Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. NextWeight Korea, operated by DYPHI Inc., is a registered international patient facilitator. Based on the information you share, we guide you to appropriate Korean medical institutions and coordinate consultation and booking. Diagnosis and treatment are carried out by the medical institution.

Share your current weight and BMI, treatment history, current medications (including any GLP-1 therapy), obesity-related conditions, previous surgery, and recent test results if you have them. We help organise these into a summary the medical institution can review. You can start even if you have few documents.

Where a medical institution offers it, we can coordinate an online consultation before you travel. Availability depends on the institution and your case, and some assessments and procedures require an in-person visit.

Yes. Many patients considering surgery are currently on GLP-1 therapy. Do not stop any prescribed medication on your own; whether and when to adjust it is decided by the prescribing clinician and the treating medical institution.

The treating medical institution. NextWeight Korea organises your information and coordinates the consultation, but the assessment of whether surgery or any treatment is appropriate is made only by licensed specialists after evaluation.

It depends on the procedure, the pre-operative assessment, recovery, and follow-up needs, and is confirmed by the medical institution. As general orientation only, many surgical patients plan roughly one to three weeks. Do not book a return flight before receiving an individual plan.

A written estimate and schedule are provided by the medical institution after your case has been reviewed — not before. We help you prepare for that review and coordinate the booking once you decide to proceed.

Before you leave Korea, obtain a discharge summary, a follow-up plan, and a non-emergency contact route. NextWeight Korea helps coordinate communication with the medical institution after you return. For emergency symptoms, seek local emergency care immediately rather than waiting for a reply from Korea.

Bariatric surgery refers to surgical procedures that treat obesity by changing the digestive system — most commonly by reducing stomach size (sleeve gastrectomy) or by rerouting part of the digestive tract (gastric bypass). It is an evidence-based treatment for obesity that has not responded to other approaches, and it requires lifelong changes in eating, supplementation, and medical follow-up. It is major surgery, not a cosmetic procedure.

Metabolic surgery is essentially the same set of procedures as bariatric surgery, performed with the primary goal of improving metabolic disease — especially type 2 diabetes — rather than weight alone. The term reflects a shift in medical understanding: these operations change gut hormones and metabolism, not just stomach capacity. Whether a procedure is described as bariatric or metabolic, the evaluation and safety requirements are the same.

Sleeve gastrectomy is a procedure in which a large portion of the stomach is removed, leaving a narrow “sleeve.” It reduces how much you can eat and affects hunger-related hormones. It is one of the most commonly performed bariatric procedures worldwide, is typically done laparoscopically, and is permanent. You can read more on our Treatments page.

Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y) creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes part of the small intestine. It affects both food intake and how nutrients and gut hormones behave, and it is often considered for patients with type 2 diabetes or significant reflux alongside obesity. It requires lifelong supplementation and regular follow-up blood tests.

Metabolic surgery is a recognized, evidence-based treatment option for some patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, and many patients experience significant improvement in blood sugar control after surgery — some are able to reduce or stop diabetes medications under medical supervision. However, results vary between individuals, improvement is not always permanent, and no outcome can be guaranteed. Whether surgery is an appropriate diabetes treatment for you is a specialist decision based on your full medical picture.

Yes. Physician-supervised medical weight loss — which may include GLP-1 medications, nutrition planning, and metabolic monitoring — is a legitimate pathway, and for some patients it is the more appropriate one. Some patients also use medical treatment before surgery, or after an honest review concludes that surgery is not suitable. Tell us in your review request that you are interested in non-surgical options, or select “not sure” — that is a perfectly good starting point.

No. Liposuction is primarily a body-contouring procedure that removes selected subcutaneous fat. It does not treat appetite regulation, visceral obesity, or obesity-related metabolic disease in the way bariatric and metabolic surgery can. Read our evidence review comparing liposuction and bariatric surgery.

International guidelines generally consider bariatric surgery for adults with BMI ≥ 35, or ≥ 30 with significant obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes — and adjusted (lower) thresholds are sometimes applied for Asian populations. But BMI is only the starting point: age, medical conditions, medications, surgical history, and anesthesia risk all matter. The only way to know whether you are a candidate is specialist evaluation. Our eligibility screening is the first step toward that — it does not by itself confirm eligibility.

