V-line surgery in Korea is an operation on the mandible that removes or repositions bone at the jaw angles and chin to turn a square or long lower face into a tapered oval. It runs under general anesthesia for several hours when parts are combined, and most of the work is done through incisions inside the mouth. Patients usually stay one night for observation and return for checks over the next week or two. Desk work often resumes after about two weeks, yet swelling keeps fading for months, and the final contour is judged at around six months or later. Clinics price it per procedure or per combination, before VAT. The clinic list and fee table on this page let you compare options side by side.
Is it for you?
Who V-line surgery in Gangnam suits, and who should wait
This surgery is built for adults whose lower-face width or length comes from bone. A CT scan should show a flared mandibular angle, a wide or long chin, or both. People who want a slimmer outline and accept a long recovery, numbness that may take months to fade and the risks of general anesthesia are the realistic audience.
It does not tighten loose skin, remove fat under the chin or fix a bite that does not close properly. Width from a bulky chewing muscle is usually better handled by muscle-relaxing injections, and a bite problem belongs to orthodontic jaw surgery planned with an orthodontist. Bone removal also cannot be undone, which is a reason to start conservatively.
Usually a good fit
- Jaw angle flare confirmed as bone on CT
- Long, wide or uneven chin bone
- Adult with facial growth complete
- Able to stay two weeks and recover fully
May be better to wait
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or uncontrolled chronic illness
- Active gum disease, dental infection or loose teeth
- Bite problems that need orthodontic jaw surgery first
- Width caused mainly by muscle or fat
Clinics in Gangnam
9 clinics for V-line surgery in Gangnam
Every clinic below lists V-line surgery among its treatments. Message a clinic directly.
1Thank You Plastic Surgery
2AB Beauty&Cell Clinic Gangnam
View Plastic Surgery
4NANA Plastic Surgery
5OPERA PLASTIC SURGERY
6ONUL Plastic Surgery & Dermatology
7DA Plastic Surgery
8Girin Plastic Surgery
9JN Plastic Surgery
How it works
How a V-line surgery session runs
Most clinic pages filed under V-line Korea surgery describe the same three tools: angle resection, outer cortex shaving and chin osteotomy. In a 2021 review in Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America, Park wrote that cosmetic bone work in Asian patients developed from trauma and congenital surgery, recommended a limited approach for a natural result, and named intraoral mandible reduction as a basic procedure every surgeon should master.
Planning starts from a 3D CT scan that shows bone thickness and the path of the inferior alveolar nerve. Song and colleagues, writing in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2017, used computer-designed surgical guides fitted to the teeth in 20 Korean patients so the virtual cut could be copied exactly; they reported no severe bleeding, facial nerve injury or airway obstruction, and a mean satisfaction score of 4.75 out of 5. Guides of this kind are one way clinics try to limit the cut to safe bone.
Some patients add cheekbone reduction in the same anesthetic. Kim and colleagues, in the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery in 2018, noted that this standard operation can end in nonunion, malunion or cheek drooping when bone fragments move after surgery, and described a cut design with more bone contact to reduce that movement. In Korea, fees follow the parts chosen, so the plan sets the price.
Consultation and CT
The surgeon examines the face, reviews a 3D CT scan and marks nerve canals and tooth roots. Expect about an hour, including photos and a discussion of what will not change.
Pre-operative tests
Blood work, heart and chest checks and a medication review follow, often on the same or next day. Fasting starts the night before.
General anesthesia
An anesthesiologist places a breathing tube and monitors you throughout. Local anesthetic is added in the mouth to reduce bleeding.
Bone work
Through incisions inside the lower lip and along the gums, the surgeon cuts or shaves the angles and, where planned, makes the chin osteotomy and fixes it with small plates. Combined work commonly takes several hours.
Waking and observation
A drain and compression band are placed before you wake. Most clinics keep patients overnight to watch breathing, bleeding and swelling.
V-line surgery compared with other options
| V-line surgery | Masseter botulinum toxin | Chin implant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is changed | Jaw and chin bone | Chewing muscle bulk | Chin projection only |
| Anesthesia | General | None or topical cream | Local with sedation, or general |
| Main effect | Narrower, shorter lower face | Slimmer angle area over weeks | More forward chin |
| Downtime | Weeks, with months of residual swelling | Usually none | About one to two weeks |
| Reversibility | Bone removal cannot be reversed | Wears off and needs repeats | Implant can be removed |
At a glance
V-line surgery facts
| Procedure | Mandibular angle reduction, cortex shaving and chin osteotomy, alone or combined |
|---|---|
| Type | Facial bone surgery |
| Anesthesia | General, with an anesthesiologist present |
| Incisions | Inside the mouth for most cases; rarely a small cut under the jaw |
| Operating time | Several hours, longer when cheekbones are added |
| Hospital stay | Usually one night of observation |
| Stitches | Dissolving stitches inside the mouth |
| Visible swelling | Eases over several weeks; residual swelling for months |
| Earliest flight home | After the surgeon's final check, often 10 to 14 days |
Recovery
What the days after look like
Overnight stay with a drain and compression band; head raised, cold packs and liquid diet.
Swelling and tightness peak; drain removed at a clinic check and pain controlled with medicine.
