Profile & Stone Surgery
Professor Sung Yong Cho, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Urology at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), where he directs the Urolithiasis and Prostate Clinic. As a globally recognized expert in minimally invasive surgery, he specializes in flexible ureteroscopy (including robot-assisted surgery), miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and endoscopic enucleation of the prostate. Beyond the operating room, Dr. Cho leads the Center for Medical Device Development Research at SNUH's Institute for Convergence Medicine and Innovative Technology (ICMIT). He is also the founder and President of AUSET (Asian Urological Society of Endoluminal Surgery & Technology) and serves as a Board Director and Regional Director (East/Southeast/Pacific Asia) for the Endourological Society, driving the future of global endourological standards. In July 2026, he joined the Editorial Board of the Journal of Endourology.
In the field of medical device innovation and digital healthcare transformation, Dr. Cho has spearheaded various usability engineering and R&D projects. He previously served as the President of the Korean Society of Medical Devices Usability (KoSMeDU) and currently serves as a Board Member of the Korean Society of Medical Robotics. By founding the CLUES society to foster academic-industrial synergy and managing Korean pavilions for Korean medical devices across Asia, Dr. Cho plays a pivotal role as a bridge connecting clinical practice with the healthcare industry.
Academic Achievements
• Doctor of Philosophy. Graduate School, Seoul National University
• Master’s Degree. Graduate School, Seoul National University
• Bachelor’s degree. Seoul National University College of Medicine
Professional Achievements
🩺 Clinical Practice, Surgical Expertise, & DB for Research
Dr. Sung Yong CHO is a professor of urology at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM). He specializes in urinary stone disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), ureteral strictures, and upper tract urothelial carcinoma. At SNUH, he directs the Specialized Endoluminal Endourology & Stone (SEES) Clinic and the Therapeutic Ultrasound & Laser Lab (EASYURO), focusing on minimally invasive and image-guided treatments. He is a recognized expert in:
· Endourology for stones: flexible ureteroscopy (f-URS), robot-assisted f-URS (ZamenixTM), supine/miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and Endoscopic Combined IntraRenal Surgery (ECIRS).
· Prostate surgery: Anatomical Endoscopic Enucleation of the Prostate (AEEP) using holmium laser (HoLEP) and bipolar techniques (BipoLEP/TUEB).
· Robot-assisted Reconstructive urology: repair of ureteral strictures.
He has represented Korea in the Asian Guidelines of Urolithiasis Panel (2019) in Urological Association of Asia (UAA) and has actively contributed through publications, lectures, and live surgical demonstrations at major international meetings.
⚙️ Medical Device, Research & International Collaboration
Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Cho plays a leading role in medical device development, usability evaluation, and international technology exchange.
· He directed the Usability Test Center (2020 Jul–2025 Apr) and currently leads the Center for Medical Device Development Research at ICMIT (Institute for Convergence Medicine and Innovative Technology), formerly part of SIMTRI.
· He has collaborated with KHIDI to direct the Korean Medical Device Pavilion, organizing international exhibitions such as the Korean Pavilion (Indonesia 2024; Taiwan 2025) and K-Med-Connect (KMC, Indonesia 2025).
· President of the Korean Society of Medical Devices Usability (KoSMeDU, Aug 2020~ Dec 2025) supported by KHIDI, and since 2025 serves on the board of the Korean Society of Medical Robotics.
Internationally, he is the founder and president of the Asian Urological Society of Endoluminal Surgery & Technology (AUSET, www.endoluminal.org) and the Endoluminal Technology Symposium (ETS), which became the official Asian Endourology Section of the Urological Association of Asia (UAA) in 2024. He also established CLUES (Society for Collaboration for the Leap of Uro-Endoluminal Surgeries) to further academic–industrial collaboration. In 2025, he became a Board of Director of the Endourological Society & Regional Director for East / Southeast / Pacific Asia of the Endourological Society (U.S.), the leading global governing body in endourology and minimally invasive urologic surgery (www.endourology.org ). Furthermore, in 2026, he was appointed to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Endourology (https://www.endourology.org/journals/journal-of-endourology).