Height surgery cost in Korea 2026: full price breakdown
Official LON and PRECICE prices from Dr. Donghoon (DALRI)
Quick answer
Height (limb-lengthening) surgery at Dr. Donghoon's institute (DALRI) in South Korea starts at KRW 52,800,000 (about THB 1.27M) for LON tibia lengthening and runs KRW 117,420,000–131,760,000 (about THB 2.8–3.2M) for the internal PRECICE nail. Prices cover surgery, anaesthesia, implants and 7 nights of ward stay, but exclude housing and living costs during recovery in Korea.
Height surgery price list (DALRI)
Official published prices, captured 2026-09-20 · baht estimate at 1 KRW ≈ 0.024 THB (2026-08-07)
| Procedure | KRW | THB (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 117,420,000 | 2,818,000 | |
Included: IT band release, surgery fee, anaesthesia, 2 implants, 2 sets of analgesics & medication, 7 nights in a 4-bed room, 3 cryotherapy sessions, 1 rehab session, 1 ScarFix 117,420,000 KRW · ≈ 2,818,000 THB | ||
| 131,760,000 | 3,162,000 | |
Included: Posterior release, surgery fee, anaesthesia, 2 implants, 2 sets of medication, 7 nights in a 4-bed room, 3 cryotherapy sessions, 1 rehab session, 1 ScarFix 131,760,000 KRW · ≈ 3,162,000 THB | ||
| 52,800,000 | 1,267,000 | |
Included: Posterior release, surgery fee, anaesthesia, 2 implants, 2 sets of medication, 7 nights in a 4-bed room, 3 cryotherapy sessions, 1 rehab session, 1 ScarFix 52,800,000 KRW · ≈ 1,267,000 THB | ||
| 5,940,000 | 143,000 | |
Included: Surgery fee, anaesthesia, 2 sets of analgesics & medication, 3 nights in a 4-bed room, 1 ScarFix 5,940,000 KRW · ≈ 143,000 THB | ||
Activate a procedure button (Enter or Space when focused) to see what the price includes.
Not included in the price
- Initial consultation and pre-operative assessment
- Room upgrade and personal caretaker
- Additional procedures, treatments or rehabilitation beyond the package
- Accommodation and living costs while in Korea
- Personal medication, medical supplies and mobility aids (walker, crutches, custom LON shoes, wheelchair rental, ERC fee)
When leg deformity is present it is corrected within the feasible range; extra cost depends on the site and type — no additional cost if the rotation lies in the segment being lengthened, but correcting femoral valgus during tibial lengthening does add cost. All prices are as published by the hospital on the capture date and may change.
View the hospital's own price pageHeight surgery budget calculator
Enter your budget in baht; we convert it to KRW (1 KRW ≈ 0.024 THB) and show which DALRI package it covers.
LON — tibia lengthening (2 operations)
Surgery 58,740,000 KRW · other costs ≈ 1,500,000 THB
≈ 2,910,000 THB
PRECICE — femur lengthening (single operation)
Surgery 117,420,000 KRW · other costs ≈ 1,000,000 THB
≈ 3,818,000 THB
PRECICE — tibia lengthening (single operation)
Surgery 131,760,000 KRW · other costs ≈ 1,000,000 THB
≈ 4,162,000 THB
Surgery figures are the hospital's official published prices; other costs are estimates (housing, living, assessments, mobility aids, flights). Actual totals depend on your case and the exchange rate on the day you pay.
Compare all packages with height-goal filtersEstimated total budget per case
Surgery figures are official; other costs are estimates for the items the hospital lists as excluded (housing, living costs, assessments, mobility aids, flights).
LON — tibia lengthening (2 operations)
- Surgery (official)
- ≈ 1,410,000 THB
- Other costs (estimate)
- ≈ 1,500,000 THB
- Total
- ≈ 2,910,000 THB
About 6–8 months in Korea
PRECICE — femur lengthening (single operation)
- Surgery (official)
- ≈ 2,818,000 THB
- Other costs (estimate)
- ≈ 1,000,000 THB
- Total
- ≈ 3,818,000 THB
About 3–5 months in Korea
LON vs PRECICE on cost
Starting price
LON: ≈ THB 1.27M (2 operations)
PRECICE: ≈ THB 2.82M (single operation)
Operations
LON: 2 (lengthen + remove frame)
PRECICE: 1
External frame / pin scars
LON: Yes
PRECICE: No
Stay in Korea
LON: About 6–8 months
PRECICE: About 3–5 months
Key facts
- Starting price (LON)
- KRW 52,800,000 ≈ THB 1.27M
- PRECICE femur
- KRW 117,420,000 ≈ THB 2.82M
- PRECICE tibia
- KRW 131,760,000 ≈ THB 3.16M
- Costs outside the package
- About THB 1–1.5M
- Hospital
- Dr. Donghoon Limb Lengthening Institute (DALRI), Seongnam
- Prices captured
- 2026-09-20 (official, subject to change)
Three variables drive the price: the technique (LON or PRECICE), the segment being lengthened (femur or tibia) and how many operations are needed. The table below shows the hospital's own published prices rather than an estimate, so you can budget from real figures.