Bruising drifts toward the neck and fades; soft food, mouth rinses and band wear continue.
Most visible swelling settles and normal routines return; hard chewing still avoided.
Residual swelling resolves, feeling in the lip and chin often improves, and the final outline shows.
Safety
V-line surgery risks and limits
- Numbness of the lower lip, chin and gums is common at first and can last for months; a minority keep some change.
- Asymmetry between the two sides, or an overly sharp jaw if too much bone is removed, may need revision.
- Long swelling and loose-looking skin under the jaw, since soft tissue does not shrink as fast as bone.
- Bleeding, infection or an unplanned fracture line, which can need a return to the operating room.
- Injury to the facial nerve branch that moves the lower lip, or to tooth roots near the chin cut; both are uncommon.
- General anesthesia risks, and the limit that bone surgery does not fix skin laxity or fat.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Cosmetic Bone-Contouring Surgery for AsiansFacial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America · 2021 · Park S · doi:10.1016/j.fsc.2021.07.001
A review of cosmetic facial bone surgery in Asian patients that recommends a limited approach and covers L-shaped zygoma osteotomy and intraoral mandible reduction.
- Occlusion-Fit V-Line Guide and Gooseneck Saw for Safe and Accurate Mandibuloplasty in AsiansAesthetic Plastic Surgery · 2017 · Song I, Kwon J, Choi Y, Ryu J, Lee U · doi:10.1007/s00266-017-0837-8
In 20 Korean patients, tooth-fitted 3D surgical guides for jaw angle resection produced no significant complications and a mean satisfaction score of 4.75 out of 5.
- An improved technique for zygoma reduction malarplastyJournal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery · 2018 · Kim J, Lee E, Seok H, Kang J · doi:10.1016/j.jcms.2018.01.010
Describes a modified cheekbone reduction cut with greater bone contact to lower the risk of fragment movement, nonunion, malunion and cheek drooping.
FAQ
Questions about V-line surgery in Gangnam
Is Korea V-line surgery done entirely through the mouth?
In most cases, yes: the jaw angles and chin are reached through incisions inside the lower lip and along the gums. That keeps facial skin free of scars. A very large angle resection occasionally needs a short cut under the jaw, and cheekbone work adds a small incision near the sideburn. Your surgeon should mark every planned incision on the consent form.
How is V-line surgery in South Korea planned before I arrive?
Planning usually begins with front and side photos sent by message or email, followed by a CT scan and in-person exam once you land. The remote stage only gives a rough idea, and the surgeon may change or cancel the plan after seeing the scan. Keep the first days of the trip free for consultation and tests before any surgery date is fixed.
South Korea V-line surgery: how soon can I fly home?
Many patients are cleared to fly about 10 to 14 days after surgery, once drains are out and the mouth incisions look healthy. Swelling is still obvious at that stage, but it is not a reason to stay longer by itself. Bleeding, infection or breathing concerns would delay clearance. Wear the band on the flight if the clinic advises it.
Does V-line surgery hurt?
The operation itself happens under general anesthesia, so you feel nothing during it. Afterward most people describe tightness, pressure and difficulty opening the mouth more than sharp pain, peaking over the first three days. Prescribed pain relief and cold packs manage it for most. Pain that suddenly rises later, with fever or new swelling, needs a call to the clinic the same day.
What happens to the nerve in the jaw?
The inferior alveolar nerve runs through a canal in the mandible and gives feeling to the lower lip and chin. Surgeons plan cuts to stay clear of it on CT, but stretching or bruising during surgery often causes temporary numbness. Recovery usually takes weeks to months. Ask how far your planned cut sits from the canal, and what follow-up is offered if feeling does not return.
Can a jaw that looks too sharp be corrected?
Bone that has been removed cannot be put back, so an over-sharp or uneven result is hard to reverse. Options include further shaving to blend an edge, filler or fat to soften a hollow, or implants in more complex cases. Each adds new surgery and risk. A conservative first plan, with less bone removed than the maximum possible, is the safer path.
How long do V-line results last?
The bone change is long-lasting because removed bone does not grow back, but the face keeps ageing around it. Skin and fat may descend over the years, and some people later choose lifting or volume treatments. Results vary from person to person. Expect the shape seen at six to twelve months to be close to the long-term outline, with gradual change after that.
Is V-line surgery different from two-jaw surgery?
Yes, V-line work reshapes the outer contour of the jaw and chin without moving the teeth or changing the bite. Two-jaw surgery cuts and moves the upper and lower jaws to correct how the teeth meet, often with braces before and after. If your bite is off, a surgeon may suggest bite correction first, with contour work considered once it heals.
What should I eat after jaw contouring?
The first days are liquid only, such as soups, smoothies and nutrition drinks taken without straws if the clinic asks. Soft food like porridge, eggs and tofu usually follows, with normal chewing added slowly over several weeks. Rinse after every meal to keep the incisions clean. Avoid alcohol and smoking while the bone heals, since both slow recovery of the gums and bone.
Will clinics in Korea speak English during recovery?
Many clinics that treat international patients provide English-speaking staff and written aftercare in English, and some offer other languages. Check before booking whether an interpreter is present at the consultation and the consent signing, not only at reception. Ask how to reach the clinic after hours while you recover, and whether follow-up questions can be answered once you are home.