Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital (Director: Ryu Youngwook) announced on June 18 that it has firmly established itself as the central hospital for heart transplant treatment in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, having achieved a cumulative total of 103 heart transplants as of June this year, following its first successful heart transplant surgery in 2017?the first ever in Daegu-Gyeongbuk.
This achievement not only overcame the limitations of regional medical care in the highly complex field of organ transplantation, which had previously been concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, but also brought new hope for healing to local patients suffering from severe heart failure.
Medical staff at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital are gathered in one place, taking a group photo to commemorate 100 heart transplant cases.
On June 17, the hospital held a “100 Heart Transplants Commemoration Ceremony” in the main auditorium. Many members of the hospital’s management committee, including Dongsan Medical Center Director Cho Chiheum and Dongsan Hospital Director Ryu Youngwook, as well as numerous staff members, attended the event, where plaques of appreciation were awarded to recognize the dedication and hard work of the medical staff.
In particular, a touching moment occurred when the first heart transplant patient presented a soap flower to the 100th patient, sharing wishes for recovery and hope. Additionally, Medical Center Director Cho Chiheum presented a health checkup voucher to the 100th patient, wishing for a speedy recovery and a return to a healthy daily life.
Professor Kim Incheol of the Department of Cardiology reported, “In 2024 alone, we performed 13 heart transplants, ranking fifth nationwide, and as of the first half of this year, we are among the top three hospitals in the country. We have also achieved meaningful results in highly complex multi-organ transplantation, such as simultaneous heart-kidney transplants and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) procedures. This success is thanks to the seamless operation of our multidisciplinary collaborative care system.”
In fact, the Dongsan Hospital heart transplant team has established a sophisticated collaborative system involving more than 10 departments, including Cardiology, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Nursing, the Organ Transplant Center, Nutrition, and Social Work. By meticulously managing every step before and after surgery, the hospital has achieved survival rates above the national average. Since its first surgery in 2017, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital surpassed 50 cases in 2020 and has now reached 103 cases this year, proving not only the volume of surgeries but also the safety and recovery rates of its procedures.
Cho Chiheum, Director of Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, stated, “I am grateful for the dedication of all medical staff who work to make failing hearts beat again. We will continue to fulfill our responsibilities as the leading hospital in the region, ensuring that local patients can receive top-level transplant treatment without having to travel all the way to Seoul.”
The first heart transplant patient at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital (left) is presenting a soap flower to the 100th surgery patient.
Meanwhile, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital has continued to set records as both the “first” and “best” in the region for heart transplantation, achieving not only 100 heart transplants but also milestones such as the first artificial heart transplant in 2018 and the first simultaneous heart-kidney transplant in 2020.
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