PrimaryTransaxillary primary augmentation
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Your Concerns
Are you facing any of these concerns?
01
My breast volume feels insufficient and my clothes don’t sit the way I want.
02
I want a natural line and balanced proportions.
03
I’m not sure which implant type and size suit my body.
04
I’m concerned about breast asymmetry.
05
I’m worried about scarring, recovery, and pain.
If any of these concerns resonate,
now is the time to speak with a specialist.
About Surgery
Primary Breast Surgery —
the right design, made for you, matters most.
Primary breast augmentation in Gangnam, Seoul (Korea), at Umnagumo Plastic Surgery is more than simply adding volume — it is a process of designing the entire breast line by jointly considering body type, chest cage geometry, skin elasticity, tissue thickness, and the upper-to-lower pole ratio that defines a natural silhouette. Backed by 25+ years of plastic surgery practice and over 12,000 cumulative breast surgery cases — both domestic and international — every plan is built around each patient’s individual anatomy, frame, and lifestyle, with care taken to anticipate how the result will look and behave through years of postoperative life.
Implant brand (Motiva · Mentor · Sebbin), surface (smooth · textured), incision location (trans-axillary · periareolar · inframammary), and placement plane (sub-fascial · sub-muscular · dual-plane) each carry their own trade-offs in feel, scar visibility, animation deformity, and long-term capsule behavior. The planned combination differs based on tissue thickness, breast base width, chest cage curvature, and the patient’s lifestyle and activity level. We discuss each option transparently during consultation so the chosen combination matches both clinical conditions and personal preferences — rather than defaulting to a single brand or technique.
Inaccurate pocket design is a direct cause of complications such as implant rotation, double capsule, bottoming-out, upper-pole bulge, and rippling. The pocket must be sized precisely to the implant’s base diameter and projection, dissected along anatomically correct planes, and closed without lateral over-release. Accurate diagnosis and pocket design at the primary stage determine long-term stability — and the difficulty of any future revision.
At Umnagumo, all primary augmentation surgeries are performed personally by a plastic surgeon with 25+ years of experience, in collaboration with board-certified anesthesiology specialists and under a comprehensive in-house safety-management system that includes preoperative clearance, intraoperative monitoring, and post-op care protocols. Over 12,000 cumulative breast surgery cases inform precise implant selection, pocket design, and contingency planning — so each operation is approached with the depth of experience that international patients travelling to Korea expect.
Through consultation and precision diagnosis — including chest measurements, soft-tissue assessment, and 3D simulation where appropriate — we plan implant type, size, placement plane, and incision approach tailored to each patient’s condition. The shared goal is a natural-looking result, a stable recovery, and a breast line that ages well (individual results may vary).
Why Choose Us
What Makes Umnagumo Primary Surgery Different
We analyze each patient’s body shape and tissue conditions in fine detail to create a bespoke design — distinct yet never overdone.
01
Bespoke Design
Implant and pocket designed around body type, tissue, and preferred line
02
Surgical Time
Approximately 50 minutes
03
Procedure Focus
Natural volume · balanced line · safety-first
REAL CASES
Actual Before & After Photos
Real cases performed at Umnagumo Plastic Surgery. Each case is labeled with its surgery type and incision approach.
View All Before & After
These are actual Umnagumo patient cases; results vary by individual. All surgery carries risks such as bleeding and infection, so a thorough consultation with a specialist is required before surgery.
INCISION OPTIONS
The Incision Decides More Than Where the Scar Sits
The armpit, the breast fold, and the areolar border each give the surgeon a different view of the pocket, a different relationship to the glandular tissue, and a different recovery course. None of the three is absolutely superior, so the choice is made together — after your frame, skin quality, and any breastfeeding plans have been examined.
UMNAGUMO SIGNATURE
Trans-Axillary (Armpit) Incision
The incision is concealed within the natural folds of the armpit, leaving no scar on the breast itself — the approach Umnagumo performs most often.
Inframammary Fold (IMF) Incision
Entering along the fold beneath the breast secures a stable operative view, and in a standing posture the scar rests where the breast itself conceals it.
Peri-Areolar Incision
The incision follows the color transition at the areolar border to disguise the scar; whether it can be used depends on the size of the areola.
