Varicose Vein Care in Korea: Training and Diagnostic Approach

If you are considering travelling abroad for varicose vein treatment, South Korea is one of the options patients look at. Here is some background — from a board-certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon whose practice focuses on venous disease.

What Board Certification Involves in Korea

In Korea, the title "cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon" (심장혈관흉부외과 전문의) is not self-declared. It requires completion of a medical degree, a full internship year, four years of residency training at an accredited hospital, and passing a national board examination — a process that typically spans 10 or more years from starting medical school to certification.

Specialists who then focus on vascular diseases, including varicose veins, go on to gain further clinical experience in venous disorders, duplex ultrasound interpretation, and minimally invasive endovascular procedures.

Diagnosis Based on Duplex Ultrasound

Every patient who comes to da Re-Fit Clinic receives a duplex ultrasound examination before any treatment decision is made. Duplex ultrasound allows us to identify the location of venous reflux, the duration of that reflux (whether it crosses the 0.5-second threshold commonly used to define pathological reflux), the diameter of the affected vein, and the presence of any deep vein involvement. No treatment plan is finalized based on visual appearance alone.

Minimally Invasive Treatment Options

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), VenaSeal (cyanoacrylate closure), and ClariVein (mechanochemical ablation) are all available in Korean vascular clinics as established clinical options.

At our clinic, we use a 1940nm wavelength laser for EVLA. VenaSeal procedures do not use tumescent anesthesia; whether compression stockings are worn afterwards, and when you can travel, are decided for each patient.

Patient Numbers in Korea

Varicose veins are a common reason for clinic visits in Korea. Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) statistics show that varicose vein patients numbered about 378,000 in 2021 — a 57% increase over four years.

Clinical Guidelines

Korean professional societies in this field, such as the Korean Society for Phlebology, publish clinical guidelines for venous disease, which draw on international guidelines from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), the American Venous Forum (AVF), and the Union Internationale de Phlébologie (UIP).

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute individual medical advice. Please consult a qualified physician for personal diagnosis and treatment.