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• About Wooridul
  • Greetings
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  • History
  • Wooridul News
  • Real Stories from Patients & Doctors
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• Clinical Excellence
  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery & Causal Treatment
  • 5 Stages of Diagnostic Examinations
  • 8 Stages of Spine Treatments
  • Team Surgery System
• Medical Treatment
  • Spine Specialists
  • Lower Back (Lumbar)
  • Neck (Cervical)
  • Middle Back (Thoracic)
  • Self Exercises
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• Wooridul R&D Center
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History

• 2020~Today
• 2010~2019
• 2000~2009
• 1980~1999

2020~Today

• 2020~Today
• 2010~2019
• 2000~2009
• 1980~1999

• 2024
  
  • Selected 'World's Best Smart Hospitals 2025' by Newsweek
  • Held the 9th Spine Health Academy
  • Held the 8th Spine Health Academy
  • Acquired certificate of medical institution from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (4th)
  • Acquired 'Spine Specialty Hospital' by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare 5 times in a row
• 2023
  
  • Selected 'World's Best Smart Hospitals 2024' by Newsweek
  • Held the 7th Spine Health Academy
  • Held the 6th Spine Health Academy
  • Published medical textbook ≪Transforaminal Endoscopy for Lumbar Spine≫ (Spriger)
  • The 110th International Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery(MISS) course
• 2022
  
  • Opened 'SH Center' in Cheongdam Wooridul Spine Hospital
  • Selected ‘World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2023’ by Newsweek
  • Dr. Junseok Bae, the president of Cheongdam Wooridul Spine Hospital, - received 'The Parviz Kambin Award, 2022'
  • The 40th Anniversary of Wooridul Spine Hospital & the 5th of Spine Health Academy
  • The 106th International Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery(MISS) course
• 2021
  
  • Held the 4th Spine Health Academy
  • Published medical textbook ≪Laser spine surgery≫ (Spriger)
  • Selected ‘World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2021’ by Newsweek
  • Acquired 'Spine Specialty Hospital' by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare 4 times in a row
  • Published medical textbook for thoracic spine ≪Minimally invasive thoracic spine surgery≫ (Springer)
  • Built MISS Course & Virtual Opearting System
  • Held the 103rd On-Line MISS Course (Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Course) Live Surgery
  • Published The Journal of Wooridul FTC(Friday Grand Tele-Conference)
• 2020
  • Held Dr. Sang Ho Lee's nationwide book concert tour
  • Held the 3rd Spine Health Academy
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, designated as faculty member of ESPINEA under the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in UK
  • Acquired certificate of medical institution from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (3th)

• 2019
  
  • Selected 'Top 10 Medical Tourism Destinations in the World 2018' by MTA
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, received 'The Parviz Kambin Award Gold', the best honored prize
  • Published medical textbook ≪Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery≫ (JP Medical)
  • Published autobiography of Dr. Sang Ho Lee ≪Patient is myself and my family≫
  • Held the 2nd Spine Health Academy
  • Held the symposium in celebration of the 100th MISS Course (Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Course)
  • Held the 1st Spine Health Academy
  • Estabilished Wooridul History Gallery
• 2018
  • Acquired certificate of medical institution from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (3rd)
  • Acquired 'Spine Specialty Hospital' by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare 3 times in a row
  • Awarded grand prize in 《Global Healthcare》 organized by Edaily
  • Edited USA medical textbook ≪Endoscopic Spine Surgery - 2nd Edition≫
  • Published Englend medical textbook ≪Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery: Principles and Evidence-based Practice≫ 8 chapters
• 2017
  • USA added new medical insurance code for endoscopic decompression developed by Wooridul
  • Awarded 'the Minister's Prize' at 2017 Medical Healthcare
• 2016
  
  • Selected as the ‘Top 30 Most Technologically Advanced Hospital’ by Top Master’s in Healthcare Administration(MHA)
  • Awarded 'the Minister's Prize' at 2016 Medical Healthcare
• 2015
  
  • Acquired certificate of medical institution from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (2nd)
  • Acquired 'Spine Specialty Hospital' by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare 2 times in a row
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, received 'The Parviz Kambin Award, 2015' as the first Asian winner
• 2014
  
