Transplant Surgery Faculty / Medical Staff >

The Division of Transplant Surgery of the Samsung Medical Center actively introduces new procedures to maximize treatment effects and implements patient-oriented treatment to improve patients’ satisfaction.

Major areas of treatment / Clinics

We at the Division of Transplant Surgery are doing our best to enable patients with organ malfunction to lead good-quality lives by transplanting various organs in the abdominal cavity such as the liver, kidney, pancreas, and small intestine. We also offer liver resection, pancreatectomy, and procedures for dialysis.

Strong points

Our transplantation team has performed more than 100 cases of kidney and liver transplantation every year. We have been very successful with a 90% success rate in liver transplantation and zero surgical deaths among our kidney transplantation recipients. Islet of Langerhans (a cell group that secretes insulin in the pancreas) transplantation is a much safer option for type I diabetes mellitus patients compared to pancreas transplantation and is made possible by the Division of Transplant Surgery of the SMC. Our team also offers advanced procedures such as liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma, retroperitoneal sarcoma excision, and creation of arteriovenous fistulas. We are the leading team in laparoscopic liver resections with the most number of cases among centers in Korea.

1. Novel techniques

Bile duct complications are the most common complications following liver transplantation. To reduce the risk of bile duct complications, our team uses a novel technique of first resecting the portal vein and bile duct within the liver and subsequently dissecting them, followed by the anastomosis of the bile duct.
Blood type-incompatible liver transplantation has been successfully done without rejection or other complications. We are conducting research to find ways to utilize a smaller volume of the donor liver to enable donations that are not possible due to insufficient liver volume. The development of a bioartificial liver device is another one of our research goals to help those patients with failing livers waiting for a compatible donor.
Blood type-incompatible transplantations are also being done on kidney recipients. Moreover, we are beginning a trial of simultaneous kidney and bone marrow transplantation to induce tolerance.

2. New policies

We are working with the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) to discover better ways of finding and managing brain-dead donors. With the enforcement of policies set up by KODA, however, cases of donation from brain-dead donors have decreased in comparison to previous years. We are trying hard to turn this around by working with nearby hospitals in finding more potential donors for organ donation.

3. Other activities

Our team has performed living donor liver transplantations in Dar Al Fouad Hospital in Egypt (five times since April 2003) and the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam (three times in 2005 and 2006). Our team’s success in these hospitals abroad has helped establish our reputation in the international transplantation community. We are also offering our services and expertise domestically when there are hospitals in need of assistance in the setup of their transplantation programs in other regions in Korea.

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Patients' Rights and Responsibilities

Patients' Rights

1. Right to receive medical care

Patients have the right to receive proper care in a safe setting without discrimination nor should their right to care be violated regardless of their gender, age, religion, social status, nationality, language, race, or physical/mental/financial status. Medical teams shall not refuse to provide care without justifiable reason.

2. Right to be informed and to make an autonomous decision

Patients have the right to obtain full and complete information from their medical team, to ask questions, and to determine their agreement or refusal concerning: diagnosis, treatment (purpose, plans and methods), outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes), discharge plan, participation in medical research studies, organ transplantation/donation, etc. Within ethical boundaries, patients may discontinue or refuse treatment, request that the medical team explain and suggest alternative treatments, and reserve the right to make their own decisions.

3. Right to confidentiality

Patients' rights to confidentiality regarding their physical/health status and privacy will not be violated. Patients can expect that all medical records/reports and their personal privacy will be kept confidential unless the patient has given consent or disclosure is permitted by law. To ensure their privacy, patients may be informed that Individuals not directly involved in their care may not be present and that the number of guardians accompanying patients to consultation rooms may be limited.

4. Right to request consultation and mediation

In the event of a medical dispute, patients may request consultation and mediation from an internal or external agency (Korea Consumer Agency, Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency).

5. Right to have values and beliefs respected

Patients will not be discriminated against because of their culture, religious values, or beliefs, and their rights will not be violated.

6. Right to receive care in a safe setting

Patients have the right to receive hospital-provided care where the patient’s medical information is protected and patient safety can be assured. In addition, patients have the right to be protected from possible dangers that can occur in a hospital and to have stability of mind and body.

Patients' Responsibilities

1. Responsibility to trust and respect the medical team

Patients must accurately inform the medical team of their health condition and must trust and respect the medical team's treatment plan. Patients may be responsible for consequences that result from not following instructions.

2. Responsibility to not use dishonest methods for medical treatment

Patients must reveal their identity before receiving any medical care and must not use false or dishonest methods, such as seeking medical care under disguised ownership.

3. Responsibility to abide by all hospital regulations

Patients are expected to treat all hospital staff and other patients with courtesy and respect; to abide by all hospital rules; and to earnestly fulfill their financial obligation to the hospital. Also, patients and their family members are expected to participate in all safety regulations.