LEDAS History & Milestones (2001–2026)

How did LEDAS begin?

LEDAS started with one surgeon's decision. In 2001, Dr. Kim Byoung Joon , a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon trained at Pusan National University, chose to concentrate his practice on varicose veins. At the time, the standard operation in Korea was vein stripping, which required general or spinal anesthesia, incisions and a long recovery. Dr. Kim set out to build a less invasive way of treating the disease that also addressed its main weakness: recurrence.

What does the name LEDAS mean?

LEDAS is an acronym for the clinic's method: L aser, E ndovenous, D uplex-guided, A blation, S clerotherapy. It describes how the treatment works — laser closure of refluxing veins from inside, guided by duplex ultrasound, combined with sclerotherapy for smaller and hidden veins. The clinic took this name in 2015. Learn how the parts fit together on our LEDAS treatment system page.

What are the key milestones?

2001–2014: building the method

Over these years Dr. Kim refined a three-step approach — complete ultrasound diagnosis, minimally invasive treatment and long-term relapse prevention — and moved away from stripping in favor of endovenous laser treatment and ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy under local anesthesia.

2015: the LEDAS name and first JCI accreditation

The clinic adopted the LEDAS name and earned its first Joint Commission International accreditation (2015–2018), committing to international standards for patient safety and quality.

2018–2019: recognition and foreign-patient accreditation

Dr. Kim was listed in Marquis Who's Who in 2018. In 2019 LEDAS was selected as an innovative medical institution at HiPex 2019, received KAHF accreditation for serving foreign patients, and began its second JCI cycle (2019–2022).

2022: 20,000 procedures

LEDAS passed 20,000 varicose vein procedures and began its third JCI cycle (2022–2025).

2023: national honor and GHA

LEDAS received the Prime Minister's Citation for Global Healthcare and Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA).

2025: international quality recognition

LEDAS began its fourth consecutive JCI cycle (2025–2028), became the first Korean recipient of the ESQR Quality Choice Prize in Stockholm, and received a commendation from Busan Metropolitan City.

2026: growing international reach

LEDAS entered a partnership with Renmedes clinic in Taiwan. Clinic counters reached 29,847 patients treated and 47,831 patient visits.

How did LEDAS grow internationally?

As more patients travelled to Busan from abroad, LEDAS built an International Patient Center with coordinators interpreting in English, Russian and Chinese. It then opened a network of 12 remote consultation centers in 7 countries — Mongolia, Russia, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, China and Kyrgyzstan — so patients can be assessed and prepared before travel and supported after returning home. Patients have now come from 37 countries. See our international partner network .

What has stayed the same?

The clinic's mission rests on four pillars set by Dr. Kim: a strong institutional basis, responsibility, continuous research and specialization, and lifetime management of each patient's leg health. In practice, that means every patient still starts with a detailed duplex ultrasound , treatment is still done under local anesthesia with same-day discharge, and follow-up continues every 1–2 years. The vision is unchanged: to help set a world standard for varicose vein care.

What comes next?

LEDAS continues to train physicians through the LEDAS Academy , expand its remote consultation network and maintain its accreditations. You can follow its recognition on our awards page .

LEDAS timeline

LEDAS history – frequently asked questions