Myongji Hospital said Thursday that it has officially opened the “MJ Thyroid Center,” marking the start of full-scale operations and strengthening its expertise in thyroid diseases and robotic surgery.

The MJ Thyroid Center was separated from the existing Breast and Thyroid Center and reorganized as an independent facility specializing exclusively in thyroid care.

According to Myongji Hospital, the center offers highly effective robotic surgery that also considers cosmetic outcomes, such as minimizing post-surgical scarring. To this end, the center offers various options, from the Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach (BABA) to the Trans-Oral Robotic Thyroidectomy (TORT), which is performed through the inside of the lip.

TORT is an advanced approach available at only a few hospitals in Korea. It is particularly beneficial for women who wish to avoid visible scarring or who have undergone breast augmentation, which can make armpit-based thyroid surgery challenging.

Professor Kim Jung-soo, an authority on robotic thyroid surgery who started practicing this month, will help improve the quality of robotic surgery and strengthen the center's capabilities. Kim is an expert with over 30 years of experience in treating thyroid diseases and extensive knowledge of robotic surgery, gained at the Catholic University of Korea’s Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital.

He also served as president of the Korean Association of Endocrine Surgeons and vice president of the Korean Thyroid Association.

In addition, the center plans to enhance patient satisfaction throughout the treatment process by providing a one-stop system for quick examination, diagnosis, and treatment, strengthening the multidisciplinary consultation system, and operating a customized post-operative follow-up program.

“The launch of the center, which specializes in thyroid diseases, will allow us to provide patients with more specialized treatment and robotic surgery,” said Kim Wan-sung, director of the center. “Together with the center's medical staff, we will strive to become the leading thyroid center in northern Gyeonggi Province.”