“There are many crazy doctors at our hospital’s Neurosurgery Department.”

At a recent media event at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Director Shin Hyeon-cheol opened journalists’ ears with this remark. He added, “We have so many enthusiastic neurologists crazy about patients and surgery, even giving up their weekend holidays to see patients.”

For instance, a doctor called nearby hospitals to ask for more emergency brain surgery patients. Another checked patients’ conditions after brain tumor surgery, pulling out wheelchairs on weekends to help them rehabilitate.

So, Director Shin seemed to put his affection for junior doctors dedicated to treating patients into his somewhat stern expression of “crazy.”

Korea Biomedical Review met with two “crazy” physicians – Professors Cheong Yeon-ku and Hong Je-beom. The two neurosurgeons are famous “shiv artists” at the hospital. They just chose neurosurgery because “a doctor who saves people” looked so cool, saying they feel best when they operate. In short, they are the people born with the so-called “neurosurgery gene.”

Professors Hong Je-beom (left) and Cheong Yeon-ku of the Neurosurgery Department at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital
Professors Hong Je-beom (left) and Cheong Yeon-ku of the Neurosurgery Department at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital

Interacting with patients, these doctors say, ‘Patients are my family’

Asked what made them rush to hospitals after receiving emergency calls even on weekends, Professor Cheong said, “I did my subspecialty fellowship at Asan Medical Center (AMS) in Seoul. The remaining juniors had to perform surgery in the early morning hours. However, if my juniors at AMS called me even after I left there if there were no rooms at their ICU, and that has continued until now. Also, if all neurosurgeons at my hospital attend provincial conferences, I had to conduct all brain operations if I were the only one left in Seoul.”

Cheong said he chose neurosurgery because he liked conducting operations very much, and he even transformed the industrial microscope used at semiconductor companies into a surgical microscope to practice surgeries.

“I needed a microscope to do vascular anastomosis, but the Japanese product fetched about 6 million won ($4,600). It was beyond my income at the time, so I had to rack my brain and remodel a microscope used at a semiconductor company at a low price,” he said. “When I had little else to do, I put a rubber tube into it and practiced stitching with remaining artificial blood vessels. Then, when I worked at Kyung Hee University Hospital, I wrote a paper on the “microvascular training method” with my fellow doctors and published it in SCI.”

Still, what makes Professor Hong give up weekend holidays to care for their patients after the operation? Professor Hong said matter-of-factly, “Many neurosurgeons do so.” However, Professor Cheong said, “This does not happen frequently.” Hong said he had no other choice, considering the prognosis of postoperative patients.

The two professors said they could do so because they think patients are their “family.” Hong described patients as his teachers and family members.

“I tried to sympathize with patients undergoing surgery. I think the patient who had head surgery by me is like my family,” Professor Hong said. “Because I learned a lot from patients, they are also my mentors.”

Professor Cheong agreed. He said patients should also consider their doctors as family members and trust them to undergo the operation.

“Some patients say, ‘Please do your best for me.’ When I pat their shoulders and say, ‘It’s going to be okay, they feel assured. Interaction with patients seems to be important for surgeries, too.”

The two professors cited “smooth communication” as their hospital’s biggest merit. They said that the hospital’s relatively modest size could also have worked as an advantage. Professor Hong said smooth communication could also lead to excellent treatment records.

“I worked at a very big hospital. However, if a medical institution is too segmented, doctors do not know one another. If a minor glitch occurs during operations, the lack of communication can result in a bigger problem,” he said. “Kangbuk Samsung Hospital is not so big, but doctors know one another well. It’s good when our colleagues cooperate with me with no strings attached when I face difficult cases.”

They also cited unsparing support as the attraction and advantage.

“I bought a microscope priced at 900 million won ($69,000) recently,” Hong said. “This hospital does not spare support for good surgeries. It is relatively small among tertiary general hospitals but can go on thanks to its medical service with good quality.”

 

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