  • Selected as 'Top 10 World's Best Hospital for Medical Tourists' organized by MTQUA for the four consecutive years
  • Dr. Sang Ho Lee, awarded grand prize in 《Global Healthcare》 organized by Edaily
  • Awarded '2014 Customer Happy Life Brand Awards' organized by FORTUNE KOREA
  • Published a book 《Minimax spinal procedure》
  • Signed MOU with UAE Armed Forces for healthcare service
• 2013
  • Selected as 'Top 10 World's Best Hospital for Medical Tourists' organized by MTQUA for the three consecutive years
  • Signed franchise MOU with Jeonju Wooridul Hospital
  • Dr. Sang Ho Lee, awarded grand prize in 《Health internationalize Overseas Award》 organized by Health Chosun Medical 2013’
  • Dr. Sang Ho Lee appointed the president of Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery
  • Signed MOU with Medtronic on the establishment of education center for spinal treatment, which is the first in Asia
  • Compiled ≪Endoscopic Spinal Surgery≫ standard English textbook
  • Published 《Endoscopic Spinal Procedure》 translated into Portuguese: ≪Procedimentos endoscópicos da coluna vertebral≫
  • Published 《Endoscopic Spinal Procedure》 translated into Spanish: ≪Procedimientos endoscópicos de la columna vertebral≫
  • Published 《Endoscopic Spinal Procedure》 translated into Chinese: ≪脊柱内镜手术技巧与演示≫
• 2012
  • Opened Gangbuk Wooridul Hospital
  • Signed franchise MOU with Gwangju and Gwangju Bukgu Wooridul Hospital
  • Opened ‘Wooridul Spine Health Pte Ltd’ in Singapore, which is main office of Global Wooridul Hospital Network
  • Held the 30th anniversary of opening Wooridul Hospital
  • Selected as 'Top 10 World's Best Hospital for Medical Tourists' organized by MTQUA for the two consecutive years
  • Acquired certificate of medical institution from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (1st)
  • Dr. Sang Ho Lee, appointed chairman of Korean Institute of Hospital Management
  • Published 《Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery and Technique》 translated into English
• 2011
  • Opened Pohang Wooridul Hospital
  • Opened Istanbul Wooridul Hospital
  • Opened Dubai Wooridul Hospital
  • Acquired Specialty Hospital for Spine by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, elected to president at The International Society for Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery
  • Dr. Sang Ho Lee awarded grand prize Handok Academic Management Award
  • Opend Geriatric Spine Clinic / Interventional Treatment Clinic
  • Published a book 《Trim Disc Not Remove》
  • Published a book ≪Good Posture and Exercise for Patients with Spinal Disc Disease≫
  • Published e-books 《Good Posture and Exercise for Patients with Spinal Disc Disease》 & 《Endoscopic Lumbar Disc Procedure, Protecting Normal Tissue》
  • Dr. Sang Ho Lee appointed as the president of ISMISS(The International Society for Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery)
  • Published USA medical textbook ≪Endoscopic Spine Procedures≫
• 2010
  
  • Acquired A's for all 11 criteria of Medical Institution Evaluation of the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare for two consecutive years
  • Selected as one of World's Top 10 Hospitals for Medical Tourists by the U.S. Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA)
  • Wooridul International Spine Hospital - Jakarta opened in Indonesia
  • Acquired the nation's first specialty hospital certified by JCI
  • Published 《Good Posture and Exercise for Patients with Spinal Disc Disease》
  • Published 《Endoscopic Lumbar Disc Procedure, Protecting Normal Tissue》

• 2009
  • Opend Shanghai Wooridul Hospital
  • Awarded the 2009 Korea Global Medical Marketing Award
  • Awarded 'the Medical Tourism Transparency Award' of Healthtourism.com, the U.S.-based medical tourism evaluator
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, awarded the Plaque of Lifelong Appreciation by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.
  • Busan Wooridul Hospital selected as the 'Frontier of Busan Strategic Industries.'
• 2008
  
  • Expanded Gimpo Airport Wooridul Hospital
  • Started joint, cyber knife spine cancer treatment
  • Selected as one of the Best International Hospitals in the World by the U.S. Medical Tourism Association (MTA)
  • Wooridul Hospital highlighted by the New York Times
  • Founded the Journal of Critical Spine Case (JCSC)
  • Signed global partnership contract with AIG International
  • Published ≪The textbook of Spine≫ 3 chapters
• 2007
  
  • Published a book ≪Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Technique≫
  • Opened Daegu Wooridul Hospital
  • Opened Non-surgery Spine General Center at Dongrae Wooridul Hospital (Nangmin-dong, Busan)
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, achieved the first prize “2007 Korean economic readers” in R&D management
  • Achieved all A in hospital evaluation surveys by Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and selected an excellent hospital
  • Signed global partnership contract with worldwide insurance company ‘HTH World Wide Co. (USA)’and ‘Venbreda International Co. (Belgium)’
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, appointed as president at International Intradiscal Therapy Society (IITS) (2007 ~ 2008)
  • Estabilished endoscopic surgery technique for Carpal tunnel Syndrome
  • Published a Turkish medical textbook ≪Dejeneratif Omurga Hastaliklari≫ 4 chapters
• 2006
  
  • Opened Busan Wooridul Hospital Oncheon-dong
  • Opened Wooridul International Patient Center (WIPC)
  • 'Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy' selected the best article by the academy of American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
  • Selected as the hospital with low antibiotic prescriptions announced by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, appointed as president at World Congress of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery & Techniques (WCMISST)
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, The Korea Neurosurgical Society Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon branch president assumption
  • Published a US medical textbook ≪Dynamic Reconstruction of the Spine≫ 3 chapters
• 2005
  
