Planning treatment in Korea? Start herePlanning treatment in Korea? Start here
Dr. Dongju Seo of da Re-Fit Clinic — cardiovascular thoracic surgeon standing by the clinic window in green scrubs with arms folded

Varicose Vein Care in Seoul

A treatment plan
that starts with your legs.

We assess your symptoms and vein ultrasound findings,
explain your options, and help you understand the next steps.

Dongju Seo, MD
Specialist in Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery

Language support is available through our interpretation system.

Dr. Seo in the operating room, focused on a vein procedure, seen in profile

Understand your options before making a decision.

Preparing Your Visit

Preparing your visit from abroad

Four things to settle before you travel.

  1. Consultation before your visit

    Tell us about your symptoms and questions so we can advise whether a visit makes sense.

  2. Schedule and language support

    Confirm available dates and the language support you need.

  3. Treatment plan after assessment

    Treatment is decided only after examination and ultrasound at the clinic.

  4. Follow-up before you return home

    Agree on follow-up checks and ongoing care before you leave Korea.

Whether treatment is suitable, how many visits you need, how long to stay in Seoul, and when you can fly are advised after an individual assessment. We do not promise same-day surgery, a fixed short stay, or immediate departure.

Self Check

Are you experiencing any of these?

Varicose veins can begin long before any veins bulge at the surface. Select any that apply to you.

The One-Talkie Experience

Interpretation support for your consultation

One-Talkie — our in-house medical interpretation system

Our interpretation system supports communication during consultations and follow-up. Please contact us in advance about your language needs.

  • 🌐 Online — Use the consultation button to leave your questions in your own language; we read and reply during clinic hours.
  • 🏥 In the clinic — During your visit you talk with the doctors through One-Talkie. Our doctors do not speak your language directly; communication goes through the interpretation system.
English日本語中文Русский
Try One-Talkie Now

Medical Team

A team of cardiothoracic & vascular surgeons trained at Asan Medical Center, Seoul

Dr. Dongju Seo, Co-Director of da Re-Fit Clinic — cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon smiling with arms folded in grey surgical scrubs

Dr. Dongju Seo, Co-Director

Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon

  • The doctor who explains vascular disease in plain terms — 1,000+ broadcasts, YouTube, and books
  • And in the exam room, he explains until you truly understand
  • Trained at Asan Medical Center, Seoul
  • Observership at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
Dr. Byeonggwon Jeong, Co-Director of da Re-Fit Clinic — cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon (MD, PhD) smiling with arms folded in grey surgical scrubs

Dr. Byeonggwon Jeong, Co-Director

Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon

  • An MD, PhD who leads complex hybrid vein surgery with strong academic credentials and deep clinical experience
  • Joint phlebology research, international conference speaker, and medical author
  • Former professor of cardiothoracic & vascular surgery at Asan Medical Center, Seoul

Through our integrated Stage 1-to-3 treatment system, we aim to become the global destination for varicose vein care.

On the Day

What happens on the day of your visit

A da Re-Fit specialist examining a patient's calf veins up close with a Doppler ultrasound probe
STEP 01

Symptoms and examination

We review your symptoms and perform duplex ultrasound. The scan is done by the surgeon.

STEP 02

Results explained

We go through your ultrasound images together and first decide whether treatment is needed at all.

STEP 03

Options and costs

Suitable options, expected recovery and costs are explained before you decide. Whether treatment on the same day is possible depends on individual assessment and the schedule.

STEP 04

If you choose treatment

We explain the schedule ahead, recovery and follow-up care.

Columns

Columns

Evidence-based insights on varicose veins — written by a board-certified vascular surgeon.

View all columns

Why da Re-Fit

Why aren't the veins you can see the whole story?

What you can see on the surface does not show the extent of venous disease. We assess your ultrasound findings together with your symptoms to decide which veins to treat and how far. If discomfort remains after treatment, we look again for the cause, including residual venous disease, and discuss the treatment and care that may be needed.

The areas below describe the scope of care at da Re-Fit. They are not a grading of disease severity, nor a sequence every patient goes through. The treatment you need is decided individually.

A da Re-Fit lead physician focused during a vein procedure in the clinic's operating room, seen in profile

Assessing and treating truncal vein reflux

TargetReflux in the great and small saphenous veins and other truncal veins

Where reflux is confirmed in a truncal vein, the method is chosen from thermal ablation (laser, radiofrequency) and non-thermal closure (VenaSeal, ClariVein, Flebogrif) according to vein size, course and your overall condition. Methods are chosen for suitability rather than ranked against each other, and can be combined in one session when needed.

EVLTRFAVenaSealMOCA (ClariVein·Flebogrif)Hybrid
Treating the Source Vein

Assessing and treating tributary varicose veins

TargetTributary varicosities below the trunk, and veins related to symptoms that remain after treatment

Bulging tributaries are treated with miniphlebectomy or ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy. If discomfort remains after treatment, we look again for the cause, including residual venous disease, and discuss the treatment and care that may be needed.

PhlebectomyUGFSPrecision ultrasound
Treating the Branch Veins

Assessing and managing additional problems such as spider veins and swelling

TargetSpider veins, leg swelling, skin changes

Spider veins are treated with sclerotherapy or a 1064 nm laser. Swelling is managed with compression and other measures once its venous or lymphatic cause has been assessed. Laser treatment for skin tone is a cosmetic service and differs in purpose and effect from treating venous disease or swelling.

