The Visit
What Happens, In What Order
Seven stages, from intake to cost and booking. Knowing what to bring and what to ask makes the consultation shorter.
Four things worth knowing first
The decision comes last
Cost and scheduling are explained once the scope is set. Nothing has to be decided in that sitting.
You change clothes
Shaping underwear and tight clothing change how a line reads. You change into an examination gown.
Records beat memory
Medication, and the dates and areas of past procedures. Bring the record rather than the recollection.
The designer operates
The plan made in the consultation is the plan carried out in theatre.
What order does the visit follow?
Intake and history → change of clothes → coordinator review → body composition → surgeon ultrasound → mirror consultation → cost and booking. Seven stages. The first three organise the change you want, the middle two measure your current state, and the mirror consultation is where the two are matched into a design scope.
The order matters because measurement must not come first. However precisely thickness and boundaries are recorded, those values decide nothing while nobody knows what you are hoping for. Results begin with a design made for you: we understand the change you want, and design the balance that suits you.
Cost coming last follows from the same logic. A figure quoted before the scope exists is a guess, not information.
Seven stages
Each stage below says what it establishes. Different people handle different parts; the ultrasound and the mirror consultation are done by the surgeon.
Intake
The change you want, written down first
You record the areas you care about and the change you want, along with previous procedures and surgery, current medication, existing conditions and allergies.
Change of clothes
So nothing hides the line
Elastic marks and shaping underwear change how a line reads. You change into an examination gown before anything is assessed.
Coordinator review
Areas and timing, organised
A consultation coordinator first organises which areas matter to you, what dates are possible, and how much recovery time you can actually give. That summary is where the surgeon consultation starts.
Body composition
Your current numbers, on record
Weight, body fat and muscle mass are measured and recorded. These are whole-body estimates and do not replace region-by-region fat thickness.
Surgeon ultrasound
Performed in the ultrasound room
The ultrasound examination is performed in the ultrasound room as part of the consultation. It checks skin and subcutaneous fat thickness, the boundary between layers, how fat is distributed, and the position, border and depth of muscle around the treatment area. Blood vessels are checked with Doppler when needed.
Mirror consultation
Reading the measurements together
Measurements and imaging findings are reviewed in front of a mirror — not only from the front, but at an oblique 45 degrees and from the side and back. That is where the scope is set: what is reduced, and what is deliberately left.
Cost and booking
After the scope, not before
Cost and scheduling are explained once the design scope is settled. Nothing has to be decided in that sitting.
This is how NB runs a visit. Individual steps may be adjusted depending on your condition and the circumstances of the visit.
Worth preparing
The consultation runs without any of this. With it, the intake takes less time and the assessment is more accurate.
A list of medication and supplements
Names and doses — supplements as well as prescriptions. It is information used in judging whether and when surgery is possible.
Records of past procedures and surgery
Dates, areas, and where they were done. NB keeps revision and adhesion correction as a distinct clinical area, so where there is earlier surgery, that record is the starting point.
Existing conditions and allergies
Diagnoses and whether they are being treated. Mention any previous experience with anaesthesia.
The change you want, in words
"The fold when I sit down bothers me" is easier to design around than "I want a smaller waist".
Reference photos, read as direction
Bring them if you have them. They are used to describe the direction you are aiming for, not as a promise of the same result — a different frame and skeleton will not produce the same line.
The recovery time you can give
From when to when you can take time. A scope you cannot recover from does not go into the design.
A budget range
Saying it early lets priorities be set inside that range.
Skip the shaping underwear
Strong shaping garments leave marks on the skin that change how a line reads.
Identification and a payment method are needed at the booking and payment stage.
Which stage settles what
No single stage settles everything. Each answers something different.
| Stage | What it establishes | What it does not settle |
|---|---|---|
| Intake and history | The change you want, past history, medication, existing conditions | Whether surgery is possible — nothing has been examined yet |
| Coordinator review | Areas of concern, possible dates, recovery time available | The design scope and the surgical method |
| Body composition | Whole-body estimates of weight, body fat and muscle mass | Fat thickness by area |
| Surgeon ultrasound | Skin and fat thickness, layer boundaries, fat distribution, and the position, border and depth of nearby muscle | How you will look afterwards — measurement is not prediction |
| Mirror consultation | What is reduced and what is left, the target line from four directions, the design scope | The exact course of recovery — this differs between individuals |
| Cost and booking | Cost and scheduling for the scope that was set | A decision on the day — none is required |
Where surgery is planned, pre-operative explanation and written consent are a separate procedure (Article 24-2 of the Korean Medical Service Act).
Worth asking in front of the mirror
These twelve have answers that actually change a design. Ask them as they are written.
In my case, which layer of fat is the issue? What did the ultrasound show?
Of the areas I asked about, which are you doing and which are you not — and why?
On what basis did you decide how much to leave?
Is there a left-right difference? If so, how does the approach differ between sides?
How many incisions, and where? Where will the scars be?
What kind of anaesthesia, and who monitors me while I am under?
What pre-operative tests are done?
Is the person who designed this in the consultation the person who operates?
In what order can I return to normal activity? How long is the compression garment worn?