Trans-axillary incision — this route does not pass through the glandular tissue, which keeps the concern of gland injury low and makes it the approach patients planning to breastfeed tend to review first. Because the entry point sits away from the breast, the pocket is dissected precisely under endoscopic visualization, and the scar remains inside a crease that shows only when the arm is raised.
Inframammary incision — this route lets the surgeon dissect while looking directly at the very place the implant will sit. It is considered first when the tissue conditions are complex or the height of the fold must be refined with precision, and the scar tucks inside the fold where underwear lines cover it.
Peri-areolar incision — because this route passes partly through the glandular tissue, it is chosen only after a full discussion of breastfeeding plans and nipple sensation. Its particular strength is that a companion correction, such as areolar reduction, can be planned through the same single incision.
With all three locations the scar tends to soften and fade over time, though the course differs from person to person, and a scar-care plan is guided according to your skin type.
IMPLANT SELECTION
Choosing the Implant — Motiva, Mentor, Sebbin: What Actually Differs
Product lines differ in shell architecture, gel cohesivity, and the way each maintains its form. What we set out to find is not ‘the best implant’ in the abstract, but the combination that fits your chest width, your tissue thickness, and the line you want.
Motiva
Characterized by an elastic multi-layer shell and a responsive, flowing gel, this line shows movement — the shape shifts naturally as posture changes.
Mentor
A product family with one of the longest clinical track records, defined by gel cohesivity and stability of form.
Sebbin
Offers a comparatively wide range of sizes and projections, and often enters the shortlist when body proportions and budget planning are weighed together.
Within any single product family, base widths and projections (profiles) are finely graduated — so the real selection begins with measurement, not with a brand name. The order is fixed: first the base width your chest wall allows, then the projection that achieves the target volume within that base. Keeping this order is what produces a result that belongs to your body.
Surface finish (smooth versus textured) and the character of the gel each influence feel, movement, and the long-term course in different ways. In a slim frame with thin coverage, we weigh the possibility of a palpable implant edge or rippling before settling on surface and cohesivity.
You can handle and compare the actual implants in the consultation room, and where the two sides of the chest differ, we sometimes pair different sizes left and right to restore balance.
A detailed comparison of the product lines is available in the implant guide, anatomy-based simulation in the implant analyzer, and the published rupture, contracture, and reoperation figures in the implant safety statistics report.
POCKET PLANE
Which Plane the Implant Sits In — Sub-Fascial, Sub-Pectoral, Dual-Plane
The same implant reads differently in feel, movement, and line depending on the plane it occupies. The deciding question is ultimately ‘how much of my own tissue is there to cover the implant’ — so we measure tissue thickness first, and choose the plane second.
Sub-Fascial
The implant sits above the pectoralis major, beneath its fascia — a plane little disturbed by muscle movement, provided there is enough tissue to cover it.
Sub-Pectoral
The implant is placed beneath the pectoralis major, so the muscle adds one more covering layer over the upper pole — an advantage for disguising implant contour in thin-tissue frames.
CASE-BY-CASE
Dual-Plane
A compromise design that covers the upper portion with muscle while the lower portion rests beneath the gland — also considered where mild sagging accompanies the volume loss.
The sub-fascial plane carries little of the compression or displacement that exercise can impose on an implant — but if the tissue is thin, the implant border may show or rippling may become palpable. That is why the decision rests not on the volume the eye sees but on tissue thickness that has actually been measured.
The sub-pectoral plane is favorable for concealing the implant outline, yet the implant can move with the pectoral muscle when it contracts (animation). With patients who train intensively, we talk this through in advance before fixing the plane.
The dual-plane is a design whose result depends on how far the release is carried. It comes into consideration when the aim is to soften upper-pole fullness while keeping the lower-breast curve, or to refine mild sagging at the same sitting. No one of the three planes is the universal answer — the measured tissue conditions decide the plane.
Size Starts from Your Frame, Not from CCs
The same 300cc creates an entirely different cup and line on a broad chest than on a narrow one. A consultation may open with the cup you have in mind, but the actual design opens with measurement — chest width, breast base width, skin elasticity, and tissue thickness.
Asymmetry and Body Harmony in One Design
It is rare for the two breasts to match perfectly in size, fold height, and nipple position. Depending on whether the asymmetry originates in the chest cage or in the soft tissue, we may use different implant sizes on each side or adjust the pocket height to compensate.
