Mokpo Hanguk Hospital Becomes First Regional Medical Institution Certified for Bariatric Metabolic Surgery

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Ki-dong] Mokpo Hanguk Hospital announced on the 24th that it obtained the qualification of the first 'Certified Medical Institution for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery' in the Honam region on the 20th of last month.

The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Certification System is a program designed to enhance the quality and safety of metabolic and bariatric surgery and to gain public trust, with certification granted by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society.

To receive institutional certification, it is necessary to have certified metabolic and bariatric surgeons with extensive experience and specialized training in metabolic and bariatric surgery, and to have accumulated more than 100 successful surgical cases.

Additionally, a specialized metabolic and bariatric surgery coordinator and clinical evaluators must be appointed, and patient education programs must be operated. Strict facility standards must also be met, including specialized equipment optimized for bariatric surgery, intensive care units, endoscopy rooms, and interventional radiology facilities.

Since opening the first Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center in the Honam region in May last year, Mokpo Hanguk Hospital has mainly performed 'sleeve gastrectomy,' specialized for severely obese patients, and 'gastric bypass surgery,' effective for improving type 2 diabetes. The accumulated number of surgeries has already surpassed 200 cases. The average hospital stay for patients is about 3 nights and 4 days, and surgeries are performed laparoscopically, allowing for faster recovery.

Dr. Lee Seong-bae, head of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Department at Mokpo Hanguk Hospital, stated, "Patients with severe obesity and diabetes who did not improve with medical treatment have succeeded in weight loss through surgical methods, and accompanying metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and sleep apnea have dramatically improved." He added, "As a certified institution for metabolic and bariatric surgery, we will continue to lead the improvement of quality of life for severely obese patients through safe and highly effective surgeries."