Surgical & cosmetic gynecology · Gangnam, Seoul · Since 2000
Reconstructive gynecology, done with your own tissue.
Somssi Women's Clinic repairs vaginal laxity, uterine prolapse and labial concerns with techniques Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, has refined and published over 25 years. No mesh, no implants, same-day discharge, and English-speaking care for patients from around the world.
Since 2000
Founded in Gangnam, Seoul
MD, PhD
Catholic University of Korea
MOHW-registered
for international patients
Who we are
A specialist clinic for the problems many clinics refer away
Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD. We focus on one thing: restoring the structure and function of the vagina, pelvic floor and vulva after childbirth, aging, menopause or an earlier surgery that did not go to plan.
That means posterior colporrhaphy vaginoplasty that starts deep at the cervix rather than at the opening, uterine prolapse repair that keeps the uterus , labiaplasty designed around normal anatomy, and removal of fillers and implants followed by reconstruction with your own tissue.
Dr. Yoon measured and published the effect of this surgery on women's sexual function in 2005, long before it was fashionable, and has presented the clinic's results at sexual-medicine congresses in Europe, North America and Australia. Every nurse on our team is a registered nurse. Every plan starts with measurement, not a sales pitch.
Treatments
What we treat, and how
Each page explains the procedure, who it suits, anesthesia, recovery and the honest risks, the way Dr. Yoon explains it in consultation.
Flagship procedure
Vaginoplasty (posterior colporrhaphy)
Tightening that begins at the posterior fornix, lifts the uterus, thickens the back wall by 2–3 cm with your own tissue and restores the pelvic floor. About an hour, home the same day.
Volume & contour
Labia majora surgery
Reduction of lax, wrinkled outer labia, or restoration of lost volume with your own fat. About an hour; intercourse after roughly four weeks.
Keep your uterus
Uterine & pelvic organ prolapse repair
Hysteropexy, cul-de-sac closure and native-tissue vaginal repair for a descended uterus, cystocele or rectocele, without mesh and in most cases without hysterectomy.
Revision & removal
Vaginal filler removal & revision surgery
Lumps, migration or pain after filler or implants elsewhere; over-tight openings or loose interiors after a previous vaginoplasty. We remove, then rebuild with your own tissue.
Shape & comfort
Labiaplasty
Labia minora reduction designed to normal size first, with trim or wedge technique, nerve-sparing dissection and absorbable micro-sutures. 40–60 minutes under local or light sedation.
Private & discreet
Hymenoplasty
A short, confidential procedure under local anesthesia or sedation, with same-day discharge and clear, honest counselling about what it can and cannot guarantee.
The Somssi method
Minimum surgical scope, maximum structural repair
Most vaginal tightening starts at the opening and stops halfway. Ours starts at the posterior fornix, in front of the cervix, and works outward, because laxity and prolapse begin deep inside.
- Measure first. Vaginal length, width, wall thickness and pelvic floor strength are assessed and photographed before any plan is made.
- Hysteropexy and cul-de-sac closure. A descended uterus is lifted and fixed by its own supporting tissue; the deep pouch that lets organs drop is closed.
- Mucosal peeling under 1 mm. With micro ophthalmic instruments, the lining of the back wall is lifted, not cut, so nerves and blood supply stay where they belong.
- Two-layer suturing. Pelvic floor muscle is gathered first, then the mucosa is folded and closed in a fusiform pattern, creating a thicker, ridged back wall that does not stretch back.
- Figure-8 pelvic floor strengthening at the opening and, where needed, perineal reconstruction.
The front wall, urethra and bladder are left alone. Surgery takes about an hour under sedation plus long-acting local anesthesia; you walk out the same day.
Your surgeon
Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD
Obstetrician-gynecologist, Catholic University of Korea. Founder and director of Somssi Women's Clinic since 2000, and one of the few surgeons who has measured and published what reconstructive vaginal surgery does for women's sexual function.
- MD, MS and PhD in obstetrics and gynecology; former outpatient professor, Catholic University of Korea
- 2005: colpoperineoplasty and female sexual function, Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- 2018: SCI-indexed paper on hypoactive sexual desire disorder in 217 Korean women, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Presented at ESSM (Vienna, Nice), WAS Sydney, ISSWSH San Diego and SMSNA
- Member, Korean Society of OB/GYN, Korean Society for Sexual Medicine, Korean Society of Urogynecology
International patients
Flying to Seoul for surgery? Here is how it works.
1. Consult before you fly
Send your history and concerns by email or KakaoTalk. English-speaking coordinators arrange a preliminary opinion so you travel with a plan.
2. Same-day discharge
Sedation plus long-acting local anesthesia means you walk out the day of surgery and rest at your hotel, not in a ward.
3. A short stay
Absorbable sutures and a check-up before you fly. Most patients plan 5–10 days in Seoul depending on the procedure, and follow up with us from home.
4. Easy to reach
7th floor, Sangkyung Building, 120 Teheran-ro: 100 m from Gangnam Station Exit 1, with hotels, pharmacies and cafes on the doorstep.
Patient guides
Honest answers before you decide
Over 100 plain-language guides, written and reviewed by our medical team, on recovery, safety, costs and the questions people are embarrassed to ask.
The clinic
A small, senior team in a calm, private space
Every member of our nursing staff is a registered nurse, many with years in university hospitals before joining Somssi. They call you after surgery, answer the questions you forgot to ask, and treat the emotional side of intimate surgery as seriously as the clinical side.
The clinic occupies the 7th floor of the Sangkyung Building on Teheran-ro, with its own consultation rooms, operating room and recovery lounge. Patients are seen one at a time; you will not share a waiting room with a crowd.
Questions
The things people ask first
Short answers here; longer ones on each treatment page and in the full FAQ.
Is surgery really done without a hospital stay?
Yes. Vaginoplasty, prolapse repair and labiaplasty are performed under sedation plus long-acting local anesthesia (or local alone if you prefer). You walk shortly after surgery and go home once you have urinated, usually the same afternoon. Medication is needed for about five days.
Do you use mesh, bands or implants?
No. Repairs are made with your own tissue. The clinic also removes fillers, implants and foreign material placed elsewhere and reconstructs with native tissue. See native tissue vaginal surgery.
Can uterine prolapse be treated without removing the uterus?
In many cases, yes. Hysteropexy lifts and fixes the uterus using its own supporting tissue, combined with cul-de-sac closure and posterior vaginal repair. Advanced prolapse may need a hospital-based approach, which we discuss honestly at consultation. Read more here.
How soon can I fly home and resume normal life?
Daily life and desk work resume within a day or two. We recommend a check-up before flying, typically 5–10 days after surgery depending on the procedure. Vigorous exercise waits six weeks and intercourse seven to eight weeks after vaginoplasty, two to three weeks after labiaplasty.
How much does it cost?
We do not publish prices because every plan is individual. After consultation you receive a written estimate covering surgery, anesthesia and follow-up. Costs in Korea are often lower than comparable specialist surgery in the US, UK or Australia. See what determines the cost.
Do you speak English?
Yes. Consultations are conducted in English with coordinator support, and written plans, estimates and aftercare instructions are provided in English. Patients also consult us from abroad before travelling. See the international patient guide.
Start here
Tell us what you are experiencing. We will tell you what can be done.
A consultation with Dr. Yoon includes examination, measurement and a written plan, and sometimes the advice that you do not need surgery at all. Private, unhurried, in English.
Somssi Women's Clinic · 7F Sangkyung Building, 120 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul · +82-2-575-1599 · Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 09:30–18:00
