Educational attainment

• Sokcho High School
• School of Medicine, Pusan National University
• PhD from the College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea
• Trained at Walche Spine Center, USA

Career

• 1984. 02 ~ Today Adjunct professor at the Department of Neurology, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University
• 1996 ~ 1998 Visiting professor at the Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine
• 2010. 10 ~ Today Adjunct professor at the College of Medicine, Hallym University
• 2007. 03 1st Asia-Pacific Artificial Disc Workshop
• 2008. 04 26th Korean Neurosurgical Society Academic Award (presentation of a study on artificial discs)
• 2009. 03 2nd International Artificial Disc Symposium
• 2009. 11 Filed a patent application for artificial disc
• 2010. 03 ~ Today Adjunct professor at the College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea
• 2012. 03 3rd International Artificial Disc Symposium
• 2013. 04 Published the book “I Was A Herniated Disc Patient, Too”
• 2014. 03 Filed a patent application for the device Spine Straightening
• 2016. 08 Appointed as health medical advisor for MK Health, MaeKyung Media Group
• 2017. 01 ~ Today 4th Chairman of the Korea Ice Hockey Association for the Disabled
• 2018. 06 Selected among top 100 physicians in Korea (in the category of spinal artificial discs)
• 2019. 04 Selected among top 100 physicians in Korea (in the category of spinal artificial discs)

Academic society activities

• Life member of the International Artificial Disc Association
• Life member of the Korean Neurosurgical Society
• Life member of the Korean Society of Peripheral Nervous System
• Life member of the Korean Society of Spine Surgery
• Life member of the Korean Society of Cerebrovascular Surgeons
• Full member of the Korean Neuroendovascular Society
• Full member of the Korean Society of Interventional Neuroradiology

Conferences & presentations

• 2016. 03. 14 Gave a presentation on “Endoscopic discectomy in difficult cases”
  Gave a presentation at the World Congress on Neurology and Therapeutics in London, UK
  “Designed mini-band transposition technique for microvascular decompression in hemifacial spasm”
• 2016. 03. 28 Published a SCI research paper on the Korean Neurosurgical Society
  (Foraminoplastic superior vertebral notch approach with reamers in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy)
• 2016. 08. 26 Gave a presentation at the Fall Conference for Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon Branches of the Korean Neurosurgical Society
  (Tight filum terminale in childhood: gait disturbance scoliosis, designed mini-band transposition technique for microvascular decompression in hemifacial spasm)
• 2017. 02. 25 Gave a presentation at the 26th Spring Conference of the Korean Neurosurgical Society
  (Retrospective study on effectiveness of lumbar total disc replacement: Clinical and radiographical results of over 5 years of follow-up)
• 2017. 05. 03 Gave a presentation at the Global Spine Congress, Milan, Italy
  (Endoscopic lumbar foraminal decompression: Myth? or trustworthy?)
• 2017. 08. 27 Gave a presentation at the 3rd Conference for the Hospital Association of the Korean Neurosurgical Society
  Percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar lumbar discectomy (uniportal)
• 2017. 09. 15 Gave a presentation at the 31st Conference for the 31st Anniversary of the Korean Spinal Neurosurgery Society
  Which approach is advantageous in preventing the development of ASD?
  [Comparative analysis between different 3 lumbar interbody fusion techniques (ALIF, LLIF, PLIF) in L4-5 spondylolisthesis with regard to ASD]
  What are the advantages of MIS decompression technique compared to traditional open laminectomy in lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis? [Comparative analysis between 3 different lumbar decompression techniques (microscopic, tubular and endoscopic): Preliminary report]
• 2017. 09. 24 Gave a presentation at the Korea Research Society of Endoscopic Spine Surgery
  Usefulness of endoscopic technique in multi-lumbar pathology
• 2018. 02. 09 Gave a presentation at the 4th Winter Conference of the Korean Spinal Neurosurgery Society
  (Uniportal endoscopic decompression)
• 2018. 03. 03 Gave a presentation at the 1st Asia Pacific International Symposium
  (Anterior approach vs posterior in lumbar spine)
• 2018. 03. 04 Created ‘Gangnam St. Peter Academic Award’ for the Korean Society of Geriatric Neurosurgery
• 2018. 03. 31 Gave a presentation at the 2nd Spring Conference of the Korea Research Society of Endoscopic Spine Surgery
  Comparative study between uniportal and biportal percutaneous endoscopic decompression techniques in lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis (from the perspective of initial learning curve)
• 2018. 04. 02 Published a research paper on World Neurosurgery (SCI) [May 2018, Volume 113, pages e129-e137]
  “Percutaneous endoscopic laminotomy by uniportal, unilateral approach for the lumbar canal or lateral recess stenosis"
• 2018. 05. 18 Gave a presentation on 2018 DePuy Synthes HK 360º Lumbar Spine Cadaveric Workshop
  Anterior column reconstruction in lumbar spine
• 2018. 06. 28 Awarded the Exemplary Patriot Citation by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
  Selected among top 100 physicians in Korea by Weekly Sisa
• 2018. 11. 10 Gave a presentation on a conference by Bongseng Hospital for the 3,000th MVD (microvascular decompression) case
  Designed mini-band transposition technique for microvascular decompression in hemifacial spasm
• 2018. 12. 12 Awarded the Grand Prize in Reliable Business Owners in the Korean Culture and Art Master Congress by the Health Welfare Committee of the National Assembly
  [Chief of Surgery and Executive Director Yoon Kang-jun]
• 2019. 03. 24 Published a research paper on BioMed Research International (SCI)
  Comparative analysis between three different lumbar decompression techniques (microscopic, tubular, and endoscopic) in lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis: Preliminary report
• 2019. 03. 29 Published a research paper on Neurospine
  Percutaneous endoscopic decompression in lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis – The surgical learning curve
• 2019. 10. 25 Gave a presentation at the 59th Fall Conference of the Korean Neurosurgical Society
  Video assisted endoscopic transthoracic T4 sympathectomy (ETS) for palmar hyperhidrosis via single port

Reviews from foreign patients

Russia; Surgery for rare incurable disease
[Treatment description] •Name: Valerii Perestoronin •Hospital: St. Peter’s Hospital •Surgery and operation: Arnold-Chiari malformation surgery

My legs felt weak for the first time in November 2017, and I didn’t mind it very much since my parents thought that it is because my legs were just tired.

Over time, I started to feel pain in my legs. I went to the hospital and received an X-ray, MRI, and various examinations. I also saw physicians in orthopedics, neurology, and neurosurgery, and nobody was able to give me an exact diagnosis. Later, I felt pain whenever I moved my neck, and it was painful to lift my arms or move my body. I was able to sleep in only one posture. I received manual therapy, but pain worsened and exacerbated. From March 2018, it was very painful to sit, stand up, and walk. My father searched for and contacted a lot of hospitals in Korea and chose St. Peter’s Hospital in the end (this is the only hospital that gave a clear and structured response to our questions). Coordinator Irina explained all the problems which we were concerned about and informed us of hospitalization and treatment in detail. On April 3, 2018, I came to Seoul with my father and had my spine checked with Irina. The chief surgeon told that Arnold-Chiari malformation is suspected and it would be better to have a re-examination including the brain. Thanks to his expertise, Arnold-Chiari malformation was detected. The next day after surgery, I was able to stand up on my own. Staff at the hospital were very kind, and it felt like they truly cared about patients. The healthcare service, hospital facilities, and hospital rooms are fairly high in quality, and they answer all questions quickly in Russian.

When I came back home, I no longer felt pain and finally began to sleep well again.