Analysis Report

Gangnam St. Mary's Eye Clinic

In-depth Analysis of Representative Director Kim Hyo-won

University Hospital-Level Scale SMILE LASIK Corneal Transplant

Key Insights

Organization Overview

Gangnam St. Mary's Eye Clinic is a primary medical institution located in Seocho-gu, Seoul, founded by medical staff from the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. It aims to combine university hospital expertise with private clinic accessibility.

Medical Leadership

Representative Director Kim Hyo-won, a board-certified ophthalmologist and former clinical professor, leads with extensive experience. He is joined by Dr. Kim Man-soo, a corneal transplant authority, significantly enhancing credibility.

Core Technology (Scale SMILE)

The clinic's flagship procedure is 'Scale SMILE LASIK', a proprietary method using FEMTO Z8 equipment for precision surgery, addressing astigmatism correction accuracy and minimizing corneal damage beyond existing SMILE surgeries.

Reputation & Features

Achieving a 9.8/10 on Modoodoc, the clinic is praised for avoiding overtreatment and offering patient-tailored care. It features university hospital-level equipment and a comprehensive post-operative care system.

Medical Leadership Profile

Kim Hyo-won

Representative Director Kim Hyo-won is recognized for his expertise in refractive surgery (LASIK, LASEK, SMILE LASIK) and cataract surgery, overseeing the clinic's operations and treatments.

Education & Major Career

  • Graduated from the Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine; Master's degree in Ophthalmology.
  • Completed Internship and Residency in Ophthalmology at Catholic Medical Center.
  • Served as Clinical Professor of Cornea and Cataract at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.
  • Former Head of Ophthalmology at Hanil Hospital and Director at Global Seoul Eye Clinic.
  • Current Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Specialties & Academic Activities

  • Major procedural areas include vision correction surgery (LASIK, LASEK, ICL) and cataract surgery.
  • Active as a regular member of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (KSCRS), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).
  • Awards and Certifications: In 2023, awarded the 'Clear Expert Surgeon' certificate by Ziemer (Switzerland).

Patient Reputation

On 'Modoodoc', Dr. Kim Hyo-won's rating is 9.8 (out of 10) with over 360 reviews, reflecting high satisfaction for his meticulous explanations and stable surgical results.

Kim Man-soo

Dr. Kim Man-soo, an authority on corneal transplants and a titan in the Korean ophthalmology community, significantly supports the clinic's medical prestige.

Major History & Authority

  • Served as Head Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Eye Bank at the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.
  • Served as the 19th Chairman of the Korean Ophthalmological Society.
  • Performed over 1,500 corneal transplant surgeries, a top-tier clinical record in Korea.
  • Widely known for performing eye enucleation for corneal donation upon Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan's passing in 2009.

Role within the Clinic

Currently serving as a Representative Director (or in an Honorary Director-level role) at Gangnam St. Mary's Eye Clinic, he treats corneal transplants, intractable corneal diseases, cataracts, and presbyopia. He enables high-difficulty corneal transplant surgeries within a private clinic setting.

Clinic Philosophy & Infrastructure

University Hospital-Level Care, Accessible

Gangnam St. Mary's Eye Clinic operates in the heart of Seoul's ophthalmological care, Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu, with the goal of 'popularizing university hospital-level treatment.' The clinic maintains deep academic and personnel connections with the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Beyond simple vision correction, the clinic has established a 'Total Eye Care' system, covering everything from high-difficulty surgeries like corneal transplants to presbyopia and cataract treatments. It emphasizes providing optimized solutions for each patient by combining know-how accumulated since 1999 with modern laser equipment.

Diagnostic & Examination Equipment

  • IOL Master 700: Latest equipment for accurate intraocular lens power calculation.
  • Pentacam: 3D corneal topography analysis for keratoconus and astigmatism.
  • OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography): Images retina/optic nerve for early disease detection.
  • Daytona Optomap: Ultra-widefield fundus camera for retinal periphery imaging without dilation.

