Key Insights
Hospital Status and Scale
Braun Plastic Surgery is a large-scale clinic near Sinnonhyeon Station, Seoul, highly recognized in facial contouring and orthognathic surgery. It emphasizes university-hospital-level safety systems.
Expertise of Director Kim Tae-gyu
Director Kim Tae-gyu, a board-certified plastic surgeon and Ph.D., is an authority in facial contouring surgery. He developed proprietary techniques, published in international journals, and holds patents.
Core Procedures & Technologies
The hospital's core lies in facial contouring, featuring Director Kim's 'ㅅ Osteotomy' (minimizes nerve damage) and 'Lifting 3D Malar Rotation' (prevents cheek sagging).
Reputation & Patient Experience
Positive evaluations for aesthetic results and systematic foreign patient management. However, concerns exist regarding long waiting times, consultation manager influence, and price discrimination.
Representative Director Kim Tae-gyu
Education and Background
- Founder and Representative Director of Braun Plastic Surgery
- Board-certified Plastic Surgeon and Ph.D. in Medicine
- Graduate of Yonsei University College of Medicine (estimation)
Major Society Memberships
- Regular Member, Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
- Regular Member, Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
- Regular Member, Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
- Regular Member, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
Academic Achievements & Research
- Listed in 'Marquis Who's Who' (2018)
- 2012: Received Best Academic Award from the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.
- 2014: Published a paper on 'ㅅ Osteotomy (Inverted-V Osteotomy)' in *Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS)*.
- 2015: Published a paper on 'Lifting 3D Malar Rotation' in the *Journal of Craniofacial Surgery (JCS)*.
- Active as a chairperson and speaker at numerous international academic conferences.
Specialized Medical Fields
Director Kim Tae-gyu's core clinical field is **Facial Contouring**. He specializes in high-difficulty surgeries such as cheekbone reduction, square jaw surgery, and chin tip surgery, and is recognized for his authority in revision surgery. He is known for a conservative yet results-driven approach, recommending only necessary procedures.
Hospital Information
Overview and Location
Braun Plastic Surgery is located on Gangnam-daero (near Sinnonhyeon Station) in Seocho-gu, Seoul, operating for over 10 years with large-scale medical facilities. It offers a comprehensive plastic surgery system including facial contouring, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, breast surgery, lifting, and dermatology.
Facilities and Infrastructure
Excellent accessibility directly connected to Sinnonhyeon Subway Station. Features multiple operating rooms, recovery rooms, and inpatient rooms. Equipped with intensive care systems for facial contouring patients and precision diagnostic equipment such as 3D CT.
Hospital Philosophy & Operational System
Braun Plastic Surgery prioritizes 'safe surgery faithful to the basics' and 'continuous research'. To combat concerns about shadow doctors, it operates a **Real Name Surgery System**, where the consulting doctor performs and takes responsibility for the entire surgery.
Patient safety is paramount, with university-hospital-level safety equipment and emergency response systems in place, including resident anesthesiologists and operating room CCTVs.
Major Procedures & Technologies
ㅅ (Siot) Osteotomy (Inverted-V)
A chin tip plasty technique developed by Director Kim Tae-gyu and published in PRS (2014). It cuts the lower jawbone in a 'ㅅ' shape, differing from the existing T-osteotomy.
Key Advantages:
- Minimizes nerve damage and muscle detachment.
- Creates a natural, slender V-line with minimal bone step.
- Prevents secondary angles at the chin-jaw junction.
Lifting 3D Malar Rotation
A surgical method designed to prevent 'cheek sagging', a common side effect of cheekbone reduction, while restoring facial three-dimensionality.
Key Advantages:
- Effectively prevents cheek sagging by lifting and fixing tissues with the bone.
- Restores front cheekbone volume for a youthful, three-dimensional look.
- Ensures rigid fixation with a double fixation method to prevent non-union.
Other Major Procedures
- **Rhinoplasty:** Performed by specialized staff (Dr. Ryu Dong-wan, Dr. Lee Ji-won), covering both functional and cosmetic aspects, with a focus on transparent before-and-after photos.
- **Eye Surgery & Revision:** Includes various eye surgeries like natural adhesion method and ptosis correction, alongside a dedicated revision clinic for corrective procedures.
Reputation Analysis & Patient Experience
Positive Evaluations
- **High Surgical Result Satisfaction:** Patients report smooth, natural, and aesthetically pleasing results, especially for facial contouring, on major communities and international review sites like RealSelf.
- **Systematic Foreign Patient Management:** Multilingual interpretation coordinators offer one-stop services from airport pickup to post-operative care, making it highly preferred by international patients.
- **Expertise of Medical Staff:** Doctors, including Director Kim Tae-gyu, are praised for meticulous consultations, customized designs, and a "confident and professional" demeanor.
Negative Evaluations & Concerns
- **Long Waiting Times & "Factory-like" System:** Due to high patient volume, reviews mention extended waiting periods and a rushed, "factory-like" atmosphere.
- **Consultation Manager Influence:** Concerns about consultation managers dominating consultations, sometimes pressuring for deposits or recommending unnecessary additional procedures.
- **Price Discrimination:** Complaints frequently arise regarding significantly higher costs charged to foreign patients (up to 2x or more) compared to domestic patients.
- **Insufficient Post-operative Care:** Some patients report very brief doctor meetings during follow-up checks and generic responses to swelling or pain complaints.
Conclusion & Recommendations
Braun Plastic Surgery and Representative Director Kim Tae-gyu are recognized leaders in the Korean facial contouring market, excelling in both technical skill and operational scale. Director Kim Tae-gyu's academic achievements and proprietary surgical methods, such as the Inverted-V Osteotomy and 3D Malar Rotation, stand as strong pillars of trust for the hospital.
Technical Skill
Top tier, especially in Facial Contouring.
Safety Protocols
Upper tier, with resident anesthesiologists, CCTV in operating rooms, and a Real Name Surgery System.
Patient Service
Upper-middle tier; systematic approach, but experiences congestion typical of a large hospital.
Suggestions for Patients
Braun Plastic Surgery is a compelling choice primarily for patients considering facial contouring surgery. However, given its large hospital characteristics, patients are advised to clearly articulate their desired outcomes directly to the surgeon, rather than being swayed by consultation managers.
It is also recommended to reconfirm the possibility of CCTV viewing before surgery and ensure that the operating surgeon performs the entire procedure. Foreign patients should proactively compare quotes from multiple hospitals to ascertain reasonable pricing.