Within the range your measurements allow, base width and projection are combined to give the target volume its concrete form. Forcing a size the tissue cannot carry can end in bottoming-out or palpable rippling, so the range we recommend is drawn around long-term stability rather than the largest number achievable.
We also look at shoulder width, waistline, and the proportion to your height. The goal is not a chest that merely looks bigger, but a volume that sits naturally inside the whole silhouette — and that standard is settled together, through unhurried conversation in the pre-operative design consultation.
SAFETY & FOLLOW-UP
What to Understand Before Surgery — Complications and Surveillance
Breast augmentation leaves an artificial device inside the body. Understanding the possible problems before surgery, and checking the implant’s condition at regular intervals afterward, belong to one and the same process.
Possible Complications
Capsular contracture (a hardening of the capsule that forms around the implant), implant rotation or malposition, palpable rippling, and — rarely — rupture are recognized, with frequency and presentation varying by individual. The general surgical risks of bleeding and infection are no exception either.
Regular Checks After Surgery
The state of an implant cannot be fully judged by what is felt from outside. As the years pass, periodic imaging such as ultrasound is recommended to review the capsule and the implant, and if you notice a change, bringing the review forward is the safer course.
A substantial share of these risks can be lowered at the primary operation, through pocket design and intraoperative discipline: dissection in the correct plane, meticulous hemostasis, strict irrigation protocols, and an implant matched to the tissue conditions are the starting points — and the reason Umnagumo insists so firmly on precision at the primary stage.
After surgery we guide you through a staged follow-up schedule, and should a situation ever progress to where revision is needed, we respond with breast revision experience that runs from diagnosing the cause through to the corrective design. Stage-by-stage recovery guidance is set out in post-surgery care.
FOR INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS
Breast Augmentation in Korea — International Patient Steps
Breast augmentation is sometimes searched casually as a ‘boob job in Korea,’ but an international treatment plan still begins with medical history, anatomy, and an in-person assessment. Remote planning can narrow the options; the final implant, incision, placement plane, and surgical decision are confirmed in Seoul.
01 · BEFORE TRAVEL
Remote Consultation
Share your goals, medical history, current photographs, and relevant records through the English consultation channel. Implant and incision options, a preliminary estimate, and a possible travel window can be discussed, but remote review does not replace the in-person examination.
02 · IN SEOUL
Examination, Final Design, and Surgery
Chest measurements, soft-tissue thickness, breast base width, asymmetry, required pre-operative tests, and the anesthesia plan are reviewed in person. The implant, incision, and placement plane are then finalized before surgery and monitored recovery.
03 · RECOVERY
Early Checks and Follow-up at Home
Remain in Seoul through the wound, dressing, drain, or suture checks assigned to your case; the published care pathway includes an incision and suture assessment typically around day 7. After returning home, photo or video consultations support scar care, activity progression, and longer-term implant monitoring.
Review the phase-by-phase instructions in the post-surgery care guide and the clinic's KRW packages on the pricing page.
What Published Studies Report on Satisfaction and Early Complications
Below are figures reported in breast-augmentation studies for patient-reported satisfaction (BREAST-Q) and some early adverse events. They are not an exhaustive list of complications; studies differ in population, follow-up, event definitions, surgical technique, and device used, so these are not our clinic's outcomes and do not predict or guarantee an individual result.
This table contains different time points from the same study as well as results from different studies. BREAST-Q scale scores (points) and adverse-event rates (%) differ in unit and meaning, so the figures cannot be simply compared, summed, or read as a single satisfaction figure or an overall complication rate. In particular, rows 1–2 have different respondents at each time point, so this does not mean satisfaction persisted for four years in all the same patients; and row 3’s 2.7% counts all hematomas while row 6’s 0.15% counts only hematomas requiring drainage, so they cannot be compared directly. All figures are cited from overseas papers or FDA guidance and are not Umnagumo’s outcomes. No figure predicts or guarantees an individual’s result or complication risk.
