Facial contouring surgery in Korea: the price rests mostly on how many facial bones are reshaped in one operation, because each added zone lengthens the time under general anesthesia. Cheekbone reduction, jaw angle reduction and chin narrowing are quoted as single procedures or as a combined set. On top of the surgeon's fee, a quote may or may not cover the CT scan, any 3D planning or printed surgical guide, the anesthesia team, one or more nights in the ward, compression garments and follow-up checks. Listed fees are before VAT, and 10% VAT is added at payment. Comparing two quotes only works once both list the same items line by line.
Guide
Why the number of bones sets the base fee
Contouring work sits in three zones: the cheekbone and its arch, the angle and outer cortex of the lower jaw, and the chin. Every extra zone means more bone cuts, more fixation plates and screws, and more minutes of anesthesia, so the base fee climbs with the count rather than with the visible size of the change.
Cheekbone work shows why. In a 2023 computed tomography study in Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Park found that how the zygoma body was segmented had the strongest effect on how far the cheek prominence moved inward, while the way the arch was set back and raised also changed the result. More segments and carefully bent plates take more surgical time, and that time is part of what you pay for.
Guide
Anesthesia, operating time and nights on the ward
Bone contouring of the face is done under general anesthesia. Ask who gives it, a dedicated anesthesiologist who stays for the whole case or shared cover, and whether that fee is folded into the surgical fee or billed apart.
Many patients stay at least one night after jaw or cheekbone work so swelling, bleeding and the airway can be watched. Hotel nights in Seoul for the rest of healing are never part of the clinic bill.
Guide
CT scans, 3D planning and printed guides
A CT scan of the facial skeleton is standard before bone surgery, and some clinics also build a 3D simulation of the planned cuts. A few go further and print a surgical guide that sits on the bone during the operation. Kang and colleagues, reporting in Head and Face Medicine in 2022, used CT and dental scan data to design and print guides for 20 cheekbone reductions in 12 patients with a prominent or uneven zygoma; the operated bone ended up within a median of 0.93 mm of the simulated plan.
Design and printing take extra work, so a guided plan may be quoted higher or listed as an add-on.
Guide
What a complete quote should list
Use the table to line up two quotes side by side. For V-line work alone, the V-line price page on this site has its own package table.
| Cost item | How clinics handle it | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeon's fee per zone | Single procedure or combined set | Which bones, and which cuts, are named? |
| General anesthesia | Included or billed apart | Who stays in the room for the whole case? |
| Ward stay | One night included, per night, or none | What does an extra night add? |
| CT and 3D planning | Included, add-on, or done elsewhere | Is a post-surgery scan part of it? |
| Plates and screws | Usually inside the fee | Is a later removal charged? |
| Follow-up and revision | Set visits, revision terms vary | What happens if a side ends up uneven? |
Guide
Follow-up visits and revision terms
After discharge come stitch checks inside the mouth, swelling reviews and sometimes a final scan. Most quotes include a set number of these visits; extra ones, swelling-care sessions or garments may cost more. Ask for revision terms in writing: what counts as a revision, who decides, and which parts are covered if a side stays uneven or the result needs adjusting. Real risks of bone contouring include numbness, asymmetry and soft-tissue sagging, so the facial contouring cost in Korea should be judged together with how the clinic handles those cases.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Effects of surgical factors on the outcomes of zygoma reduction malarplasty: a quantitative computed tomography studyMaxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery · 2023 · doi:10.1186/s40902-023-00371-z
Superimposed pre- and post-operative CT scans showed that body segmentation had the largest effect on inward movement of the cheek prominence, with arch position also shaping the result.
- Reduction malarplasty using a simulated surgical guide for asymmetric/prominent zygomaHead & Face Medicine · 2022 · doi:10.1186/s13005-022-00314-5
In 20 malarplasties on 12 patients, 3D-printed guides designed from CT and dental scans reproduced the simulated cut within a median difference of 0.93 mm.
FAQ
Questions about V-line surgery in Gangnam
Are facial contouring quotes in Korea shown before or after VAT?
Listed fees are shown before VAT, and 10% VAT is added when you pay. The tax applies to the whole bill, so anesthesia, ward nights and add-ons carry it too. When comparing clinics, confirm that both quotes state fees on the same basis, and ask for the final payable total in writing before the surgery date is fixed. A quote that mixes VAT-inclusive and pre-VAT lines is hard to compare.
Why does the facial contouring surgery cost in Korea differ so much between clinics?
The gap usually comes from what each quote leaves in or out, not from the surgery alone. One clinic may fold the CT scan, anesthesia and a ward night into a single figure while another lists them later. The number of cuts, plate type and revision terms also vary. Ask each clinic for an itemized list and compare item by item.
Does adding the chin to cheekbone surgery double the bill?
Not usually, because a combined set shares one anesthesia, one ward stay and one round of imaging. Each added zone still adds operating time, plates and risk, so the fee rises. Some surgeons prefer to split large plans into two operations for safety, which brings a second anesthesia fee. Ask why the plan is combined or split. Combined sets also mean a longer single recovery.
How is payment usually taken for facial bone surgery?
Many clinics ask for a deposit to hold the surgery date and the balance on the day of surgery or at admission. Card and bank transfer are common, but accepted methods vary. Ask whether the deposit is refundable if the surgeon decides at consultation that the operation is not suitable, and keep every receipt. Payment terms belong in the written quote.
Is a revision included if one side looks different after healing?
Revision terms differ from clinic to clinic, so get them in writing before you pay. Some cover the surgeon's fee for a revision within a set period but still charge anesthesia and ward costs. Final bone contour is judged only after swelling settles, which can take months, so ask when an asymmetry review takes place. Keep the written terms with your records.
Does the bill include hotel nights while I recover in Seoul?
No, the clinic bill covers clinic services only. Hotel nights, meals, local transport and soft-diet food during healing are your own costs. Plan the stay around the follow-up visits in your quote, since stitch checks and swelling reviews fix the earliest sensible flight home. Ask the clinic for the visit dates before you book flights. Leave a margin of a few days in case swelling is slow.