Surgical Equipment

  • FEMTO LDV Z8: Multi-purpose femtosecond laser for Scale SMILE LASIK, Clear LASIK, and cataract surgeries.
  • AMARIS RED: Excimer laser with 1050 Hz speed and 7D eye tracking for LASIK/LASEK precision.

Major Procedures & Technical Features

Scale SMILE LASIK

Scale SMILE LASIK is a specialized surgical method unique to Gangnam St. Mary's Eye Clinic, combining the advantages of existing SMILE surgery and Clear LASIK, developed with the know-how of medical staff from Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Technical Principles & Equipment

  • FEMTO Z8 (Ziemer): Uses a cutting-edge femtosecond laser device from Ziemer, Switzerland, boasting a fast laser irradiation speed of over 5,000 kHz.
  • Low Energy Method: Reduces gas bubbles (OBL) and creates a smooth cut surface, increasing visual recovery speed.

Key Features & Advantages

  • Excellence in Astigmatism Correction: Improves upon existing SMILE surgery's difficulty by tracking eye rotation for accurate astigmatism axis correction.
  • Minimal Incision: A micro-incision of about 2mm means less damage to corneal nerves and a lower risk of dry eye syndrome.
  • Maintenance of Corneal Stiffness: No corneal flap is created, making it resistant to external impacts and allowing for immediate return to daily life.

Other Major Treatment Items

  • Cataract and Presbyopia Surgery:

    Utilizes multifocal intraocular lenses and university hospital-level measurement equipment like IOL Master 700 for precise power calculation.

  • 2-Day LASEK (Two-Day LASEK):

    A LASEK surgery designed to minimize corneal epithelial damage, reduce pain, and shorten the recovery period to approximately two days.

  • Intraocular Collamer Lens Implantation (ICL):

    A surgery for patients with ultra-high myopia or thin corneas, involving the insertion of a special lens inside the eye without corneal cutting.

  • Dry Eye Clinic:

    A professional dry eye management program focusing on restoring meibomian gland function through treatments like IPL laser.

Reputation and Patient Feedback

Quantitative Evaluation (Ratings)

Modoodoc: Records an average hospital rating of 9.8/10 (388 reviews). This signifies a very high level of patient satisfaction, especially within the competitive Gangnam area.

Gangnam Unni: Achieves a rating of 9.3~9.4/10 (62 reviews), receiving decent evaluations on beauty and plastic surgery information platforms as well.

Price Competitiveness

LASEK starts from around KRW 800,000, LASIK from KRW 1,100,000, and SMILE LASIK types (e.g., Clear LASIK) are in the low-to-mid KRW 2,000,000 range with events applied, maintaining a reasonable price compared to the Gangnam average.

Qualitative Evaluation (Reviews Summary)

Positive Factors:

  • Friendly and Detailed Explanations: Patients consistently praise medical staff for clear, easy-to-understand explanations of test results and surgical processes.
  • No Overtreatment: High trust is established as the clinic avoids unnecessary surgeries, recommending conservative treatment plans best suited for individual eye conditions.
  • Surgical Results: High satisfaction with visual recovery after LASEK and SMILE LASIK, with positive mentions regarding pain management and post-operative care.

Conclusion & Comprehensive Analysis

Gangnam St. Mary's Eye Clinic positions 'the skills of medical staff from university hospitals' and 'sincere treatment' as its core competitiveness, rather than flashy marketing. It is evaluated as a trustworthy primary medical institution that can broadly cover the 2030 generation wanting stable vision correction, the middle-aged requiring cataract and presbyopia treatment, and patient groups needing professional corneal care.

1. Expertise

Harmony between Representative Director Kim Hyo-won's sensible know-how in vision correction and Dr. Kim Man-soo's extensive experience in cornea/cataract surgery. Dr. Kim Man-soo's presence adds significant ethical and technical weight.

2. Technology

Leading the latest trends in minimal incision vision correction with its specialized 'Scale SMILE LASIK' solution and active utilization of top-tier equipment like the FEMTO Z8.

3. Trustworthiness

High patient ratings (9.8 on Modoodoc) and detailed reviews consistently prove the clinic practices patient-centered medical services.

University Hospital-Level
Expertise & Sincere Care