Umnagumo Plastic Surgery
Umnagumo Safety Management System

SAFETY & CARE

The Umnagumo Safety System

The force that completes precision is safety.
See the safety system we have built across 25 years of practice in Gangnam, Seoul.

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SAFETY SYSTEM

Pre-Operative Safety Protocol

Standardized protocols reduce risk across every phase of surgery — before, during, and after — and support recovery. Operations follow safety standards aligned with the Korean Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA).

Anesthesia & Surgical Workflow01

Anesthesia & Surgical Workflow

Emergency Response System02

Emergency Response System

Hemorrhage Minimization & Drain Management03

Hemorrhage Minimization & Drain Management

For detailed questions about our safety system, reach our English-speaking team via WhatsApp.

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FULL SAFETY REFERENCE

The Complete Safety Management System

All three phases of the Umnagumo safety system — pre-operative protocol, pain management and early recovery, and long-term monitoring — rendered in full for international patients evaluating clinics before booking.

Pre-Operative Safety Protocol

Standardized safety controls that begin before the patient enters the operating room — anesthesia planning, emergency-equipment readiness, and bleeding-minimization technique. Operations follow safety standards aligned with the Korean Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA).

01Anesthesia & Surgical Workflow

A board-certified anesthesiologist is in the operating room from induction through recovery — not a nurse anesthetist, not a technician.

  • •Pre-operative anesthesia consultation reviews medical history, current medications, smoking status, and prior anesthesia reactions before the day of surgery.
  • •Intra-operative monitoring: continuous ECG, oxygen saturation (SpO₂), end-tidal CO₂ (capnography), non-invasive blood pressure, and BIS (Bispectral Index) for depth of anesthesia.
  • •A separate recovery suite is staffed by recovery nurses for the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) phase — typically 2–4 hours of observation before discharge.
  • •Same-day discharge is standard for primary augmentation; overnight observation is available on request or when the case warrants it.

02Emergency Response System

Every operating room is equipped with the full intra-operative emergency kit — not stored on a separate floor, not shared between rooms.

  • •On-site equipment: defibrillator, malignant-hyperthermia (MH) treatment kit with dantrolene, advanced airway tools (video laryngoscope, supraglottic airway devices), and a fully stocked code cart.
  • •Hospital partnership for tertiary escalation: rapid transfer agreements with Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and Gangnam Severance Hospital for cases requiring ICU-level care.
  • •24-hour physician call line — the first 24 hours after discharge are covered by direct phone access to the on-call surgeon, not a generic front desk.
  • •Simulation drills are run quarterly for the OR team covering malignant hyperthermia, local-anesthetic systemic toxicity, anaphylaxis, and difficult airway scenarios.

03Hemorrhage Minimization & Drain Management

Endoscopic dissection through the trans-axillary route gives direct visual control of the pocket — bleeding is identified and stopped before it becomes a hematoma risk.

  • •Endoscopic visualization replaces blind tunneling for trans-axillary cases — every perforator is identified before division.
  • •Bipolar electrocautery on fine settings is used for fine vessel control, reducing thermal damage to adjacent tissue.
  • •Closed-suction Hemovac drains are placed at the end of every case; output volume and clarity are charted at every nursing visit until removal.
  • •Drain removal is decision-based (volume + character), not calendar-based — typically day 3–5 for primary, longer for revision.

Pain Management & Early Recovery

Multimodal analgesia and structured post-operative observation reduce nausea and accelerate the return to mobility — without relying on opioid-only protocols.

01Pain Management Protocol

Multimodal pain control reduces the total opioid dose and the side-effect burden (nausea, drowsiness, constipation) typical of opioid-only regimens.

  • •Intra-operative long-acting local anesthetic infiltration into the pocket lowers pain scores in the first 24 hours.
  • •Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump is available for the first 24–48 hours; removal timing is individualized based on injection-site condition and pump-line back-flow.
  • •Oral regimen: scheduled NSAID + acetaminophen, with short-course opioid reserve only when breakthrough pain exceeds the regular regimen.
  • •Antiemetic prophylaxis is given at induction to reduce post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) — a particular concern after general anesthesia in breast surgery.

