삼성서울병원

SMC's stroke center consists of a team of doctors specializing in stroke from various departments of the same medical field of study; such as neurology, neurosurgery, radiology and rehabilitation, as well as trained nurses. In our unit we operate a STAT system that runs 24/7 for acute stroke management in a timely manner. Our active treatment strategy is responsible for more than 50 cases of thrombolysis annually; an extremely successful set of results. Research from the stroke center is published in more than 20 well regarded local and international journals annually.

SMC's headache clinic seeks to help patients suffering from headaches, one of the most common neurological disorders. Headaches requires more than over-the-counter pain killers which are only capable of momentary relief of pain; an accurate diagnosis to plan a strategy for treatment is a must to prevent recurrence. We approach our patients with a multi modal system consisting of examinations of the patient's medical history, physical and neurological state, and the nature of the headache through questionnaires, TCD, brain imaging, brain CT, brain MRI and brain MRA. Our headache clinic collaborates with other departments; internal medicine, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, neurosurgery and rehabilitation for any further consultations needed.

SMC's epilepsy clinic manages patients for any medical, surgical, and social issues related to epilepsy. Our epilepsy clinic is of great renown for epilepsy surgery and its outstanding surgical outcomes. We have 5 Video-EEG monitoring units, which are under the supervision of 10 epilepsy specialists, psychologists, brain imaging specialists, and brainwave analysts along with trained nurses and technicians. Brain imaging and EEG analysis is helpful for precise localization of epileptic focus, and we have gained reputation for such analsyis in SISCOM, MRI lesion rendering, Curry analysis with Brainsight and High frequency Oscillation. We perform over 70 cases of epilepsy surgery and 20 vagus nerve stimulation procedures for intractable epilepsy annually with a success rate as high as 80%. We participate in about 10 international clinical drug research projects every year, and have led many groundbreaking and innovative drug tests.

SMC's sleep clinic was established to care emerging societal concerns related to sleeping disorders. We have 6 well furnished polysomnography rooms with 6 sleep disorder specialists, psychologists, and well-trained nurses and technicians. Annually, we perform over 1,400 polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests. Sleep apnea, the most well known sleeping disorder, has been successfully treated with continous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. And other sleeping disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, parasomnias, and circadian rhythm disorders have been approached with advanced medication and biofeedback as well as cognitive behavioral therapy.

The Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology and dementia Clinic is composed of neurology specialists, psychologists, and language therapists. We deal with a variety of cognitive problems, from mild memory and language problems to Alzheimer's disease, vascular and other dementias. Initial evaluation at our clinic includes a detailed examination of medical history and complete examination by a specialist in cognitive neurology. Most patients then undertake a comprehensive set of cognitive and laboratory tests, and brain imaging scans. The results from these studies are reviewed, and after diagnosis, a systematic treatment plan is formulated and implemented.

SMC's movement disorder clinic deals with hypokinetic or hyperkinetic movement disorders. Parkinson's disease is the most well known of all these disorders. It is characterized by progressive of slowing of movement, gait disturbance, and tremor. Movement disorders are disabling because they inhibit voluntary movement and are accompanied by involuntary movements. These movement disorders, mostly long standing with a slowly deteriorating course, need lifelong care. Based on our extensive clinical experience, we mange patients through medical treatment along with surgical treatment such as the deep brain stimulation for those indicated, along with other professional and comprehensive customized care which can improve our patients' quality of life.

SMC's Neuromuscular Disorder Clinic diagnoses and treats diseases that considered rare and almost incurable, including peripheral neuropathy, muscular disease, myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. Initial evaluation of a patient suspected to have a neuromuscular disorder begins with a detailed examination of the patient's medical history along with physical and neurological examinations conducted by neuromuscular disorder specialists. Moreover, we perform nerve conduction tests and electromyograms on the patient to ensure accurate evaluation of the medical condition; which we conduct for over 2,500 cases annually. Considering the relatively rare prevalence of most of the neuromuscular diseases, we would like to emphasize our diverse clinical experience and active research involvement in international clinical drug research, which is what leads to our sharp and accurate clinical diagnosis and corresponding treatment.