Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital

Dr. Jang Yong Jeon and Dr. In Gyu Kim at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital’s digestive diseases center saved an ailing middle-aged man who suffered from liver cirrhosis through one of the most delicate and difficult living donor liver transplantation.

A 53-year old patient who was diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver needed a lifesaving transplant. It was unlikely that he would find a donor liver in time. This has led the man’s 22-year old son to make a brave decision to donate part of his own liver to save his desperately ill father.

Hallym surgeons removed 60 percent of the son’s liver and successfully transplanted it into his father. Both have now made a full recovery. The father left the hospital on April 29 with no complications. The son went back to work just nine days after the transplant.

“I’m so grateful that I was given a second chance at life thanks to Hallym’s cutting edge medical treatment and supportive medical staff,” the father said.

“Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital has state-of-the-art facilities and equipments specially dedicated for living donor liver transplantation and we have best medical staff,” Prof. Jang said. “For patients who are diagnosed with liver cancer or cirrhosis, liver transplant could be the best solution.”

By Miju Kim, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (miju@hallym.or.kr)