Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Thoracic surgery is a specialty in medicine dealing with various diseases of the thoracic organs (chest) encompassing the lungs, esophagus, chest wall, and mediastinum. Pulmonary and esophageal surgeries, in particular deal with the surgical treatment of diseases of the lungs, bronchus, pleura, chest wall, the mediastinum and the esophagus. Specifically, pulmonary surgery deals with lung cancers, benign lung tumors, tuberculosis, pulmonary abscess, pneumothorax, and other disease entities of the thorax. Bronchial surgery deals with bronchial tumors, bronchial foreign bodies, and bronchostenosis (airway obstruction). Esophageal surgery deals with esophageal cancer and benign tumors, esophageal foreign bodies, and esophageal stenosis of various causes. Other surgical entities of the thorax include mediastinal tumors, chest wall tumors, chest wall deformities (pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum), and excessive sweating (hyperhydrosis). We are also proud to announce that now all aspects of lung transplantation are being performed by our division.
Performing over 1800 surgeries annually and staffed by highly experienced surgeons, the department of thoracic surgery has maintained a leadership position in its field. As part of our continuing commitment to further improvements, the latest technical advances in intra-thoracic endoscopic surgeries have been proactively adopted.
These minimally invasive methods not only create smaller incisions but are effective in significantly reducing postoperative pain and surgical risks compared to conventional open chest surgeries. As a result, patients benefit by experiencing faster recovery, shortened length of hospitalization, and a reduction in costs.
The specialized services of AMC cancer center may especially be of benefit to lung and esophageal cancer patients by providing early diagnosis and timely implementation of appropriate treatment through the cooperation and expedient team work of related specialists.
The patients and families of cancer patients may expect dedicated support and treatment through the cancer center.
The department of thoracic surgery collaborates closely with the AMC cancer center to arrange all necessary tests to be completed within one week. Once a diagnosis of cancer has been established, immediate treatment is begun based on a comprehensive treatment plan involving any combination of surgery, medications and/or chemotherapy. By providing all of these services and much more, we are committed to providing the utmost in the care for all of our patients.
Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery is a rapidly advancing field of medicine dealing with surgeries of the heart and great vessels, albeit mostly but not confined to the thoracic cavity. Since cardiovascular surgery involves vital organs critical to human life, the procedures are often complex and require the skills of highly qualified experienced surgeons that are abreast with the latest up-to-date knowledge in the field.
The Department of Thoracic Surgery has literally been at the Heart of Asan Medical Center since its establishment in 1989. Some of our landmark achievements include the first successful heart transplantation in Korea in 1992 and the largest volume of cardiovascular surgeries being performed in Korea since 1998.
As monumental as these achievements have been, the division has continued to strive to be the best. Our dedication to the art of cardiovascular surgery is represented efforts to further develop minimally invasive and robot assisted surgeries using the Da Vinci and other systems. In close collaboration with related services we are also working to provide all aspects of opened, hybrid procedures and completely percutaneous techniques (stenting) for treating aortic diseases. Over 90% of coronary bypasses are performed off-pump and close to 100% are performed on the beating heart without compromising myocardial revascularization in the least. Select patients are offered the choice of TECAB (Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass) or MIDCAB (minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass) as deemed appropriate to their circumstances.
Minimally invasive aortic, mitral valve and other valvular procedures as well as certain adult congenital heart diseases are options that we are also able to provide. On top of these, complex conventional surgeries for heart failure (Dor procedure, ischemic mitral valve disease, heart transplantation, and LV assist device), valve surgeries i.e., repair and replacements with or without various arrhythmia surgeries (i.e., Maze procedures), and re-operative surgeries are performed on a routine basis.
Therefore, as our activities clearly show, we remain committed the tasks that lie ahead as long as our work continues to help save lives and give patients an opportunity to lead a better quality of life.
Medical Specialities
Take a look at the treatment of major diseases in your department.
Lung Cancer
AMC Lung Cancer Center is different. We allow patients to receive fast diagnosis and best medical services as quickly as possible. We draw up treatment plans and schedules to allow patients to get diagnosis and medical care as soon as possible through specialists’ consultations and coordinators’ counseling service.
Esophageal Cancer
AMC Esophageal Cancer Center has a collaboration system effectively run by experienced specialists who are leading various fields with advanced medical skills and expertise.
Colorectal Cancer
AMC Colorectal Cancer Center improves the prognosis of patients through a multidisciplinary system and integrated treatment to provide best treatment by embracing various opinions of specialists from relevant departments on liver metastasis that often occurs in colorectal cancers, lung metastasis, and locally recurrent cancers such as intractable colorectal cancer.
