International · Treatment Process

The 10-Step Treatment Process for Foreign Patients

Quick answer: For international patients, LEDAS treatment day follows 10 steps: primary examination, hospitalization, settling into the clinic ward, pre-operative exam and plan discussion, the operation, doctor's rounds, monitoring of recovery, training on aftercare, choosing your next visit date, and discharge. It all happens the same day, under local anesthesia.

Step 5 of the LEDAS 10-step treatment process for foreign patients in Korea: the operation

Key facts at a glance

  • Process length: 10 steps, completed on the same day.
  • Admission and discharge: same day; no rehabilitation needed.
  • Anesthesia: local only; no general or spinal anesthesia; no incision.
  • Language: a coordinator interprets at every step.
  • Before treatment day: remote consultation, travel planning and a first ultrasound visit.
  • After discharge: walking, compression stockings and a booked next visit.
  • Long-term: ultrasound every 1–2 years or whenever you are in Korea.

How does medical treatment in Korea work for foreign patients?

Your journey has three phases: planning from home, the treatment itself in Busan, and follow-up after you return. The 10 steps on this page describe the middle part, treatment day at LEDAS. Knowing them in advance helps you plan your time and arrive relaxed.

Before you arrive: planning from home

  1. Contact LEDAS through an online consultation , by phone (+82-70-4895-5086) or email, or through a remote consultation center .
  2. Share your history: symptoms, earlier treatments, medicines (especially blood thinners) and any scans.
  3. Agree on dates with your coordinator and check visa requirements with the Korean embassy. See medical visa .
  4. Book travel and a hotel. Treatment is outpatient, so you need somewhere to stay. Coordinators can help, and a driver can meet you on arrival.

The 10 steps of treatment day

1. Primary examination

The doctor reviews your symptoms and medical history and examines your legs with duplex ultrasound to confirm where the veins are leaking. If you had your first ultrasound visit on an earlier day, this is a confirmation check.

2. Hospitalization

You are admitted to the clinic. Your coordinator helps with forms and consent, explaining everything in your language. You have the right to ask questions about the plan, risks and cost before you agree.

3. Accommodation in the clinic ward

You settle into the ward, change and rest. Bedding is provided. Keep valuables out of your room.

4. Pre-operative exam and treatment plan discussion

An ECG checks your heart, and a pre-operation ultrasound marks the veins to be treated. The doctor explains exactly what will be done and why.

5. Operation

Under local anesthesia, the main refluxing veins are closed with EVLT , and hidden or smaller veins are treated with ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy and sclerotherapy. There is no incision. You stay awake and can talk to the team.

6. Rounds

The doctor checks on you after treatment. Rounds on the ward take place at 1 pm.

7. Monitoring of condition and recovery

Nurses monitor you while you do walking exercises. Walking helps blood flow in the deep veins and is an important part of recovery.

8. Training on post-treatment precautions

You learn how to put on and wear medical compression stockings and what to expect over the next weeks, such as a pulling feeling along the treated vein for 1–2 weeks. See aftercare instructions .

9. Choosing the next visit date

You and your coordinator agree on a check-up, either before you leave Korea or on a future trip.

10. Discharge

You go back to your hotel the same day. Patient affairs issues a treatment certificate. Request any other documents in advance.

After you return home

Keep walking daily, wear your stockings as advised, and avoid saunas and very hot baths at first. Your coordinator stays in touch. LEDAS recommends ultrasound every 1–2 years or whenever you visit Korea. See follow-up after you return home .

Seek emergency care if you develop sudden swelling, pain and warmth in one leg, or chest pain or breathlessness.

Treatment day at a glance

Step What happens Your role
1–2 Examination & admission Ultrasound check, forms, consent Ask questions; share medicines
3–4 Ward & pre-op Settle in, ECG, vein marking, plan explained Confirm you understand the plan
5 Operation EVLT and sclerotherapy under local anesthesia Stay relaxed; tell staff if uncomfortable
6–7 Rounds & monitoring Doctor review; walking exercises Walk as instructed
8–9 Training & next visit Stocking training; aftercare; follow-up booked Practice putting on stockings
10 Discharge Treatment certificate; return to hotel Collect documents you requested

Treatment process – frequently asked questions

  • How long does treatment day take?

    Plan to spend most of the day at the clinic. The procedure itself is relatively short, but admission, the ECG and ultrasound marking, monitoring with walking, stocking training and discharge all take time. Your coordinator will give you an arrival time and a rough finish time.

  • Will I be put to sleep for the operation?

    No. LEDAS uses local anesthesia only, with no general or spinal anesthesia, and no incision. You stay awake and can talk to the team. Read local anesthesia, no-incision treatment and is treatment painful?

  • Can I go sightseeing the day after treatment?

    Gentle walking is encouraged, so a relaxed stroll is usually fine. Avoid strenuous activity, long periods standing still, hot baths and saunas at first. Follow the specific advice you are given at discharge. See recovery tourism in Busan.

  • Do I need a companion on treatment day?

    A guardian is not required. Many patients come alone and walk out the same day. If you would like someone with you, visiting hours on the ward are 09:00–16:00. Your coordinator will be there to interpret.

About this page

Clinical information: LEDAS Varicose Vein Clinic, led by Dr. Kim Byoung Joon , thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon, founding member of the Korean Society for Phlebology.
Medical reviewer: Dr. Kim Byoung Joon · Review status: Pending · Last updated: October 2026
This page is general information and not a diagnosis. Treatment is decided only after an in-person examination. Read our editorial policy .

Related: International patient center · Hospitalization & ward stay · How many days in Korea? · Same-day discharge · What to wear and bring

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