| 지표 | 수치 | 연구 조건 | 출처 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-op & 1-year BREAST-Q breast satisfaction (a score, not a satisfaction rate) | 31.5 pre-op · 88.4 at 1 yr | Prospective observational study limited to primary augmentation. In a cohort using Natrelle silicone implants from a single manufacturer, 11,295 patients responded to the Satisfaction with Breasts items at 1 year. The reported values are scores transformed to a 0–100 scale; not all enrolled patients responded at that time point. Because the data come from a single manufacturer’s implants, they should not be generalized to other devices or used for device-to-device comparisons. | Alderman et al., Plast Reconstr Surg 2016 |
| 4-year BREAST-Q breast satisfaction (a score, not a rate) | 86.1 at 4 yr | Four-year value from the same silicone-implant cohort; 9,135 patients responded to the Satisfaction with Breasts items at that time point. The paper separately reports 17,899 total enrollees and an overall 4-year response rate of 58.2%. The count of 9,135 refers to respondents to the Satisfaction with Breasts items, whereas the 58.2% rate was calculated using a different denominator; the two figures therefore cannot be combined. Because the respondent sets differed across time points, these values do not show that the same patients maintained satisfaction for four years, and outcomes among nonresponders are unknown. | Alderman et al., Plast Reconstr Surg 2016 |
| Hematoma (all hematomas) | 2.7% (30/1,128 patients) | Retrospective study of 1,128 patients undergoing primary augmentation at a single private clinic; outcomes were counted per patient, not per breast. No pocket irrigation was used. The median time to hematoma was 14 hours after surgery. The 2.7% rate includes all hematomas and is not directly comparable with the 0.15% rate in row 6, which includes only hematomas requiring drainage. | Hemmingsen et al., JPRAS 2022 |
| Deep surgical-site infection | 0.5% (6/1,128 patients) | Same cohort; outcomes were counted per patient. The median time to infection was 14 days (range, 4–41 days). The data come from a single-center retrospective study at a private clinic in Denmark, not from a Korean clinic or from Umnagumo. | Hemmingsen et al., JPRAS 2022 |
| Nipple–areola complex (NAC) sensation not recovered at 12 weeks; sensation changes may be temporary or permanent (FDA) | 4% of NACs at 12 weeks | Prospective study of 162 patients treated by a single surgeon using one technique: subfascial implant placement through an inframammary incision. Sensation was assessed objectively using monofilament testing. The 4% figure uses NACs as the denominator. At 12 weeks, 92.5% of patients had recovered sensation in all assessed areas except the lower-outer quadrant; that figure uses patients as the denominator. Follow-up ended at 12 weeks, so the subsequent course is unknown. The FDA notes that changes in sensation may be temporary or permanent. | Brown, Aesthet Surg J 2016 · FDA (2023) |
| 30-day major adverse events requiring intervention (not all complications) | 0.37% (study cohort n = 84,296) | Retrospective cohort study based on TOPS, a voluntary registry to which surgeons submit data; events were assessed through 30 days. Component event rates were seroma requiring drainage, 0.08%; hematoma requiring drainage, 0.15%; deep wound disruption, 0.09%; and implant loss, 0.11%. Because a patient could have more than one event, the component rates sum to more than the 0.37% composite rate. The 0.37% figure is the study-defined major-adverse-event rate, not an overall complication rate. | Valente et al., Plast Reconstr Surg 2021 |
Swipe sideways to see all columns.
The BREAST-Q scores in rows 1–2 are scores transformed to a 0–100 scale using Rasch analysis, not “satisfaction rates (%)”; the BREAST-Q does not have a single overall score. Rows 1–2 come from an industry-sponsored study of patient-reported outcomes in a cohort using implants from a single manufacturer; they do not support recommending a particular device or claiming that one device is superior to another. Rows 3–4 come from a single-center retrospective study at a private clinic in Denmark where pocket irrigation was not used. The study in row 5 followed patients only through 12 weeks, and the FDA notes that changes in sensation may be temporary or permanent. Row 6 is based on TOPS, a registry to which surgeons submit data voluntarily. The reported relationships between patient characteristics (such as BMI, smoking status, and diabetes) and outcomes are statistical associations and do not establish causation.
How the Cost of Breast Augmentation Is Determined
The cost varies with the implant type and size, the incision location, the placement plane, the anesthesia method, and whether companion corrections such as asymmetry adjustment are included. Rather than quoting a one-size-fits-all event price, our principle is to provide an individual estimate after diagnosis and design consultation.
