Dongtan City Hospital Recruits Renowned Spine Surgery Expert Professor Kim Gitaek for Complex Procedures

Dongtan City Hospital is accelerating efforts to enhance the expertise and capabilities in spinal disease treatment by inviting Professor Kim Gi-taek, a world-renowned authority in spinal treatment, as Honorary Director on September 5th, aiming to provide even higher quality medical services.

Honorary Director Kim Gi-taek is a master of high-difficulty spinal surgeries. Since 1994, he has performed 350 surgeries annually, including deformity surgeries for conditions such as herniated discs, scoliosis, and ankylosing spondylitis. As of 2020, he has conducted over 8,000 surgeries, including complex procedures like spinal fusion, vertebroplasty, and spinal deformity fixation. Several of his surgical cases have been published multiple times in the prestigious international journal 'SPINE.'

Notably, in 2010, he performed a remarkable surgery over seven months on a patient with ankylosing spondylitis spinal deformity who was severely hunched and unable to see forward, enabling near-normal walking. He is also a recognized expert who has appeared five times on EBS's 'Myung-ui' series, including '15 Years of Expertise - Tackling Back Pain' and 'Legendary Surgeons 10.'

Honorary Director Kim Gi-taek earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Kyung Hee University College of Medicine. He served as a spinal orthopedic fellow at Seoul National University College of Medicine, director of the Spine Center, orthopedic director, planning and medical affairs director, and cooperative medical treatment director at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital. In 2015, he was appointed director of Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital. From 2018 until June 2022, he concurrently held the positions of director of Kyung Hee Medical Center and vice president of Kyung Hee University. Recently, in November 2021, he was elected as the next president of the Korean Orthopedic Association.

Honorary Director Kim Gi-taek draws additional attention due to his alumni and mentor-mentee relationship with Dongtan City Hospital Director Shin Jae-heung, both graduates of Kyung Hee University. Director Shin stated, “It is an honor to invite my respected mentor and a world authority in the spinal field, Honorary Director Kim Gi-taek. We will further strengthen our clinical capabilities and expertise in spinal diseases such as senile spinal disorders, chronic spinal diseases, spinal stenosis, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis, aiming to play a central role in spinal treatment and contribute to the health promotion of the local community.”

Meanwhile, Dongtan City Hospital has established departments including spinal and joint orthopedics, neurosurgery, general surgery, rehabilitation medicine, internal medicine, family medicine, radiology, anesthesiology and pain medicine, and a health screening center, providing high-quality medical services through collaborative treatment. The hospital also runs a knee joint replacement surgery support program in partnership with the Elderly Medical Sharing Foundation, conducts a posture correction campaign with Hwaseong City to realize a “Child-Friendly Hwaseong City,” and leads efforts in supporting mask donations to overcome COVID-19, striving to fulfill its mission as a local medical institution.