A living evidence of Korean dermatology history

KYE dermatology clinic, an advanced medical institution that has been providing services for 60 years

If you want to talk about the history of dermatology in Korea, you have no choice but to talk about KYE Dermatology Clinic. It is one of the most successful dermatology clinics as well as a representative case of success in a single field of ‘dermatology’. It was opened in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, in 1961 and has been treating patients even since the time when the concept of dermatology itself was not familiar.

It has changed the concept and history of the dermatology clinic for 40 years since the honorary director Kim Joong-ho took over the business in 1981. After the acquisition, the building was expanded alongside medical equipment, and at the same time, invited excellent medical staff. Thanks to the 7-day-a-week treatment, which was not available anywhere else at the time, the number of patients from all over the country was flooding in. Excellent medical staff and advanced diagnosis, examination and treatment equipment have made it famous as a dermatology clinic favored by overseas Koreans and broadcasters. KYE Dermatology Clinic Honorary Director Kim Joong-ho said “In the beginning, I treated patients 365 days a year, from 9 am to 9 pm. The original treatment time was until 6 o’clock, but patients flocked in and I couldn’t come out. The Medical Insurance Association counted the number of patients seen in hospitals, and as a private medical clinic, KYE Dermatology Clinic ranked first in the number of patients nationwide. It has decreased a bit now, but there are still people who continue their visit since then.” Regarding this success, Kim said that his sincere attitude paid a great price. “What a doctor needs when dealing with patients is basically an attitude of sincerity. Treating patients with sincerity means listening to the patient’s story and getting to know information about the disease.” The current director, Kim Shin-han, son of honorary director Kim Joong-ho, is moving it forward as an advanced medical institution by introducing more cutting edge medical technology based on his previous work experience. 

7 dermatologists, more than university hospitals in number

Providing the optimal diagnosis and the best treatment method through an organic and intimate counseling

Alongside its long history, KYE Dermatology Clinic is run by 7 dermatologists, more than university hospitals in number. When Honorary Director Kim worked alone, patients came from all over the country thanks to his hard work and passion, but in the end, he came to a situation that he could not handle alone. For this reason, he introduced a multi-specialist director system by inviting dermatologists while expanding the clinic. Since then, 9 dermatologists had treated more than 1,000 patients a day. Considering that one dermatologist sees about 100 patients a day at a university hospital, KYE Dermatology Clinic is more than a university hospital, and it is a record high in number. Currently, 7 dermatologists, including Honorary Director Kim and Kim Shin-han, are providing professional treatment as the directors. Kim Shin-han said “There are 7 dermatologists, so the strengths of each are shared such as data and medical experience, and this accumulating information enhances the strengths.” Even with a great name, there is a limit to what one person can do. Different people have different perspectives and several dermatologists work together to bring up new perspectives and methods of treatment. “Some dermatologists have been with us for over 20 or 30 years. Naturally, they have the trust of their patients.”  

From phototherapy to laser surgery

Equipped with various treatment facilities for skin diseases and skin beauty

In addition to excellent medical staff, KYE dermatology clinic is equipped with various advanced medical facilities. There are facilities for specialized treatment of skin diseases not to mention injection rooms and treatment rooms. In particular, the UV light therapy room is very helpful in treating diseases that cause severe skin lesions or itching throughout the body, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. By applying UV treatment to the skin, it can effectively reduce inflammation and restore the skin. Because it is not a drug treatment, it can treat skin diseases without major side effects. In addition, the latest Excimer Velocity 7 laser is used to treat intractable skin diseases, such as psoriasis or vitiligo, that cannot be expected to improve with general drug treatment. Facilities such as helium neon lasers are also provided to help patients heal wounds and control pain from diseases that cause serious pain, such as infectious diseases or herpes zoster. 

Archiving treatment record, building treatment guidelines with big data

Kim has been preparing for facility remodeling since last year and is attracting attention for his ongoing data restoration/archiving computerization. It is rare for private clinics to archive medical records, and in particular, KYE dermatology clinic is attracting more attention because it has a long medical record of people. Kim said “Improved insurance and medical care is needed. Through this, more information should be provided to patients as well as the hospitals that can treat them.” 

Kim updates the treatment status and application methods at related conferences on a regular basis, and introduces only raw materials and equipment that have been verified for safety with help of data analysis. KYE dermatology clinic delivers on/offline skin disease information to the general public and provides customized education. Based on big data, the clinic plans to establish guidelines for various cases so that they can better respond to more complex symptoms of patients. 

Kye-Skin has achieved a cumulative medical record of 8 million cases so far. It has received numerous citations and appreciation plaques from the Association of Medical Insurance Association, Minister of Finance, Commissioner of the National Tax Service, Medical Insurance Association, Ministry of Finance and Economy, and in particular the Excellent Member Prize for 5 years in a row from the Seoul Medical Association. It also won the Dermatology at the Korea Medical Healthcare Awards from the ChosunMedia and lately the Korea Future Management Awards from Herald Group. Kim said “We will be reborn as a leading medical institution in line with the skin beauty trend, and our professional medical staff alongside its 60 years of tradition, will do their best to impress patients.”