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 Workflow

Emergency Response System

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.