Professor Kim Ki-hun has a conversation with Shananm Mohamed after completing the surgery at the Asan Medical Center, Pung-nap dong, Seoul.

Asan Medical Center (AMC) said Thursday that it has successfully resected multiple hepatocellular carcinomas from an Egyptian physician through laparoscopic surgery.

According to the hospital, Shananm Mohamed, who works as a surgeon back in Egypt, discovered a six-centimeter tumor while undergoing an abdominal ultrasound.

Mohamed, who had been into bodybuilding as a hobby, worried that a big scar would be left in his abdomen along with possible side effects if he went through open surgery. Such adverse outcomes made him opt for the laparoscope. However, there was no laparoscopic equipment or surgeons that could perform the operation in Egypt.

Mohamed and his colleagues searched for hospitals and medical doctors that could perform laparoscopic surgery and discovered Professor Kim Ki-hun’s medical journal, which mentioned laparoscopic hepatocellular carcinoma surgery has fewer side-effects compared to open surgery. He also found out that Professor Kim’s team held the highest number of operations in the field.

After extensive examination, Professor Kim was able to invite Mohamed to Korea and removed all the multiple hepatocellular carcinomas earlier this month.

“Because the patient was well aware of his medical condition we were able to establish a strong bond during the early stages of our discussions,” Professor Kim said. “Although the number of multiple hepatocellular carcinomas was large and the operation time was longer than usual, the patient was able to make a fast recovery due to our laparoscopic surgery method.”

Mohamed showed his gratitude toward AMC.

“I was worried about the different culture in Korea,” Mohamed said. “However, when I came to Korea to get treated I was able to regain my energy with the halal food prepared by the hospital and a prayer room to practice my religion.”

The fact that not only foreign patients but also medical workers come to receive treatment at AMC is proof that the hospital is one of the top-tier hospitals in the world, he added.

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