Dubai Resident in 40s Undergoes Successful Surgery at Busan Centum General Hospital
Renowned Professor Park Kwangmin's Team Removes Both Left and Part of Right Liver Lobes with Metastatic Cancer
The dramatic story of a Korean woman living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who successfully underwent stage 4 gallbladder cancer surgery in Busan, is drawing attention.
Director of Medical Affairs Kwangmin Park (second from left in the front row) and the surgical team of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Centum General Hospital are taking a commemorative photo celebrating a patient who is recovering stably after surgery. Photo by Centum General Hospital
This patient, unable to find relief from her pain at a local hospital in Dubai, returned to Korea for treatment and only then discovered that she was suffering from stage 4 gallbladder cancer.
According to the hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery team at Busan Centum General Hospital on the 14th, Ms. Han (48), who was living in Dubai, began experiencing severe pain in her left chest and back along with her usual indigestion at the end of August. She visited a local hospital in early September. The attending physician prescribed medication, attributing the symptoms to a gastric ulcer and stress, but her condition did not improve even after more than a week.
Therefore, Ms. Han considered other hospitals in Dubai, but due to generally low medical standards, unsanitary facilities, and excessively high costs, she decided to return to Korea for proper diagnosis and treatment.
After looking into famous university hospitals in Seoul, she changed her mind due to difficulties booking appointments during the medical crisis and her attachment to her hometown, deciding instead to go to Busan.
Arriving in Busan at the end of September, she underwent ultrasound and endoscopy at a local screening center on a relative's recommendation, where she was advised to visit a major hospital immediately due to issues with her hepatobiliary system. Through online searches, Ms. Han and her relatives discovered that Dr. Park Kwangmin, Chief Medical Director of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Centum General Hospital (formerly Head of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Seoul Asan Medical Center), is a top authority in the field.
After a thorough examination by Dr. Park Kwangmin's team, Ms. Han was diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer. The cancer had already metastasized to the left lobe of the liver, making surgical treatment extremely difficult.
However, after carefully analyzing her condition, Dr. Park's team decided to proceed with surgery. The procedure involved extensive resection, removing all lymph nodes around the gallbladder and bile duct, as well as the entire left lobe of the liver and part of the right lobe where the cancer had spread.
Three surgeons from Seoul Asan Medical Center's hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery department (Dr. Park Kwangmin, Dr. Lee Sangyeop, and Dr. Noh Younghun) and one consulting physician all participated, and the surgery was a success. Notably, post-surgical pathology confirmed that the cancer had been completely removed.
Ms. Han is currently recovering stably and has decided to continue chemotherapy in Busan after discharge. She said, "I returned to Korea thinking it was just a digestive issue, so I was shocked to hear it was gallbladder cancer. However, Dr. Park and the medical team put me at ease and gave me confidence. I am deeply grateful to the medical staff for performing such a difficult surgery so well."
Professor Park Kwangmin of Centum General Hospital stated, "The patient's condition before surgery was so serious that we could not guarantee the outcome, but we did our best, encouraged by the earnest wishes of the patient and her family. I am extremely pleased with the positive surgical result," adding, "We will continue to do our utmost to provide the best medical care to patients both domestically and internationally."
Ms. Han's story, spanning from Dubai to Busan, not only highlights the excellence of Korean healthcare but also serves as an encouraging example that the human resources and equipment at regional general hospitals can reach a world-class level.
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