A first consultation should leave you better informed, not pressured. At a single-surgeon clinic it is a face-to-face conversation with the surgeon who will actually operate — a chance to be examined honestly, understand your realistic options, and ask everything before you decide.
At Garnet, your consultation is with the surgeon directly. Dr. In-Soo Baek is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the clinic's only operating doctor, which means the person assessing you is the person who would carry out your surgery — not a separate consultant or sales advisor. This continuity is the whole point of a single-surgeon clinic.
A dedicated coordinator also stays with you, helping with language, scheduling and the practical side of being in an unfamiliar city. So you have a consistent point of contact, but the clinical conversation — the assessment and the plan — is with the surgeon himself.
Knowing who you'll meet matters because in some clinics the consulting doctor is not the operating one. Confirming that the surgeon who consults will also operate is the single most useful safety check you can make, as our safety guide explains.
The consultation usually opens with your goals: what bothers you, what you hope to change, and any history that's relevant. The surgeon then examines you in person — something photos alone can't replace — and talks through what is realistic for your anatomy, which approaches might suit you, and the trade-offs of each.
From there, the surgeon explains the method, the likely recovery and the specific risks for you, in plain terms. If you sent photos during your online consultation, this is where that preliminary read is confirmed or refined against an in-person examination. The aim is a plan you understand fully before you decide anything.
Crucially, the consultation can end with the surgeon advising against surgery, or suggesting a different approach than you expected. That candour is a feature, not a disappointment — Garnet's practice is to address only the area you came for, without over-recommending.
A little preparation makes the consultation far more productive. Bring any relevant medical history — past surgeries, current medications, allergies and significant health conditions — since these can affect what's advisable and how recovery goes. If you've had previous surgery in the area, any records or notes you have are useful.
Bring the notes from your online pre-assessment too, so the conversation continues seamlessly rather than starting over. It also helps to bring reference photos of the kind of result you're hoping for, with the understanding that your own anatomy sets what's realistic.
Most useful of all is a written list of questions. It's easy to forget things in the moment, and a short list ensures you leave with the answers that matter to you — about the procedure, the recovery, and how follow-up works once you're home.
A focused set of questions does more for your confidence than any single reassurance. Worth asking: Will you personally perform my whole operation? How many of this procedure do you do? What is realistic for me specifically, and what are the trade-offs? What does recovery actually involve, day by day? Who manages a complication, and how do follow-ups work after I fly home?
Ask about timing too — how long you'll need to stay for sutures and dressings, and when it's safe to travel — so you can finalise your plans. If you're weighing different procedures, the recovery for a facelift differs from that of a more contained procedure, and the surgeon can map out what each would mean for your trip.
Honest answers — including "this may not be the right procedure for you" — are a good sign. A hard sell, or vague answers about who operates, is not.
If you and the surgeon agree on a plan, the coordinator helps you settle the details: a surgery date, how long to stay, and the schedule of early follow-up visits. Because the consultation and surgery often fall on the same trip, you can usually move from decision to procedure without a second journey to Korea.
If you decide not to proceed, that's a legitimate outcome — there's no consultation fee and no obligation. Either way, the consultation should leave you clearer than you arrived. For the wider picture of how the visit fits between travel, surgery and recovery, see the trip-planning guide.
Garnet is a single-surgeon clinic in Apgujeong, Seoul, a short walk from Apgujeong Station. Dr. In-Soo Baek (Korean medical licence no. 77407) consults, operates and reviews every follow-up himself, with the day capped at two surgeries so each consultation and case has unhurried time. There is no consultation or CT fee, and no pressure to book on the day.
Garnet is registered with Korea's foreign-patient programme, and structured follow-up is offered at one, three and six months, with the surgeon able to continue reviewing your recovery by messenger after you return home. The result is a consultation built around continuity: the person who advises you is the person who will see you through.
If you haven't started yet, the easiest first step is a no-obligation online assessment — send photos, get an honest read, and arrive at your in-person consultation already on the same page.
Send photos and your question before you travel. An English-speaking coordinator reviews every enquiry and replies with honest guidance on whether surgery is appropriate, the likely plan and timing.
Prefer to chat now? Reach the coordinator directly: