✨ Behind the Surgery: The Story of Glandular Repositioning ✨
🩺 A conversation with Dr. KIM JAE WOO from The Plastic Surgery Clinic
Q: “Doctor, when you perform breast reduction or
lift surgeries, is the ‘glandular repositioning’ or
‘double glandular repositioning’ technique
something you personally developed?”
👨⚕️ A: Oh no, not at all! I wasn’t the first to do it.
I also learned it from someone else.
Back when I was a resident, I saw one of my professors using this technique after reading a research paper.
At the time, to be honest… it didn’t leave much of a strong impression on me.
🤔 But once I became a board-certified surgeon and revisited it, something clicked.
I thought:
“Wow, this is actually a brilliant technique.”
💡 That moment inspired me to incorporate it more into my own practice.
So yes—while I’ve done it a lot, I definitely didn’t invent it.
📚 So… where did the name come from?
You might be surprised to hear this:
The term ‘glandular repositioning’ isn’t from a textbook or journal.
In fact, surgical papers often use many different names for the same technique—most of them in English and quite technical.
🗣️ I came up with this term myself, in Korean,
to help patients better understand what the surgery involves.
It’s not about claiming it as “my invention”—
it’s simply about clarity.
💬 PD: “But some clinics name the same technique differently and even apply for patents. What do you think about that?”
👨⚕️ “Ah… yes, the topic of patents.”
Personally, I think of it as a philosophical issue.
When it comes to medical knowledge and surgical techniques,
I believe they should be shared—not owned.
🔍 From what I know, surgical procedures themselves
usually can’t be patented—
maybe just the name.
But proving who created a surgical technique is difficult…
and I’m not really interested in that.
🔄 Instead of filing for patents, my mindset is this:
“Let’s share this knowledge so more patients can benefit.”
That’s why I present at medical conferences,
why I’m preparing to publish papers,
and why I always focus on patient education.
💖 For me, medicine is about service—not ownership.
These techniques aren’t just mine—they come from years of learning, practice, and shared wisdom.
So rather than keeping them to myself…
I want to make them available to everyone who needs them.
📌 That’s my personal philosophy as a surgeon.
Let’s keep evolving—and sharing—for our patients 💫
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