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Non-mesh with Dr Kang in Korea Journal/Updates
I have read a lot about Dr Kang on this forum. Plan to go do surgery in Korea for unilateral direct inguinal hernia at Gibbeum Hospital. Hope it all goes well and will try to keep updates with more details.
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40 Replies
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8 month post-op Kang repair: everything is good!
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One year update after Dr Kang surgery:
Everything is well! Hope the best for you all!
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@Max
: The updated contact info for Gibbeum Hospital will be here:
http://gibbeum.com/abroad/From-abroad.php#Reservation
I don’t see Stephen’s name on there now, so it might have been updated with a new contact person. It just shows this email now: gibbeumhospital0@naver.com
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DAY #39 post op- just follow up with you all, everythings great!
Hoping for the best for you as well.
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Day #71 post op: Just following up: everything is wonderful- zero symptoms. You would never even know there was a hernia before.
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Yes– but all direct tissue repairs utilize prolene sutures. In one of her hernia talk videos Dr T advises that direct hernias the tissue is too thin to support a suture repair. Would love to discuss this with Dr. Kang. nor sure he looks here anymore.
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Brilliant Ken.
No symptoms at 79 days!
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Sorry meant Wellington. No symptoms at 79 days … Very good news. Well done Dr. Kang
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Thanks Wellington. Dmd you
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Be careful with DM’s Wellington. Don’t share any phone numbers or private information. You don’t know who you’re really communicating with. Thanks for posting your updates. Good luck.
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Wellington thanks—-did you have any concerns about getting a tissue repair for a direct hernia? Dr Towfigh is saying that direct hernia needs mesh because the tissue is too thin….What did Dr Kang say about this. Thanks Wellington
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I had no concerns with the method used by Dr Kang. As you may know, he is one of the surgeons who is considered an expert on hernia treatments. He used prolene sutures. So if im not mistaken, that (prolene) is what adds support to the area in lieu of mesh. Maybe Dr Towfigh or someone can explain it here? By the way, Dr Kang did post on this forum some time in the past, not sure how often he looks at this forum.
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Wellington, Dr. Towfigh has already replied to Ken’s questions. He asks the same questions and makes the same comments over and over.
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I took the limousine bus from the airport to the hotel. Best and cheapest option. I stayed at the toyoko inn in gangnam. It’s a new inexpensive hotel with a very good breakfast. I got a 15% discount for staying for seven days and longer. You need to book your room in advance as it is fully booked in the near term because of their good prices. You can book directly from their web site toyoko-inn.com. you can get a double room for a lot less than most hotels.
I changed my money to korean money at the airport so that I could pay the limousine bus fare and I also rented a portable wifi at the airport terminal which is secure unlike the free wifi. You need a credit card to rent it.
I also had the hotel and hospital names and addresses printed in korean to show the taxi drivers who usually don’t know english.
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This reply was modified 1 year ago by roger555.
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Day #22 after surgery: very happy with results. No pain, no complaints.
I might have mentioned earlier, but will mention this again:
A few years before the surgery I would get a strange annoying abdominal pain , felt like abdominal bloating throughout abdomen. This pain would be off and on, mainly when the hernia would bulge out a bit. It was not severe pain, but was annoying. Ever since surgery, this pain has never came back.
As a side note, the scar is also very small, almost unnoticeable. Incision was not more than 4cm.
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This reply was modified 1 year ago by
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Thanks for the updates Wellington..the one about Uber, papago and making sure address is correct by using a photo of the hospital is very very useful.
How much would you estimate the whole trip and opetation cost for the two week stay? If you don’t mind me asking
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$2500 for surgery
+ $500 if they find/remove lipoma during surgery
Plane ticket: $1200
Hotels: you can expect about $115 per night average. You can get some decent places for as low as $50–$70 per night. A place called “Urbanstay” for example: It had contactless checkin and checkout. So basically when it is time for you to check in, they email you the code to unlock the door to your room.
Food/taxi/etc: $40/day
You can probably save a lot if you use bus and train, but I preferred taxi because it was just easier.
A taxi ride for 20 minutes was around $6USD.
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Wellington congrats on your surgery. Do you feel any tightness or pulling around the repair.
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DAY # 11 after surgery:
Everything is great! There is no tightness or pulling around the repair.
I wish more people knew about Dr. Kang repair. I would have done this surgery a long time ago if I knew about it. I put off surgery for many years because I never found any technique that seemed ideal.
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@Wellington Great to hear that you continue to heal and improve. Would you mind sharing any tips on getting to and from Gibbeum hospital, transportation from the airport, and where you stayed? Any tips would be very helpful in planning my trip to see Dr. Kang in April. Thanks!
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Useful apps for travel to Korea:
Papago : translation app. It can scan photos of text and translate to English. It can also translate conversations from both languages.
Uber: extremely important to have for getting taxi.
Maps/ Google maps or similar apps: this will help you get around while you walk around the city.
Currency (its an offline currency converter app): helps you get familiar with the currency values.
There are currency exchange places all over the city.
Subway korea: this app shows you the subway system with live updates.
Communication; recommend to get a sim card at the airport (choose E-SIM) if possible just for ease of use.
There is free wifi almost everywhere in the city.
Regarding the hospital contact and scheduling, see here:
http://gibbeum.com/abroad/From-abroad.php#Reservation
They seem to update this often. Last time, before I traveled, they had a different contact information.
Anyways, they had an english speaker who helped coordinate scheduling for me. They also helped me get around and communicate at the hospital.
