Gangnam Bright Eye Clinic laser experience
審亞聞
18 hours ago
At first in Taiwan when I heard that Eyes laser surgery easily started at around NT$100,000, to be honest I figured it was more economical to just keep wearing contact lenses. It wasn't until I discovered that prices in Korea were about half of Taiwan's that I really started to consider it, but the thought of having a procedure on my Eyes still made me nervous.
What finally made me decide was getting conjunctivitis from wearing contact lenses. In that moment I suddenly realized that contact lenses weren’t as safe as I thought, and it also happened to affect my original plan to go scuba diving at Green Island—almost canceling because I couldn’t wear contacts—so I started seriously researching Eyes laser surgery.
It was also a convenient coincidence — my phone seemed to be secretly listening to me, and Threads popped up an ad from Creatrip that let me learn more about eye clinics in Korea. With Korea’s larger population base, doctors may perform more procedures daily than in Taiwan, and because laser Eyes aren’t covered by health insurance, a doctor’s experience becomes even more important. After weighing price, experience, and various incentives, I booked the surgery.
While doing research I saw many posts saying that some people were told they could have surgery in Taiwan but were turned away in Korea, which actually made them feel more reassured—as if the doctors weren’t just doing the procedure for the sake of doing it. When I actually went to Bright Eye Clinic, the exams were indeed more extensive than what I had in Taiwan, and there were some different testing devices. When it was the doctor’s turn to examine me, I was even sent back to redo some tests; I literally broke out in a cold sweat (though maybe the heating in Korea was just too cozy 😆).
Because I had nasal surgery just a month and a half ago, the doctor judged that this might affect my Eyes condition, so they were especially cautious. To be honest, the examination process was both precise and thorough, and by the end I did feel tired; with so much information, I didn’t completely catch which part of my Eyes the translator was saying had an issue 😆. But after a series of strict tests, they finally confirmed I could have the surgery, so I wouldn’t have to return to Taiwan with regrets — I really breathed a sigh of relief.
The translation service was truly fantastic. My friend and I had surgery together, one translator assigned to each of us, and a translator even accompanied us into the operating room. They kept chatting with us to distract us during the procedure and even gave you a small doll to hold 😆. The most nerve-wracking moment was the instant I lay down on the operating table—I was so anxious I completely lost my sense of time and felt like time was being stretched out. I chose SMILE Pro; I originally thought the green light would only shine for a few seconds, but it turned out the doctor also used specialized tools to work on the cornea afterward, and that part actually required the most mental preparation. I felt a bit dizzy afterward, but that’s a normal reaction.
The biggest change after the surgery is that life has become much simpler. Before, I had to get up early to put in contact lenses, and sometimes if I stayed up too late the night before my Eyes would be too dry to wear them; now I no longer have to wake up early for contacts, which is a huge blessing for someone who loves to sleep in. I don’t have to worry about not being able to see clearly or my glasses slipping during exercise, and hot soup no longer fogs up my whole world — daily life feels a lot more convenient.
Later a friend also discovered that Creatrip held an information session in Taichung (台中), with ophthalmology, dentistry, and plastic surgery booths. The interpreters were friendly and gentle, and the whole atmosphere was very relaxed. This made me even more certain that choosing to book through Creatrip wasn’t just attractive because of the price, but that there are actually people helping to oversee the process. After using it, from learning about Bright Eye Clinic to completing the reservation, the process was clear at a glance, without repeatedly confirming details, and there were Creatrip’s exclusive discounts. For someone like me who’s very price-conscious, it was truly a blessing and added an extra layer of reassurance to arranging the surgery.
It's been three weeks since the surgery and I have just one sentence: extremely satisfied, and I totally understand why everyone says the only regret is not doing it earlier 😆
Next is a picture just to round out the photos 😆
Not sure if many buildings have a view of Namsan Seoul Tower
The clinic also gave a lot of free gifts after the surgery
Equipment not available in Taiwan — the optometrist ends up pressing hard on your head 😆
The clinic was so big it even had lockers to store things, and there were some outside the operating room too
Lastly, here’s the Christmas tree in the building’s lobby