Sclerotherapy1064 nm laserCompression therapy
1064nm Laser for Leg Telangiectasia

In one session, or in stages — decided together

Once the saphenous trunk is closed, many of the tributary varicosities below it shrink over time. So there is a decision to make: remove the tributaries the same day, or wait and treat only what remains. Randomised trials found the two approaches equivalent at five years, differing in the early recovery window — we go through the ultrasound findings with you and decide together.

Concomitant and staged treatment
Watch the video · 0:25

Track Record

Why patients choose da Re-Fit

2

Board-certified surgeons from Asan Medical Center

15yrs+

Clinical experience in cardiovascular surgery

1,000+

Health program broadcast appearances

Global

Peer-reviewed publications & international lectures

Research & Academics

A Clinic That Does Research

da Re-Fit builds the evidence behind its care — presenting at academic conferences and standing at the forefront of phlebology.

47th Annual Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2024 — Recurrent Systemic Urticaria Following Cyanoacrylate Closure for Incompetent Saphenous Veins
47th Annual Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2024Recurrent Systemic Urticaria Following Cyanoacrylate Closure for Incompetent Saphenous Veins
47th Annual Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2024 — Recurrent Systemic Urticaria Following Cyanoacrylate Closure for Incompetent Saphenous Veins
47th Annual Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2024Recurrent Systemic Urticaria Following Cyanoacrylate Closure for Incompetent Saphenous Veins
48th Spring Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2025 — Laser Wavelengths for Treating Post-Sclerotherapy Hyperpigmentation
48th Spring Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2025Laser Wavelengths for Treating Post-Sclerotherapy Hyperpigmentation
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, Japan — Adjunctive Tranexamic Acid & Glutathione to Prevent Post-Sclerotherapy Hyperpigmentation & Phlebitis
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, JapanAdjunctive Tranexamic Acid & Glutathione to Prevent Post-Sclerotherapy Hyperpigmentation & Phlebitis
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, Japan — Not Just Cosmetic — The Functional Burden of Venous Disease
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, JapanNot Just Cosmetic — The Functional Burden of Venous Disease
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, Japan — Not Just Cosmetic — The Functional Burden of Venous Disease
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, JapanNot Just Cosmetic — The Functional Burden of Venous Disease
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, Japan — Invited presentation, international session
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, JapanInvited presentation, international session
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, Japan — Long-Pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm Laser for Lower-Extremity Telangiectasia in Asian Patients
Asian Venous Forum 2026 · Fukushima, JapanLong-Pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm Laser for Lower-Extremity Telangiectasia in Asian Patients
49th Annual Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2025 — Post-Sclerotherapy Hyperpigmentation
49th Annual Conference, Korean Society for Phlebology · 2025Post-Sclerotherapy Hyperpigmentation

See all presentations & press

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have varicose veins even if nothing bulges?
Yes. Reflux in perforator or saphenous veins that are not visible from outside can still cause swelling, cramps, and pain. A duplex ultrasound scan can confirm it.
Can I be examined and treated on the same day?
Depending on your vein condition, the assessment and the schedule, treatment on the day of the examination may be possible. Please mention it when booking so we can plan for it.
Will I need more than one procedure?
It depends. Once the underlying saphenous vein is closed, many of the tributary varicosities below it shrink over time, so both approaches are used: removing them in the same session, or waiting and treating only what remains. Randomised trials found the two equivalent at five years. We decide based on the size and spread of the tributaries, your symptoms, and how easily you can return — and we explain the ultrasound findings before deciding.
Is the newest treatment better?
Not necessarily. In several randomised trials, newer techniques did not outperform established ones on pain or occlusion rates. Different methods suit different vessels, so the criterion is not how new a method is but which vessel it fits. da Re-Fit keeps thermal ablation, non-thermal ablation and phlebectomy available side by side and selects according to the vein.
How soon can I return to daily life after treatment?
After non-surgical closure procedures most patients go home the same day, but whether admission or observation is needed is decided individually — based on the anaesthetic used, ability to walk, pain, bleeding risk and underlying conditions. The timing of your return to routine depends on the treatment and your recovery; insurance coverage depends on your policy and the insurer's assessment.
How long after treatment can I fly home?
For most non-surgical closures, short-haul flights are generally considered after a brief interval, but the safe timing depends on the procedure and your vein condition. We provide individual guidance, including compression and in-flight precautions, before you travel.
How are international patients supported?
We operate a real-time medical interpretation system, so consultations are accurately delivered in English, Japanese, Chinese, and more. Documentation for insurance can also be arranged.

Visit

Location & Hours

Address
4F, 162 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
1 min walk from Apgujeong Station, Exit 5 (Line 3)
Parking
Free parking in the clinic building
(Larger vehicles: KB Bank parking next door — bring your ticket for validation)
Hours
Mon–Fri 9:00 – 18:00 (last registration 17:30)
Sat 9:00 – 15:00 (last registration 14:30) · Closed Sundays
Contact
+82-2-545-5101
WhatsApp · LINE · KakaoTalk available

Content Channels

Learn More — da Re-Fit Content Channels

Watch

da Re-Fit Videos

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The All-Leg Symptoms

All About Legs