No — and you should be cautious of any service that suggests otherwise. The preliminary review determines whether a treatment pathway is worth pursuing. The final decision is made by the specialist team in Korea after in-person consultation and testing, and it remains your decision too, made with informed consent. Occasionally, in-person findings change or postpone a plan. A pathway that allows for this is safer than one that does not.

Then we will tell you, and we will tell you why. Depending on your situation, the next step might be medical weight loss, treatment of an underlying condition first, further evaluation, or care closer to home. Some of the most useful reviews we coordinate end without a trip to Korea. We do not promote rushed surgery, and being told “not yet” or “not this treatment” is a genuine outcome of the process.

All major surgery carries risk. For bariatric procedures these include bleeding, infection, leaks at surgical connections, blood clots, and anesthesia-related complications; longer term, nutritional deficiencies, reflux, gallstones, and weight regain are possible. Serious complications at experienced centers are uncommon but never zero. Your surgical team in Korea will explain the risks specific to your procedure and health profile before you consent to anything. Please also read our Safety & Follow-up page — we would rather you know too much than too little.

Cost depends on the hospital, the procedure, the tests you need, your length of stay, and your individual medical condition — which is why we do not publish fixed prices. After your preliminary review, we provide a written estimate range for your proposed pathway, with inclusions and exclusions clearly stated, before you make any commitment. Remember to budget separately for flights, accommodation, and an accompanying family member.

No, and we would encourage you to be careful with providers who offer one. A price quoted before anyone has reviewed your medical situation cannot account for the tests, consultations, and care your case actually requires — which is how “fixed” prices grow after arrival. Our sequence is deliberate: review first, then an honest written estimate.

It depends on your procedure and your recovery. As general orientation only: surgical patients should typically plan for roughly one to three weeks in Korea, covering pre-operative consultation and tests, surgery, hospital recovery, and a recommended recovery period before flying. Medical weight-loss consultations require a much shorter stay. Your written treatment plan will include an estimated schedule for your specific case — please do not book flights before you have it.

Useful documents include: recent laboratory or health screening results, a list of current medications and doses, records of previous surgery (especially any previous bariatric surgery), relevant specialist letters, and a sleep study report if you have one. Documents in any language are fine — we help organize and translate what the hospital needs. If you have few or no documents, start anyway; we will tell you what is worth obtaining locally and what can wait for Korea.

Read the full travel preparation guide →

It depends on your nationality. Entry and visa requirements for Korea vary by passport and change over time, so we confirm the current process for your situation during travel planning and help prepare any supporting documents recommended for a medical-purpose stay. Always verify requirements with official sources before booking.

Read the full travel preparation guide →

Yes — and for major surgery we actively encourage it. An accompanying spouse, parent, or adult child can support your recovery and be part of medical discussions. We help plan accommodation and logistics for companions, and family members are welcome in every coordination conversation, including asking us questions on your behalf.

Read the full travel preparation guide →

Tell us about any dietary, accessibility, or personal requirements when you contact us. Where relevant, we can share what a specific hospital and accommodation are able to offer, subject to their availability. Facilities differ between institutions, so we confirm what is actually available for your case before you travel rather than making general promises.

We coordinate with established Korean hospitals experienced in bariatric and metabolic care, and we propose the hospital whose program fits your medical situation. If you have a specific hospital in mind, tell us — we will be straightforward about whether we can coordinate with it and whether it is a good fit for your case. What we will not do is route you to a hospital based on commission rather than clinical fit; if a request falls outside what we can responsibly support, we will say so.

Yes — WhatsApp is our main communication channel, and most of our patients run the entire process through it: first questions, document sharing, schedule updates, and follow-up check-ins after returning home. Use the WhatsApp button on any page to start.

Coordination is conducted in English. Hospital consultations in Korea are supported by interpretation arranged through the hospital's international patient services where needed. If anything in the process is unclear, tell us — we will slow down and explain it another way.

Your care continues. You return with an English discharge summary for your local doctor, a follow-up and blood-test schedule, supplementation guidance, and clear warning-sign instructions. We check in with you on WhatsApp at agreed points, guide you on which tests can be done locally in your home country, and coordinate remote follow-up with your Korean hospital where available. If you develop emergency symptoms at home, seek local emergency care immediately — then inform us and your Korean team.

Read the full travel preparation guide →