A 1cm Stone Fragment Embedded in Forehead Undergoes Suturing Surgery... "No Apology Given"

"Appalled by the Attitude of 'Take Care of Your Own Treatment'"

A story has emerged about a man who underwent forehead suturing surgery at a hospital in Gangnam, Seoul, only to discover that there was a piece of asphalt inside the surgical site.

JTBC 'Sageon Banjang'

On the 16th, JTBC's 'Case Manager' reported that a man in his 40s, Mr. A, was returning home to an apartment in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, around 1 a.m. on December 14 last year when he tripped over a parking barrier within the complex and hit his forehead on the asphalt ground. Due to this accident, Mr. A’s forehead was lacerated, and he took a taxi with his wife to a nearby emergency room. However, he was told that "suturing surgery could not be performed immediately," so he was transferred to a hospital in Gangnam, Seoul.

Mr. A received treatment involving about seven stitches on his abdomen and three to four stitches on his forehead. The doctor advised, "You can receive follow-up wound care at a nearby hospital." However, it was reported that no separate X-ray was taken during the suturing process.

Later, considering the possibility of a minor fracture and internal bleeding in the head, Mr. A visited an orthopedic clinic near his home. After taking an X-ray, he discovered a shocking fact: a foreign object was found at the site of the suturing surgery. The orthopedic doctor said, "It could be calcification or a bone fragment that was originally there," and added, "The doctor who sutured probably did a good job. The sutured area is swollen now, so let's complete the treatment and then check again."

However, even as the wound was healing, the foreign object seemed to remain. Thinking that the protruding forehead looked strange no matter how he looked at it, Mr. A visited the orthopedic clinic again and underwent an additional ultrasound examination. Only then did the orthopedic doctor say, "This is very unusual," and recommended a biopsy and hospitalization for foreign object removal surgery.

JTBC 'Sageon Banjang'

When Mr. A went back on the operating table, an unimaginable substance was found in his forehead. A piece of asphalt about 1 cm in size was removed. Mr. A expressed his frustration, saying, "If it had been a pebble smaller than a grain of rice, I might have missed it, but isn’t this way too big? It’s unbelievable that they didn’t find this."

Furthermore, Mr. A informed the hospital where he had the suturing surgery, but he claimed that the hospital did not apologize and instead said, "Please receive your treatment well," "It was not visible to the naked eye during the suturing," and "There is nothing more we can do for you." Mr. A said, "I paid 550,000 won for the suturing surgery and spent an additional 1.2 to 1.5 million won to remove the stone. At least if they had offered a moral apology or asked me to visit the hospital, I could have endured it, but their attitude of 'Please take care of your treatment on your own' was utterly absurd," expressing his anger.