Incredibly grateful for the treatment I received from Dr. Kang at Gibbeum Hospital in Seoul. In January 2023 I travelled from Toronto, Canada for hernia repair with Dr. Kang. He is a very caring, attentive, and knowledgeable surgeon. Compared to a previous hernia surgery that I had at a Canadian hospital, Dr. Kang’s no-mesh repair was less painful, with a smaller incision, and with a faster recovery. Dr. Kang is quite proficient in English, and he is further supported by the hospital chaplain, Stephen, who serves as translator and hospital guide. Since I was travelling by myself from overseas and do not speak Korean, Stephen was an invaluable and reassuring presence to have by your side throughout the pre- and post-op processes. Gibbeum is a small hospital, and it struck me as a very clean, efficient, and modern facility, with an impressive number of staff.
Timeline of my trip and recovery:
I booked the surgery just over a week in advance, and I arrived in Seoul 1.5 days before surgery. On the day prior, I went to Gibbeum for 2 hours of pre-op assessments, ultrasound, chest x-ray, and an appointment with Dr. Kang. Day of surgery started with check-in at 9am, surgery at around 10:30am, and by noon I was awake and back in my room. Later in the afternoon, Dr. Kang came by to for an assessment and to okay me for discharge at 4:30pm. Upon discharge, I felt fine to walk to a taxi, navigate my hotel, and walk a short distance to a convenience store. Recovery for the first few days consisted mostly of bedrest. By the 4th day I was well enough to play tourist, and I slowly walked for 9 hours (and covered over 20km!) around a number of Seoul’s amazing sites. I continued to be a tourist for the next few days, with a post-op ultrasound and follow-up with Dr. Kang on day 6. On day 8 I travelled back home with only minimal discomfort along the journey. At 3 weeks post-op, I was back to snowboarding, lifting and carrying heavy objects, and pretty much all other activities at 80-100% of normal capacity. At week 4, I feel totally recovered.
Overall, I highly recommend Dr. Kang for anyone who wants a top-notch level of treatment, or who wants to avoid the risks associated with mesh repairs, or who is simply facing a long wait time for surgery through their local healthcare system.
Individual treatment program and cost estimate
Average answering time – 5 minutes