  • Opened Non-surgery Spine General Center at Cheongdam Wooridul Spine Hospital
  • Winning a prize of Asian Hospital Management Awards ‘Human Resources Development’ section for the first time in Korea
  • Developed WSH Lumbar cage
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, appointed as president at International Musculoskeletal Laser Society (IMLAS)
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, appointed as president at International Musculoskeletal Laser Society Korea (IMLAS Korea)
  • Selected as the specialty hospital in spine diseases by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • Published the first CT guide journal article
  • Published a US medical textbook ≪The Practice of Minimally Invasive Spinal Technique≫ 7 chapters
• 2004
  • Opened Gimpo Airport Wooridul Hospital
  • Estabilished Soft Stabilization
  • Estabilished a non-blood transfusion with the minimally invasive crew fixation
  • Developed WSH cervical endoscopy set for cervical soft disc herniation
  • Developed 3D medical image viewer program
  • Opened Spine Health Screening & Promotion Center
  • Established digital operating system
  • Adopted spine stabilization machine: Centaur for the first in Korea
  • Chairman, Sang Ho Lee, appointed as president at Asian Academy of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery
  • Adopted international Tele-Conference system
  • Published a US medical textbook ≪Lasers in the Musculoskeletal System - Percutaneous cervical discectomy with endoscopic laser≫ chapter
• 2003
  • Launched interantional Fellowship Course
  • Estabilished Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion with Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation
  • Estabilished Cervical Discectomy using high-resolution endoscope
  • Estabilished Unilateral Hemilaminectomy for Intraspinal Tumors
  • Published a french medical textbook ≪Surgical Techniques in Orthopaedics and Traumatology-Percutaneous cervical discectomy≫ chapter
• 2002
  
  • Estabilished and developed Percutaneous Endoscopic Cervical Discectomy and Stabilization
  • Estabilished and developed Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation instrument and screw development
  • Designated as international training center and Korea branch of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons (RCPS)
  • The 4th International Workshop for Mini-ALIF
  • The 5th International Workshop for Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy (PELD)
• 2001
  
  • Published a UK medical textbook ≪Lasers in the Musculoskeletal System-Percutaneous cervical discectomy with endoscopic laser≫ chapter
  • Estabilished CT-Guided Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy, Spinal Root Block, and Lumbar Discography
  • Developed spondylolisthesis surgery without laminectomy and instrument
  • Designated as international training center of ISMISS
  • Designated as international training center of IMLAS
  • Designated as Korea branch and training center of AAMISMS
  • Held the 1st Spine Total Care Congress
  • Estabilished the nation's first CT-image Guide spinal Micro-Therapy
• 2000
  • Launched Interantional Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Course (MISS Course)
  • Published a German medical textbook ≪Minimal-invasive Verfahren in der Orthopädie und Traumatologie - Perkutane endoskopische diskotomie der halswirbelsaule≫ chapter
  • Estabilished Percutaneous Lumbar Facet Screw Fixation(PPF) surgery
  • Opened Gyrotonic Expansion System Exercise Center
  • Developed PECD and PELD instrument by our own (Medsys Co., Belgium, WSH Canual, Wooridul Forcep)
  • Adopted Picture archiving and communication system (PACS)
  • Started Saturday Conference with network hospitals

• 1999
  
  • Founded Cheongdam Wooridul Spine Hospital (Headquarters)
  • Opend Spine Total Care Center
  • Estabilished Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Lumbar Degenerative Kyphosis (LDK)
  • Estabilished Retroperitoneal Endoscopic Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion
  • Adopted Order Communication System and Electric Medical Record
  • Published a book ≪Neck Disk≫
• 1998
  • Published a book ≪Back Disk≫
  • Established the world's first transfusion-free Anterior Approach in a spinal fusion. (ALIF)
• 1997
  • Success of Computer Assisted Image-Guided Spinal Navigation Surgery for the first time in Korea
  • Success of Thoracoscopic Spine Surgery for the first time in Korea
• 1996
  • Estabilished diagnosis and treatment of Degenrative Disc Disease (DDD) & Internal Disc Derangement (IDD)
  • Estabilished the Asian first Laparoscopic Lumbosacral Interbody fusion
• 1995
  • Estabilished Open Laser Assisted removal of Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament of Cervical Spine
  • Estabilished Minimally Invasive Anterior Lumbar Discectomy and Interbody Fusion for the first time in Korea
• 1994
  
  • Estabilished Percutaneous Endoscopic Laser-assisted Cervical Discectomy (PECD)
• 1993
  • Held the Asian first endoscope spine disk surgery world congress on the subject of “A new future of spine disk operation”
• 1992
  
  • Founded Yeoksam Wooridul Hospital
  • Opend the nation's first spine health center (Adopted the nation's first MedX Spine Health Strengthening System)
  • Estabilished Percutaneous Endoscopic Laser-assisted Lumbar Discectomy (PELD)
• 1991
  • Thesis of Open Laser-assisted Lumbar Micro discectomy (OLM)
• 1990
  • Introduced the nation's first Automated Open Lumbar Discectomy(AOLD)
• 1989
  
  • Published a spine health book
  • Estabilished minimally invasive disc 자동 흡입술
• 1988
  • Estabilished minimally invasive spinal fusion with screw fixation
• 1986
  • Achieved the world first spine specialty hospital
• 1984
  • Opened Dongrae Wooridul Hospital
• 1982
  
  • Founded Sangho Lee Neurosurgery Clinic