Choi will join Chung-Ang University Hospital after retiring from Yonsei University College of Medicine and will begin seeing patients in September, the hospital said Aug. 13.
Choi is a renowned prostate cancer robotic surgeon who previously served as chief of the Department of Urology at Severance Hospital, professor and chair of the Department of Urology at Yonsei University College of Medicine, director of the Urologic Cancer Center at Yonsei Cancer Center and director of the Robotic and Endoscopic Surgery Center at Severance Hospital.
Since beginning robotic surgery in 2005, Choi has accumulated more than 20 years of clinical experience in robotic surgery for prostate and other urologic cancers.
As of this month, he has performed 7,205 robotic surgeries for urologic cancers, including prostate, kidney, ureter and bladder cancers. Of those, 6,534 were robotic prostate cancer surgeries.
He has advanced complex robotic surgery techniques, including an extraperitoneal approach that accesses the prostate without opening the peritoneal cavity, as well as techniques that precisely remove cancerous tissue while preserving normal structures such as the urethra, nerves and blood vessels as much as possible.
He is regarded as a leading expert in personalized robotic surgery that considers not only cancer treatment but also patients’ quality of life, including urinary and sexual function following surgery.
The hospital plans to use the recruitment to strengthen its surgical capabilities for prostate and other complex urologic cancers and further develop a personalized treatment system by combining Choi’s clinical experience with the expertise of its existing medical staff.
To strengthen its specialized services, Choi will focus on diagnosing suspected prostate cancer and performing robotic surgery for prostate cancer.
“I will do my best to provide the optimal treatment for prostate cancer patients who come to Chung-Ang University Hospital,” Choi said.
Meanwhile, Chung-Ang University Hospital, located in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, is the only university hospital and tertiary general hospital serving the Dongjak, Gwanak and Geumcheon areas and provides treatment for severe emergency conditions across southwestern Seoul.