How many aftercare sessions are included, and when do additional costs arise?
What complications and side effects are typically expected?
What is included in the cost, and what is not?
The eleventh question is one you are legally entitled to have answered. Article 24-2 of the Korean Medical Service Act requires that, for surgery, transfusion or general anaesthesia, the diagnosis, the necessity and method of the procedure, the names of participating physicians, the typically expected complications and side effects, and the patient’s pre- and post-operative obligations be explained and written consent obtained.
What a consultation cannot settle
A consultation sets a design scope. The following are not fixed there.
- How you will look afterwards — ultrasound records the present state rather than predicting a result.
- The exact course of recovery — individual recovery speed differs.
- A generalised threshold such as "over X mm means surgery" — no such clinically agreed figure is established.
- The same result as a reference photo — a different frame and skeleton will not produce the same line.
- Visceral fat — it is not subcutaneous fat, it belongs to diet and exercise, and waist circumference alone does not separate the two (Korean Society for the Study of Obesity, 2022 guideline update).
- Whether liposuction can substitute for obesity treatment or for diet and exercise — it cannot (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).
The medical explanations on this page are general information, not a diagnosis or a recommendation of treatment. Whether and how any of it applies is decided after your current condition is examined in consultation.
Recovery and aftercare are settled in the consultation
Recovery depends on how much is treated, but most people return to light daily activity after one to two weeks. The final line settles over three to six months. Individual recovery differs, so ask for your own schedule during the consultation.
Basic aftercare is provided as a standard programme of 12 sessions in total — 4 swelling-care, 4 radiofrequency, 2 scar-laser and 2 meso-injection sessions. Actual scheduling and completion may vary depending on your ability to attend.
If additional care is needed, NB surgery patients receive a 50% discount
Notice
※ Depending on your constitution and healing process, side effects such as swelling, bruising, inflammation, and scarring may occur after surgery.
※ If care cannot be provided due to reasons such as equipment malfunction, the affected care item may not be offered; as a service item, it is non-refundable.
References
These sources support the general medical statements and the legal standard cited on this page. The NB consultation path is the clinic’s own operating practice and is not derived from the literature.
- 의료법 제24조의2 (의료행위에 관한 설명). 국가법령정보센터.
Supports · Legal basis for the duty to explain and obtain written consent for surgery, transfusion and general anaesthesia, and for the five items that must be explained.
- Liposuction. American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Supports · Source for liposuction not being a treatment for obesity or a substitute for diet and exercise, and for skin elasticity affecting results.
- Haam JH, Kim BT, Kim EM, et al. Diagnosis of Obesity: 2022 Update of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Obesity by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. 2023;32(2):121-129.
Supports · Source for the distinction between visceral and subcutaneous fat, the waist-circumference criteria, and the clinical limits of body-composition measurement.
- Ultrasound Imaging. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Supports · Source for ultrasound being real-time imaging that does not use ionising radiation as x-rays do (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).
- Doppler Ultrasound. MedlinePlus Medical Tests, U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH).
Supports · Source for Doppler providing information on the speed and direction of blood flow (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
- Müller W, Lohman TG, Stewart AD, et al. Subcutaneous fat patterning in athletes: selection of appropriate sites and standardisation of a novel ultrasound measurement technique (IOC Medical Commission ad hoc working group). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016;50(1):45-54.
Supports · Source for the standardised method of measuring subcutaneous fat thickness by ultrasound, and for measured values shifting with conditions.
You can ask first, and decide later
Ultrasound findings and a design scope only exist once someone has looked and measured. Asking a question before you travel costs nothing.
Not sure yet? Start with a consultation.
See real procedure results.
Common questions
There are seven stages and they include an ultrasound examination and a mirror consultation, so it is not brief. The actual time depends on how many areas are involved and the day’s schedule, so ask when you book.
Yes. Cost and scheduling come after the scope is set, and nothing has to be decided on the day.
Anything comfortable — you change into an examination gown. Strong shaping underwear leaves marks on the skin that change how a line reads, so it is better avoided on the day.
Where surgery is planned, an eight-hour fast is advised and an ECG and blood tests are carried out beforehand, with monitoring during sedation. The specific items depend on the scope of surgery and your health, so ask in the consultation.
For surgery, transfusion or general anaesthesia that could cause serious harm to life or body, Article 24-2 of the Korean Medical Service Act requires the physician to explain the procedure to the patient and obtain written consent. The required content is the diagnosis, the necessity and method of the procedure, the names of the participating physicians, the complications and side effects typically expected, and what the patient must observe before and after.
Ultrasound uses sound to build images in real time and, unlike x-rays, does not use ionising radiation (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). The examination is done with a probe on the skin. Doppler is the same ultrasound technology and adds information about the speed and direction of blood flow (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
You can ask questions before you come. Ultrasound findings and a design scope only exist once someone has looked and measured, so the final design is set at the in-person consultation.
Come knowing what to bring, and the visit gets shorter
Bring your questions written down. If they are hard to put in order, ask us first.
서울특별시 서초구 강남대로 509, 하늘안과빌딩 B동 8층
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