Cosmetic Eye WhiteningTM is safe and simple operation where a surgeon removes the degenerated conjunctiva to treat moderate to severe chronic hyperemia. The clinical advantage of the treatment includes cosmetic enhancement. The entire procedure is generally done on an outpatient basis and usually lasts between 5 and 10 minutes. Patients may experience little to no pain and can usually return to their normal activities the following day. Cosmetic Eye Whitening Surgery is considered to be one of the safest and the most effective medical procedures (Safer than LASIK).

The procedure has undergone extensive clinical testing and has achieved substantial rates of success. Dr. Kim had performed more than 13,000 cases of Cosmetic Eye Whitening surgeries over past 12 years. The procedure's been recognized by American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), and announced in 2008 annual meeting. It was also recognized by European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery as well.

Proces
They have a special program for their international patients who want the treatment. If you would like to find out if you qualify for the treatment, submit close-up pictures of your both eyes . One of their doctors will carefully exam your eyes, and will provide with your eligibility for the surgery. If you qualify for the treatment and decide to have the surgery done, we recommend you to make an appointment at least 1-2 months ahead, and our international patient coordinator will assist with your hotel and flight reservation.

Indications
Cosmetic Eye WhiteningTM is ideal for the following conditions: dry eye syndrome, dark congestion, chronic bloodshot eyes, eyes easily congested from minor stimuli, eyes excessively congested by drinking alcohol and for those who are self-conscious of chronic bloodshot eyes.

Surgery
Cosmetic Eye WhiteningTM is a procedure that removes the degenerated conjunctiva and promotes regeneration of the new conjunctiva. Removing abnormal tissue and promoting healthy wound healings are the basic principles of all kinds of surgery. Cosmetic Eye WhiteningTM is a good example that follows this principle namely regenerative medicine.The surgery takes only about 5-10 minutes and the eyes are anesthetized by applying eye drops before surgery so that there is no pain involved.

For two weeks after the surgery, patient may experience more redness and itchy than prior to surgery. Initially, there may be feeling of discomfort, but after about two weeks, patient will notice the congestive symptoms lessening. Treated eyes should be white three weeks after surgery.

Cosmetic eye whitening does not include removal of the upper conjunctiva where is covered by the upper lid. There are two reasons. First, they are not degenerated in most cases and therefore they are hardly hyperemic. Second, it is the area that is used for regeneration of the new conjunctival cells.

It has been clinically proven by Dr. Bong-Hyun Kim, M.D. that key point of success for this surgery is how to prevent excessive regeneration of new conjunctival vessels. Naturally, conjunctival tissue tends to promote growth of new vessels. Regeneration of the conjunctival tissue is good, but growing of the new vessel in the conjunctiva is not what you want.
If it occurs, it ends up with poor cosmetic result or recurrence.

Postoperative care
Patient must avoid water contact with eye 10 days following the surgery. The day after surgery, after removal of the eye bandage, patient can get back to work and resume their daily life except for extreme activity and alcohol consumption. The success of Cosmetic Eye Whitening TM depends on proper follow-up after surgery.

For international patients, there are two options for postoperative follow-up.

The first option is to stay in Korea for 3 weeks for intensive follow-up care. The patients will be schedule to daily check-up with their doctor to secure the best outcome. The longer patients stay, the better results they will expect.

The second option is to stay in Korea for 1 week, then come back after two weeks for one last follow-up visit.

Either option is fine and adequate enough for doctor to monitor the recovery process for the best possible outcome. During following-up period, if needed, patient may need additional procedures like an antibiotic injection. It is a simple procedure that can be done in outpatient basis. Depends on patients’ recovery outcome, patient may not need any additional procedures. The good news is all the follow-up procedures are painless.

Once patient return home, our doctor will continuously monitor their eyes by our state-of-the-art Online Follow-Up System (OFUSTM). Once there is strong evidence that the scar is completely healed, patient will be released from the care and the treatment will be completed.

If there is a sign of recurrence, our doctor will advise how to prevent further progress, which is mostly by controlling the amount of eye medication. With few simple guidelines, most patients are able to avoid recurrence after surgery. Follow-up period through OFUSTM varies from patient to patient and it is up to patient compliance.