LON (Lengthening Over Nail) costs roughly half as much because an external frame carries the lengthening phase. The trade-off is two operations (the second removes the fixator), pin scars, and daily pin-site care throughout the lengthening period.
PRECICE lengthens with a magnetically driven internal nail: no frame, no pin scars and a single operation. It costs more because the FDA-cleared implants are imported, and two of them (left and right) are bundled into the package price.
The commonly forgotten part is everything outside the package: consultation and pre-operative assessment, accommodation during recovery in Korea (about 6-8 months for LON, 3-5 months for PRECICE), living costs, mobility aids, extra rehabilitation and flights. Budget roughly THB 1–1.5M on top.
Unusually low quotes usually come from clinics that do not specialise in limb lengthening, or exclude implants and anaesthesia. When comparing, check how many implants are included, how many nights of stay, whether rehabilitation is bundled, and whether fixator removal is billed separately.
Stature lengthening is major bone surgery with months of recovery, so price should never be the only criterion. Weigh the surgeon's case volume, published complication rates, operating-theatre standards and the rehabilitation plan alongside cost.
Frequently asked questions
Prices and what the package covers
How much does height surgery cost?
At DALRI it starts at KRW 52,800,000 (about THB 1.27M) for LON tibia lengthening and KRW 117,420,000–131,760,000 (about THB 2.8–3.2M) for PRECICE. Including accommodation and living costs during recovery, realistic totals land around THB 2.4–4.2M.
Is everything included in that price?
It covers surgery, anaesthesia, two implants, two sets of medication, seven nights in a 4-bed room, three cryotherapy sessions, one rehab session and a ScarFix. It excludes consultation, pre-operative assessment, room upgrades, outside accommodation, living costs, mobility aids and additional rehabilitation.
Why is PRECICE nearly twice the price of LON?
PRECICE uses FDA-cleared imported internal nails, two per case, while LON relies on a far cheaper external frame — at the cost of a second operation to remove it and permanent pin scars.
How many centimetres does that price buy?
The price is per segment and covers lengthening up to that segment's safe limit, typically about 5–6.5 cm. Going beyond that requires lengthening a second segment after full recovery, billed as a separate case.
Is there an extra charge if I also have bow legs or knock knees?
Deformity is corrected within the feasible range. If it lies in the segment already being lengthened there is usually no extra cost, but correcting the femur while lengthening the tibia does add cost depending on site and type.
What is the cheapest height surgery option?
The lowest-cost route is LON tibia lengthening at an official KRW 52,800,000 (about THB 1.27M), which already includes both the insertion and removal operations. It is roughly half the price of PRECICE, in exchange for two surgeries, pin scars and a longer stay in Korea that raises accommodation costs.
How does femur pricing compare with tibia pricing?
With PRECICE, femur lengthening is KRW 117,420,000 (about THB 2.82M) while tibia lengthening is KRW 131,760,000 (about THB 3.16M). The tibia costs more because the technique is more demanding and requires closer nerve and muscle management.
Hidden costs and the total trip budget
How much should I budget for staying in Korea?
You stay in Korea through lengthening and consolidation — roughly 6–8 months for LON and 3–5 months for PRECICE. Accommodation plus living costs typically total THB 1–1.5M depending on housing type and whether someone travels with you.
What is the all-in cost from start to finish?
Realistic all-in budgets are roughly THB 2.4–2.8M for LON and THB 3.8–4.2M for PRECICE. That is the official surgical fee plus accommodation, living costs, pre-operative assessment, mobility aids, extra rehabilitation and flights.
What are the monthly living costs during recovery in Korea?
Monthly serviced housing near the hospital in Seongnam/Seoul typically runs THB 40,000–70,000. Adding food, transport to follow-ups and personal spending, budget around THB 60,000–110,000 per month, multiplied by the recovery window of the technique you pick.
Which costs do people most often forget?
The usual blind spots are pre-operative assessment and consultation, single-room upgrades, crutches and a wheelchair, rehabilitation beyond the bundled session, an interpreter or carer, visa extensions, and return trips for follow-up after you fly home.
Payment and comparing quotes
Can I pay in instalments or use insurance?
Cosmetic stature lengthening is not covered by standard Thai or Korean health insurance. Payment terms and deposits change over time, so confirm them directly with the hospital's international patient desk.
How current are these prices?
They were captured from the hospital's official price page on 2026-09-20 and may change. Confirm with the hospital before planning travel; the source price page is linked on this page.
Other sites quote much lower prices — are they reliable?
Suspiciously low quotes usually cover the operation only, excluding implants, anaesthesia or the removal surgery, and some come from clinics that are not dedicated limb-lengthening centres. When comparing, ask exactly how many implants, how many nights, whether rehabilitation is bundled, and what the second procedure costs.
How much deposit is required and in which currency?
Korean hospitals quote in won, so payment is usually a won transfer or settled on admission. Deposit rules and final-payment timing change over time, so confirm with the international patient desk before booking flights, and allow about 3–5% for exchange-rate movement.
Last updated: 2026-08-07 · This content is for information only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified doctor before making treatment decisions.