02Immediate Post-Op Recovery Process

A staged recovery flow — operating room → PACU → discharge holding → outpatient discharge — with documented vitals at every step.

  • •PACU phase: 2–4 hours of observation with continuous SpO₂, blood pressure cycling, and pain-score charting every 15 minutes for the first hour.
  • •Aldrete score is documented at PACU discharge; only patients meeting the discharge criteria proceed to the holding area.
  • •A written post-operative photo briefing — the recovery team takes day-0 photographs of the chest, dressing, and drain output for the medical record.
  • •Discharge teaching covers medication schedule, drain care, sleep posture, red-flag symptoms, and the 24-hour callback line — in English for international patients.

03Post-Op Status Briefing

The surgeon personally briefs the patient (or a designated companion) on what was done — implant details, pocket position, and any intra-operative findings.

  • •Implant brand, model, cc, profile, and serial-number sticker are recorded in the discharge package — international patients receive the warranty card before they leave the country.
  • •Operative-report summary in English is provided for record-keeping at home and for handover to a local physician if needed.
  • •If anything was modified intra-operatively (cc adjustment, pocket revision, additional capsulotomy), the rationale is explained and documented before discharge.
  • •A photo-based comparison (pre-op vs. day-0) is reviewed with the patient when they are alert enough to consent to the visual record.

Long-Term Safety Monitoring

Long-term breast-implant safety depends on consistent follow-up, scheduled imaging, and a clear escalation path for complications — at year one, year five, and beyond.

01Scheduled Post-Op Examinations

Follow-up visits at week 1, week 3, month 1, month 3, month 6, and annually — with documented evaluation of implant position, scar, and tissue settling at each visit.

  • •Week 1: drain check, suture status, early healing, and discharge-instruction reinforcement.
  • •Week 3 and Month 1: scar care initiation, compression band guidance, and implant massage instruction at month 1.
  • •Month 3 and Month 6: scar evaluation, ultrasound or high-resolution imaging when indicated, and decision points for return to full exercise.
  • •Annual check-ups thereafter — recommended for both primary and revision patients; international patients can substitute photo follow-ups via WhatsApp when travel is not possible.

02Implant-Related Diagnostics

High-resolution breast ultrasound and MRI when clinically indicated — for capsule status, rupture screening, and seroma or fluid-collection assessment.

  • •High-resolution ultrasound is the first-line modality at the 6-month and annual visits — sensitive for capsule changes and intra/extracapsular rupture.
  • •MRI is used when ultrasound findings are equivocal, when silent rupture is suspected, or per the manufacturer's screening recommendation (typically year 5–6 for silicone implants).
  • •Capsular contracture is graded using the Baker classification (I–IV) at each in-person visit; progression triggers planning for non-surgical or surgical intervention.
  • •Implant warranty: rupture and (in some product lines) capsular contracture are covered by Motiva, Mentor, and Sebbin manufacturer warranties — the warranty card is included in the discharge package.

03Rapid Emergency-Response Infrastructure

A direct line to the on-call surgeon and a defined escalation pathway — including coordination with local emergency rooms for patients who have returned home.

  • •Direct WhatsApp and phone access to the clinic's English-speaking medical team during business hours; on-call physician line after hours.
  • •For acute symptoms after the patient has flown home, the clinic provides English-language guidance to the local emergency physician and coordinates remote care decisions.
  • •Defined red-flag symptom list given at discharge: sudden severe pain, fever > 38°C, asymmetric swelling, breathing difficulty, wound drainage with odor — any of these warrants immediate evaluation.
  • •If revision is required after returning home, the operative report and implant serial details are released to the patient or their local surgeon to enable continuity of care.
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