll also put a cloth over your face to protect you and block out the burning smell. Dr. Kim came in and told me to look directly into the green light as he used a clamp to open my eyes fully. He told me even though my head or eye moved, not to worry because the smart machine would track the movement of my eye and nothing bad would happen. Do your best to keep staring into the green dot of the laser.

When the laser started shooting into my eye, I could smell a burning like cooking squid but it was nothing too traumatic. I watched blearily as the epithelium was removed and then my stroma reshaped with an excimer laser. Afterwards cold water was applied to my cornea to cool it down and then a protective contact bandage was applied.

As soon as I got up, it was an entirely new world. Everything that was so blurry for 20 years of my life was suddenly so clear. It was a wonderful two minutes until everything became blurry again. With LASEK, this is normal because as your eyes heal, your vision slowly gets better and better.

The Recovery

Since it is an outpatient procedure, you will be able to go home the very same day. I went out and took public transport. After surgery, your eyes will be sensitive to the light, so it would be better if you arranged for a ride home. In addition, I highly recommend having black out curtains installed in your bedroom before the surgery and buying an eye mask while you sleep it off the first day. While your protective contact bandages are in, you’re not allowed to wash your face for five days. 

Day 1

I decided to do the procedure at 10am on Saturday morning. The anti-inflammatory medication/painkillers made me a bit loopy but everyone is different. It’s super important for you to stay home. On the first day, it was absolute agony to look at anything bright including my phone on the lowest setting in night mode. Take the day to relax and download lots of audiobooks beforehand as you will have nothing but the back of your eyelids and imagination to keep you company. I’m a big fan of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters series so try the Magnus Bane Chronicles on for size. It’s a great laugh and for a character who is in all the series, you’ll enjoy a peak into his life making his own drama. 

Day 2

I knew the second day would be complete hell from what I read on the internet. I experienced some swelling on my eyelids and bruising on my under eye area. I looked like I got into a fight but it was nothing too major. In fact, the swelling on my top lids actually looked like i had a purple smoky eye going on. #iwokeuplikedis The only discomfort I had was some mild pain which I quelled with some extra ibuprofen and an icepack on my eyebrows and sides of my eyes. At some points my eyes felt like sandpaper but I mostly slept throughout the day. 

Day 3

By this time I could mildly tolerate the light and I could go out at night and see the bright street lights in Korea without wanting to close my eyes and hide in a dark cave. I barely had any discomfort and I was starting to feel much better. My vision was slowly healing and I could see objects with more clarity than I could for the first time since I started wearing glasses in first grade. 

Day 4

The vision in my left eye was more clear than the right. This is also normal because the rate of healing for each eye is different. Even though the contact bandages were in, my vision wasn’t as blurry as I expected. I went out with sunglasses at night to walk my dog and I still felt pretty good. 

Day 5

I could pretty much return to my normal life. I had to wear sunglasses whenever I was outside because it was too bright and I had to protect my eyes. I wear my sunglasses inside as well if the lights are too bright.

Day 6

On this day, my protective contact bandages came out. There’s hardly any pain when they’re removed. Dr. Kim held the top of my eyelid and with a special set of tweezers, he pulled out the contacts. If I could describe the sensation, it feels like taking out your contacts after a really long day and night of partying in Seoul. I could return to work that very same day which was a Thursday but I opted to rest and enjoy my summer vacation. 

After Care

When the protective contact bandages are removed, you’re allowed to wear face make up. You’re also not allowed to wear eye makeup until two weeks after those bandages are removed. You can also freely take a shower by washing your hair. I’m a stinky foreigner and I can’t go five days without washing my hair, so I used swimming goggles when doing so. Be super careful not to let any water or chemicals into your eyes. You’re not supposed to wash your face during this time either, but also proceed with immense caution if you do. (Hands up of you have oily skin like me.)

You’ll have to wear sunglasses all the time when you’re outside for the next 3-6 months and your vision won’t return to 100% until a month later. During this time, you’ll have specific instructions from the doctor about what medicated eyedrops to use. Follow the doctor’s advice with precision for the smoothest and fastest recovery time.

If you’re a party animal, beware because there’s no drinking for a month after surgery. You’ll have to take it easy because you can’t go to a sauna or do strenuous activity for a month as well.

The Verdict

Would I recommend Glory Seoul Eye Clinic? Absolutely. The professionalism, the helpfulness of the staff and nurses were absolutely exceptional. Dr. Kim is very straightforward and will let you know how the procedure is done, answer any of your questions and let you know what to expect before, during and after the surgery. Every person from the front desk to the pharmacy technicians are well trained and know exactly what they’re doing. I felt super confident because everyone is able to speak wonderful English so I never have to second guess what is being said when it comes to the directions for my aftercare or taking my prescriptions. Being a stranger in Korea isn’t scary when you have staff that are trained and know how to give care to foreigners.

Now that my vision is clearing up and fantastic, I wish I would have done this years ago. Seriously, what a wonderful world not to have to scramble around for my contacts, glasses, or solution. Never again will I deal with dry contacts at the end of the day because I’ve been wearing them so long. I will no longer endure headaches from my glasses because the prescription is so strong and they are so heavy. Never again will I have to pay extra money to get the thinner and less heavy lenses because of my bad eyesight. I can enjoy a life seeing with the stunning clarity I take my travel photos in. I can live life on my terms without depending on contacts or glasses to see. I never have to worry about packing an extra pair of contacts, a case, or travel sized solution. I’m finally free and it’s all thanks to Glory Seoul Eye Clinic. I finally feel like I’m seeing the world as it should be and that’s an eye opening experience for me. 

In the medical field of Korea, you’re in amazing hands. The doctors are just as good if not better than the ones I’ve encountered in America. They’ll treat you with the same respect and care and you can rest assured the procedure is super safe. You’ll come out of the hospital with new eyes. 😉 Literally, because your eyes are just stem cells and they start regenerating after they’re cut. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve gone through and I can’t wait to start living my best life. If you want to check them out for yourself, go on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

Cost

Depending on your eyes and needs the cost can range from 1.3 -2 million won. There is a cost difference between LASKIK and LASEK.

How to Get There

Walk out Exit 12 at Gangnam Station. Walk straight and you will see a Daiso on your left. There will also be a Japanese restaurant there. Go into the same building as the restaurant and go to the fifth floor.

Address: Jeil Building 5th floor, 822-4 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Hours: Mon – Thurs 10am – 7pm

Friday 10am – 8pm

Saturday 10am to 4pm

Lunch break 1pm – 2pm

Closed on Sundays and all national holidays

Phone Number: Gangnam 02-569-3690

Uijeongbu 031-847-7700

Gina Bear was sponsored by Glory Seoul Eye Clinic. If you are considering this surgery consult a certified professional physician like Dr. Gu, Dr. Park, or Dr. Kim. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.