An 80-Year-Old Heart Stopped for 35 Minutes, Beats Again... A Hospital Miracle

A Miraculous Survival After 35 Minutes of Cardiac Arrest
The Power of Immediate Surgery and a Son's Desperate Wish

"In the critical moments between life and death, meeting Professor Song Seok-won and Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital was a miracle."

A patient who was in cardiac arrest for 35 minutes due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm miraculously survived. This is the story of Mr. Kwon, who was suffering from dementia.

The guardian's son (from the left), patient Mr. Kwon, and Dr. Song Seok-won, Director of Ewha Daedong Aortic Vascular Hospital. Ewha Womans University Medical Center

On the 18th, Yonhap News reported, citing Ewha Womans University Medical Center, the story of Mr. Kwon (84), who was discharged after receiving treatment for about two months. On December 9th last year, around 10 a.m., Mr. Kwon suddenly lost consciousness while showering at his home in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

Since he had been suffering from dementia, his son, who was monitoring his condition, found him and immediately called 119. During the transfer by ambulance to the emergency room of a general hospital in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where he usually received treatment, Mr. Kwon regained consciousness through emergency measures, but his blood pressure remained low, putting him in a dangerous state. Tests diagnosed a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, and the hospital contacted Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital, where emergency surgery was possible, and received an immediate confirmation that surgery could be performed.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a condition where the abdominal aorta, the largest blood vessel in the abdomen, balloons out like a balloon for various reasons. If it cannot withstand the pressure, it eventually bursts, and about 50% of patients die before reaching the hospital, making it fatal.

Mr. Kwon and his guardian arrived at Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital inside Ewha Seoul Hospital around 5:30 p.m. the same day, but Mr. Kwon’s heart had stopped. Professor Song Seok-won’s team immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 35 minutes, but the heart did not beat, making surgery impossible.

Shortly after his son tearfully said, "My father has suffered from dementia for a long time. It has been too long since we had a proper conversation. Please revive him," the patient’s heart began to beat, and Professor Song’s team promptly proceeded with surgery without missing the moment.

This story became known when Mr. Kwon’s son left a letter titled "A Letter to Professor Song Seok-won and the Medical Staff of Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital" upon his father’s discharge.

The guardian’s son said, “I was deeply moved to later learn that the person who comforted us and thoroughly explained the treatment process from the first meeting at the hospital to the end of the surgery was Professor Song Seok-won.”

Although abdominal aortic aneurysms are fatal, in Mr. Kwon’s case, rapid action by the guardian and finding a medical institution capable of immediate surgery after diagnosis of the rupture made resuscitation possible.

Mr. Kwon’s son emphasized, “After my father returned to a general ward, Professor Song said during the first round of visits, ‘Your father was truly a miracle.’ I believe meeting Professor Song Seok-won was a miracle, and coming to Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital was also a miracle.”

Meanwhile, abdominal aortic aneurysms usually have no symptoms before rupture. Rarely, a pulsating mass called a “pulsatile mass” can be felt in the abdomen, or pain and discomfort may be experienced in the abdomen or lower back. If the aneurysm presses on surrounding organs, symptoms such as feeling full after eating a little, nausea, and vomiting may occur. In such cases, it is advisable to visit a hospital immediately.