Solo travel works too! Korea eye laser — Mingmu Eye Clinic
雨彤 사
6 days ago
After attending the briefing in Taipei on 9/13, since I already had a trip to Korea planned for the end of September, and because I have been used to wearing contact lenses to work since I started working, due to long hours and because my eye once suffered a scratch from contact lenses during the week of 2/28, after the eye recovered, wearing contacts gradually became less comfortable. So I thought, why not use this trip to see a doctor? Since Korea’s eye laser expertise and cosmetic eye procedures appeared earlier than in Taiwan and they have more experience, I figured I could take this trip as a little break and get a checkup for myself.
The trip arrived on Sunday evening and returned Friday, six days in total. Early on the first morning I checked in at the eye clinic. Bright Eye Clinic is located next to Exit 8 of Sinnonhyeon Station in a conveniently placed building, so even though I’m not familiar with Korea I could get there easily. That day I had an appointment at 9:30. From examination to the procedure took about two and a half hours overall; the check-up was very smooth and there wasn’t much waiting. My prescription is left eye -5.75 with astigmatism 1.25 and right eye -5.50 with astigmatism 0.25. This time I had SMILE Pro with four components, and they added corneal cross-linking and dry eye treatment. These two are adjunct treatments not offered at Taiwanese eye clinics; they help prevent regression and postoperative discomfort. The price was about two-thirds of Taiwan’s. At National Taiwan University Hospital Ophthalmology the original price is NT$158,000, and with a referral it’s NT$125,000. In Korea the top-tier SMILE Pro cost me nearly KRW 100,000. The testing equipment was also newer than Taiwan’s, and although I had been told in Taiwan I wasn’t eligible for SMILE Pro, in Korea I was approved and gained the possibility of regaining freedom in ten seconds. During the laser process I only felt some moisture and didn’t even notice the corneal tissue being removed; I watched the glowing green spot until the doctor said it was done. They had a plush toy and a blanket to help ease my nerves. Right after the surgery I could still make out a hazy surrounding environment but couldn’t call an Uber. I’m grateful for the Chinese translator 우주 who accompanied me, staying by my side throughout the surgery to ease my anxiety and answer my strange questions. Since I couldn’t call a ride, I went back to the front desk to ask for help. The front desk staff were very caring and stayed with me until my ride arrived, which made me feel the same warmth of hospitality as in Taiwan. About three to four hours after the laser, phone content became mostly clear — roughly 360p quality, haha. After sleeping well, I returned for a check the next day; the doctor said everything was fine and also did infrared treatment to promote eye recovery. In Korea the original surgeon who performed the operation is also responsible for checking your recovery, and the process was very careful. Because I was there for a week of travel, I wanted one more check before leaving; they charge KRW 20,000 for the second check here, but the first one is free. The clinic staff said you can also book follow-up visits later through their official Line account, which is very convenient. After the surgery I began recommending the guesthouse and encouraging friends to schedule their procedures early. Highly recommended!!!
I saw that a supporting actress I like had also been treated there, which increased my confidence in this ophthalmology clinic.
After the surgery you'll be given recovery drops and artificial tears to use. I want to thank the Creatrip staff here for giving me such a great event to participate in!
You can completely choose what you want to do yourself; clinic staff will not pressure you to buy anything!
Being a Ninja Turtle for three or four days was a rather unique experience
