History of Asklepion

1994
MUDr. Roman Smucler (25) devised a project for the Asklepion laser centre. He drew this up and began to look for investors. The plan seemed too bold for anyone’s liking.

1996
Union Banka provided Asklepion with a loan. MUDr. R. Smucler and the MediCom Company, dealing in the production of lasers, established Asklepion – Lasercentrum s.r.o. on 22 June. They underwent a short-term attachment in the USA at the CSCC centre in Boston and brought back the first lasers – Sclero Plus and AlexLAZR, the first of its kind in Central Europe. “For the time being, everything is only on paper, we don’t have a building or surgery, only energy and enthusiasm and in return for this debts of CZK 14 million.” The first patient was treated using the new lasers on 27 December in provisional rooms at the 1st Stomatological Clinic at the General Teaching Hospital.

1997
Asklepion signed a contract on cooperation with the General Teaching Hospital in Prague. The first campaign is set in motion with a budget of CZK 35,000.00 and on 25 February, the completely renovated rooms at Ke Karlovu 13 are opened in Prague 2 with one doctor, one nurse and one manager.
March – Cosmetology was added to the services using the Orlane Paris brand
April – Asklepion participated in the development of the Czech erbio laser for dermatology, and the first one manufactured was set into operation here. Asklepion became the first Czech training centre for the application of lasers in dermatology and cosmetology.
September – the number of employees had doubled. Asklepion began using lasers in ORL and was the first to introduce a laser operation for snoring in the Czech Republic. A branch was opened in Karlovy Vary.

1998
The Asklepion – Trade, s. r. o., trading company was created as well as Asklepion – Enterprises, s. r. o., manufacturing division, which for example began to produce Le Masque de Laser Asklepio.
January – The first work by Asklepion was published in the USA
February – Asklepion was the first in the Czech Republic to introduce the epilation laser.
September – Asklepion opened a stomatology department in Prague.
Autumn – Asklepion became a pioneer in the use of botulotoxins in cosmetology. From project to opening, Asklepion established their own centre for Lázne Teplice, a.s..

1999
MUDr. R. Smucler was elected member of the International Committee of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery in Orlando, USA and gained the status of Fellow, the first person to do so east of Germany.
June – Asklepion established a branch in Ostrava.
September – Asklepion began to loan lasers to tens of surgeries throughout the Czech Republic.

2000
Prof. MUDr. Bohutová, DrSc., performed the first laser operation on discs.

2001
Asklepion was the first in the Czech Republic to begin offering laser whitening of the teeth. The branch in Karlovy Vary was expanded to double the origin size and Asklepion Mariánské Lázne was established.
August – Asklepion was the first in the Czech Republic to perform laser rejuvenation of the skin using a Smoothbeam laser.

2002
At the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery in New Orleans three lectures were accepted from.
May – Asklepion gained commercial representation for Ellipse /DDD/ equipment.
August - Asklepion began with digital diagnostics of melanoma using DermoGenius equipment.
September – Asklepion gained the rights to the first approved medicine for photodynamic therapy, Photofrin /QLT/ and enters its 7th season with 38 in-house employees and 15 permanent co-workers, i.e. as one of the largest companies of its type in the world.
November – Asklepion is the first in the Czech Republic to gain rights to implementation of IMTEC dental mini-implants.
December – The company participated in the establishment of a laser centre in Moldavia.

2003
January – Asklepion won representation for the sale of surgical laser diodes /Intermedic/.
April – Asklepion is the first in the Czech Republic to introduce laser acne treatment.
October – The 100,000th client was treated.
November – Asklepion extended its services to include plastic surgery. MUDr. R. Smucler, CSc., was named European Delegate of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

2004
April – Asklepion invented a method of removing varicose veins using a laser diode.
May – Expansion of the branches in Mariánské Lázne to include another operation in Hotel Nové Lázne.
September – MUDr. R. Smucler signed a contract with the development company Orco Group for renovation of the building located at Londýnská 39 in Prague 2 for growth of Asklepion into the Clinic and Institute of Aesthetic Medicine.

2005
Asklepion fully focused itself on preparations for equipping and providing for the new Clinic, which was to become the largest of its kind in Central Europe, not only in terms of its floor space of 3,500 m2, but above all with its complex of departments. The clinic was extended to include a dental laboratory, the department of preventative and anti-aging medicine was established and the use of photodynamic therapy was commenced. The branch in Karlovy Vary was extended to include gastroenterology and also into other hotels. Asklepion moved to Londýnská 39 in September, had almost 150 employees and co-workers and more than 200,000 clients treated over the course of its history so far.

2006
June – The 250,000th client was treated in Asklepion.
September – Asklepion – Clinic and Institute of Aesthetic Medicine celebrated its first year of existence.