AFTER CARE PROCESS
Umnagumo Plastic Surgery Post-Op Follow-Up Timeline
1 Week
Status check & guidance
+
Inflammation blood test
+
Axillary site care
3 Weeks
CAPS device care
+
Massage guidance
+
Progress check
6 Weeks
CAPS device care
+
Progress check
+
Manual massage assessment
2.5 – 3 Months
CAPS device care
+
Progress check
+
Manual massage assessment
FAQ
Primary Breast Surgery FAQ
Umnagumo Plastic Surgery was founded in 2003 as the Korea branch of Tokyo Nagumo Clinic (Tokyo, Ueno, est. 1988), and reports 25+ years of clinical practice and 12,000+ cumulative breast surgeries. Primary augmentation planning can consider trans-axillary, peri-areolar, or inframammary incisions; Motiva, Mentor, or Sebbin implants; and sub-fascial, sub-pectoral, or dual-plane placement. The plan is selected after in-person measurements, tissue assessment, and discussion rather than from a single default method. Surgery is carried out with anesthesia monitoring and endoscopic dissection where indicated. Dr. Soonchan Eom responds to English-language inquiries, international patients commonly plan about 5–7 days in Korea for consultation, surgery, and assigned early checks, and follow-up can continue by photo or video after returning home.
The three incision approaches each carry their own trade-offs in scar visibility, pocket access, and long-term predictability. (1) Trans-axillary (armpit) — a 3–4 cm incision placed along the natural skin folds of the axilla, keeping the incision off the breast itself; the axillary scar typically fades into surrounding folds within 6–12 months. Endoscopic visualization is essential, and this is the default at Umnagumo for primary augmentation when anatomically indicated, especially for younger patients, those who have not had children, or anyone planning future breastfeeding. (2) Peri-areolar — a hemicircumferential incision along the pigmented border of the areola; the scar hides along the natural color edge and the dissection plane is direct, making it well-suited to dual-plane placement. Because the incision crosses some breast tissue, we discuss in detail how it affects future lactation and nipple sensation. (3) Inframammary (IMF) — an incision in the breast fold, giving a broad operative view and direct pocket access. The scar sits where bras and swimwear conceal it, though it can be visible lying down. At Umnagumo, the approach is selected by combining your body type, tissue thickness, lifestyle, preferred feel, and any future-pregnancy plans — not by clinic preference. We walk through each option transparently in consultation so you understand exactly what you are choosing.
Implant selection is based on chest measurements (base width, height, projection range), soft-tissue thickness, skin elasticity, and the texture you prefer, alongside your lifestyle and activity profile. During consultation we present the brand options (Motiva, Mentor, Sebbin) with their specific trade-offs in feel, scar visibility, and long-term capsule behavior, and the final shape, size, and surface are decided together — not from a stock catalog.
Recovery varies by individual, incision site, and placement plane. Return to office work and light daily activity is typically possible within 3–5 days; upper-body exercise is reintroduced from 4–6 weeks; chest-loaded strength training from 6–8 weeks. International patients usually plan a 5–7 day stay in Korea covering pre-op consultation, surgery, post-op checks, and stitch-out before flying home.
Scar location depends entirely on the chosen incision: trans-axillary (hidden in the armpit), periareolar (along the areola border), or inframammary (along the natural breast fold). Each option has its own visibility, access, and revision-friendliness trade-offs. We provide a structured scar-care protocol — silicone tape, scar gel, UV protection, and timed massage — tailored to your skin tone and healing profile.
Yes. The correction plan depends on the cause — chest cage rotation, tubular deformity, soft-tissue volume difference, or pre-existing nipple-areolar asymmetry. We measure both sides preoperatively and may use different implant volumes, different pocket dissection on each side, or staged correction depending on severity. We outline the realistic improvement range and any limitations honestly during consultation.
It is generally advised to wait until breastfeeding has fully ended and the glandular tissue and breast volume have settled. Whether any ptosis (sagging) has developed also shapes the surgical plan, so the appropriate timing is confirmed after examination rather than by a fixed rule.
Implants should not be assumed to be lifetime devices. Their condition varies by individual, so periodic imaging of the implant and the surrounding capsule is recommended, and if a change is detected, whether exchange or revision is needed is decided through medical review — not on a preset schedule.
Where the target volume increase is modest and there is enough donor fat to harvest, fat grafting can be an option, and in some cases it is combined with an implant (hybrid augmentation). The direction is set in consultation according to your frame, tissue condition, and goals; results vary by individual.
Consultation
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