Valvular Heart Disease
The Ischemic Heart Disease Center provides treatment support services such as a one-day program, fast-track system, counseling for heart diseases and reservation system, and language support program.
Aortic Disease
The AMC Aortic Disease Center introduced an organic collaboration system to fight aortic diseases including aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, and aortostenosis, offering the most appropriate treatment for each patient from conventional surgery and minimally-invasive surgery to percutaneous procedure to hybrid surgery that combines surgery and procedure, producing world-class treatment results.
Valvular Heart Disease
The Valvular Heart Disease Center also has an echocardiography unit with cutting-edge medical equipment and professional staff. The unit is equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities where every examination process is saved in a digital image storage system in real time, so they will be compared with previous test results instantly at the exam room, allowing the accurate management of patients’ disease progression.
Atrial Fibrillation
The AMC Atrial Fibrillation Center provides personalized treatment that suits each patient conditions using cutting-edge equipment for diagnosis and treatment through a close and coordinated collaboration between the operation teams of the Departments of Cardiology and Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery.
Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation
The Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center provides treatment support services such as a one-day program, fast-track system, counseling for heart diseases and reservation system, and language support program.
Doctors
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Kang, Pil-je - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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KU MIN JUNG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Kwon, Bo-sang - Departments
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Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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KIM KITAE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Kim, Dong-kwan - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Organ Transplantation Center, Level 1 trauma team, Colorectal Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center
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Lung Cancer & Transplantation, Thoracic Surgical disease, Pediatric Thoracic Surgical disease(In patient care)
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KIM DONG-HEE - Departments
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Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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Kim, Yong-hee - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery Center, Robotic Surgery center, Esophageal Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center
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Lung & Esophageal Cancer, Lung Transplantation, Chest Wall Deformities, Pediatric Thoracic Surgical disease(In patient care)
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KIM IN HA - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Lung Cancer Center
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Kim, Joon-bum - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Valvular heart disease, Aortic disease, Cardiac arrhythmias
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KIM JI YONG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Lung Cancer Center
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Kim, Hyeong-ryul - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery center, Esophageal Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center
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Lung & Esophageal Cancer, Mediastinal Tumor, Lung disease, Pediatric Thoracic Surgical disease(In patient care)
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Kim, Ho-jin - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Valve repair surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, pulmonary endarterectomy, high-risk coronary surgery, off-pump CABG, non-transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement, heart transplantation
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HONGRAE KIM - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Park, Seung-Il - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Organ Transplantation Center, Lung Cancer Center
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Lung Cancer, Thoracic Cancer, Lung Transplantation, Bronchial disease
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Park, Chun-soo - Departments
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Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Congenital Heart Disease Center, Marfan Clinic
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Pediatric Cardiac Surgery disease, Congenital Heart Disease, Pediatric Heart Transplantation
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Yoo Jae Suk - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery center, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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YUN JAE KWANG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Esophageal Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center
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Yun, Tae-jin - Departments
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Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Congenital Heart Disease Center, Organ Transplantation Center, Congenital Heart Disease Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute
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Pediatric Cardiovascular disease, Congenital Heart Disease, Pediatric Heart & Lung Transplantation(In patient care)
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Lee, Geun-dong - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Bone & Soft Tissue Sarcoma center, Lung Cancer Center
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Jung, Sung-ho - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery Center, Organ Transplantation Center, Robotic Surgery center, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center, Bone & Soft Tissue Sarcoma center
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Cardiovascular disease, Heart Transplantation, Valvular heart disease, Coronary artery disease
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Chung, Cheol-hyun - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Aortic disease, Valvular heart disease, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery disease(In patient care)
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Choi, Se-hoon - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Childhood Respiratory and Allergy Center, Bone & Soft Tissue Sarcoma center, Lung Cancer Center
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Lung & Thoracic Cancer, Thoracic Trauma, Lung & Esophageal & Mediastinal Surgery, Pediatric Thoracic Surgical disease(In patient care)
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Choi, Eun-seok - Departments
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Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Congenital Heart Disease Center
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HONG JUNG AE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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KIM DONGHEE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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SAHRI KIM - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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SHIA KIM - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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KIM JAE HOON - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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KIM JOON YOUNG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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NA HYE RIM - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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PARK HYOKYEN - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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BAE YOHAN - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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YOUNGKWAN SONG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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LEE YO SEB - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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LEE JUN OH - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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JANG DONG HEE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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JUNG EUN YEUNG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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JOOHYUN CHO - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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JOO SEOHEE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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HAN DONG YOUB - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
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