Busan Middle School Student with 40cm Cut, Undergoes Surgery in Daejeon After 'Emergency Room Roundabout'

Sink Collapse Causes Back and Pelvic Cuts
Unable to Find Surgical Hospital in Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Area, Endures 'Round Trips'
3 Hours Travel... Surgery Performed at Daejeon Konyang University Hospital

Stock photo of an ambulance transfer unrelated to the article content. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

A middle school student in Busan suffered a cutting injury to his back and was transferred to Daejeon while searching for a hospital capable of performing emergency surgery.

According to Konyang University Hospital on the 10th, a teenage boy identified as A, residing in Busan, experienced an accident on the afternoon of the 6th while brushing his teeth in the bathroom at home when the washbasin suddenly collapsed. A was cut about 40 cm from the left back to the pelvis by the sharp parts of the broken washbasin structure. According to the 119 paramedics who responded to the report, A's wound was deep enough to expose the ribs, and he was bleeding heavily, making his condition serious.

The paramedics judged that emergency surgery was necessary and searched for hospitals in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam areas. However, all nearby hospitals refused transfer, saying, "There is no thoracic surgeon available to perform the surgery." The paramedics expanded their search nationwide and, after making numerous calls, received a response from Konyang University Hospital in Daejeon that surgery was possible. They drove approximately 280 km for about 3 hours to transfer A to Daejeon. A underwent surgery here for about 2 hours to suture the ruptured skin, subcutaneous fat, and muscles on his back. It is known that he is currently receiving treatment without complications and recovering. A's parents expressed their sincere gratitude to the medical staff for saving their child's precious life.

Professor Kim Young-jin, a thoracic surgeon at Konyang University Hospital who was in charge of A's surgery, stated, "If the surgery had not been performed immediately, complications from infection as well as necrosis of the damaged area could have worsened the condition," adding, "As the final medical institution sought by emergency patients, we will fulfill our responsibility with the mission of a tertiary general hospital."