Hotels: there are many hotels nearby. I used the “Agoda” app- it was super easy to use and book using the app. You can browse by location and view spots on the map to find places nearby. “Fraser place namdaemon” is a really nice hotel. It is not far from hospital. Takes maybe 30-45 mins by taxi. Traffic is always congested there. But any hotel would be fine. If you want to be close to hospital then stay south of the river to avoid some traffic since the hospital is south of the river.
Finding the hospital: The easiest way is to take a taxi. I highly recommend using the app like uber to avoid communication errors. However, when you arrive by taxi, make sure you can see the hospital before you get out of the car. For some reason, the taxis would seem to make a mistake even when following the address on their uber app. They would drive somewhere near the hospital and stop there. I don’t know why and could not clearly communicate with them due to language barrier. Address is:
4 Seochojungang-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul.
It might help to take few screenshots of the hospital on google maps so you can show the driver if they get the wrong place. Try to get the screenshots with Korean text because most of them won’t know how to read english letters.
See map here; http://gibbeum.com/abroad/From-abroad.php#Location
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@Wellington Thank you for for the useful information. That will all be a big help to me when I go to Korea. In regards to scheduling surgery with Dr. Kang, I previously exchanged a few emails with a Stephen Kwon. I notice that either you nor @Mark H mention Stephen as a contact person. Just wondering if there is now a new contact person/liaison for Dr. Kang at Gibbeum Hospital. Wishing both of you a 100 percent recovery.
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Day #14 after surgery: back home now!
Long flight from Korea. Everything is great!
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DAY # 8 after surgery: Just had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Kang. We did an ultrasound: Everything looks great! Dr said it is ok to wash surgical site. Also said I can go to sauna and do light exercise. He said I can gradually start heavy exercise and heavy lifting next week.
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DAY # 6 Post op – everything is great. Took the train around the city. Got a follow up appointment with Dr. Kang tomorrow. I am not taking anymore medications.
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Good news Wellington. Thanks for update! Good to hear nearly a week and all going well… How long are you staying in Korea for in total?
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DAY # 7 post op- everything is wonderful. Follow up appointment with Dr. Kang is actually tomorrow (not today). I am doing normal activities, but still nothing strenuous.
I plan to stay in Korea for one more week.
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Day #4 post op: Getting better. Pain is even less than previous day. No problems. Going for walks throughout the day.
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DAY # 5 post-op: everything is looking great. No complaints at all.
Interesting note: before surgery, there were some annoying symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain. Now, after surgery, I do not have any of those symptoms anymore. 👍
Surgical site seems fine, very small incision. No bleeding at all since day of surgery.
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Day #3 after surgery: Everything seems fine. Pain is minimal. The surgical site just feels like a sore muscle after working out. I am able to walk around smoothly. There is no swelling.
I am still taking it easy , so no jumping or running or anything like that yet!
I should also note that there has been zero swelling since day #1.
The doctor said to apply ice to the area on first day, but then to start using heat pads on the area after that. So today I am applying some heat to the area.
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I came from USA.
Recovery is looking good so far. I am taking it easy, just doing a little walking.
Still taking ibuprofen as per instructions,
Three times a day. Also taking laxatives as per instructions- Had two bowel movements.
Diet- they said i can eat anything- no dietary restriction.
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Great news Wellington, now the only way is up! Now you too can join the chorus that it isn’t anything to be (too) worried about.
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See attached photo here for report from surgery
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Thanks for the report Wellington..what country did you go from?
Hoping recovery is just as good all the way through for you.
Another satisfied Dr Kang patient!
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I mean you’re another satisfied Dr Kang patient… Not me… Yet.
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Update: Just had the surgery today with Dr. Kang.
Dr Kang did the pre-op exam and said that the ultrasound shows the hernia is actually an “indirect inguinal hernia”.
I was given propofol right before surgery and slept thru the whole thing. It was done in 20-30 minutes. I just woke up a while ago. I had zero pain upon waking up. I am able to walk around. There is some pain with walking and moving around. The pain is not severe, and it feels like an ache inside the abdomen near the original hernia location.
Everything seems fine. I am waiting for Dr Kang to see me now before being discharged from hospital. They gave me antibiotics , to be taken for few days at home. They also gave me ibuprofen and laxatives to take for few days.
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Thought Dr Kang would use only local sedation, but if he uses Propofol, then you are actually under “general anesthesia”. One of the reasons to choose Dr Kang is avoiding this.
Propofol is the active component of an intravenous anesthetic formulation used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia.
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@Wellington Relax, you’re in good hands! It probably sounds strange but my advice is to enjoy the experience. You will most likely be back on your feet before you know it, so before you go plan walks out from your accommodation to explore the surrounding area. It really is a different world!
Starting NOW, learn some Korean. Both Stephen Kwon and Dr Kang speak excellent English but once you get outside into the city very few people will. At least figure out ahead of time how to ask for food! You can point and grunt of course, but anything better than that is a bonus. Speaking a little of the language will make all the difference.
Enjoy your trip,
Mark H.
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@Wellington Wishing you a successful surgical outcome with Dr. Kang. I have also exchanged a couple emails with Stephen and am planning a non mesh hernia repair with Dr. Kang in April of 2024. By the way, when are you planning to have your surgery and are you currently experiencing any pain? I look forward to your updates regarding your surgical experience. Thank you.
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I have no pain. I am still able to do any activity such as running, biking, weightlifting, etc. I actually had the hernia for more than 10 years, and no pain. The only problem is that it just pops out and gets annoying.
Surgery is planned for sometime next week.
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