Gachon University Gil Hospital Mobile

The Robotic Surgery Center at Gachon University Gil Medical Center has reached a milestone of 2,000 robotic surgeries. The hospital launched its Robotic Surgery Center in 2019 with the introduction of the state-of-the-art fourth-generation da Vinci Xi surgical system. In November of last year, the hospital added another da Vinci robot, further enhancing its capabilities in high-precision and complex surgeries.

The da Vinci Xi system at Gachon University Gil Medical Center features high-definition 3D imaging, a visual field 10 times wider than traditional laparoscopic systems, and highly maneuverable robotic arms that provide exceptional precision. Robotic surgery allows for minimal skin incisions, reducing pain, scarring, and bleeding, while enabling surgeons to operate delicately in hard-to-reach areas. This leads to fewer complications and shorter hospital stays, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

The hospital performs the highest number of robotic surgeries in the field of urology, where precision is especially critical due to the intricate anatomy. Robotic surgery is also actively performed in a wide range of specialties, including thyroid cancer, cervical and ovarian cancers, colorectal diseases, and breast cancer.

The Robotic Surgery Center offers personalized patient care through specialized coordinators from each department, who assist with the entire process—from diagnosis and hospitalization to surgery, recovery, and discharge.

 

 https://v.daum.net/v/20241107141923427

On December 2, Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) held a certification ceremony to officially join the "Nanum Leader" program. "Nanum Leader" is a donation initiative by the Community Chest of Korea, in which individuals pledge to donate at least KRW 1 million per year. To promote a culture of giving, four leaders at GUGMC—including Hospital President Dr. Woo-Kyung Kim, Deputy Director for Surgical Services Dr. Jin-Mo Kang, Deputy Director for Internal Medicine Dr. Wook-Jin Chung, and Planning and Coordination Director Dr. Hyeon-Mi Park—joined the program.

In October, the hospital was also designated a "Good Workplace" by the Incheon Community Chest of Korea. This designation is awarded to organizations whose employees consistently engage in charitable giving. Since 2016, GUGMC has operated the “Gachon Local Community Volunteer Group,” in which employees voluntarily donate the remaining change from their monthly salaries (less than KRW 1,000). The hospital matches these donations, and together they have contributed approximately KRW 210 million (about $160,000) to the community fund to date.

 

 https://v.daum.net/v/20241203140200885

A Mongolian patient who underwent colon cancer surgery at Gachon University Gil Medical Center 10 years ago returned to the hospital in good health with his son, moving the staff with an emotional reunion.

Mr. Hishigbatar from Mongolia was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2012. At the time of diagnosis, his wife was eight months pregnant, and he fell into deep despair. While searching for a treatment facility, he was referred to Gachon University Gil Medical Center and underwent surgery under Dr. Won-Suk Lee at the Colorectal Surgery Clinic.

Fortunately, his wife was fluent in Korean and was able to communicate effectively with the medical team throughout his five rounds of chemotherapy. She later gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Now, 10 years later, Mr. Hishigbatar and his family returned to the hospital to express their gratitude to Dr. Lee. Mr. Hishigbatar shared, “Thanks to Dr. Won-Suk Lee, who treated me so well 10 years ago, and the International Healthcare Center, my work is going well, and I’m living a healthy life with my son. I’m forever grateful.”

 

https://www.gilhospital.com/documents/20182/3097977/1730875112325.202411.pdf/574658a2-bd3d-482f-907f-a4c46e4c13ae?version=1.0

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) Succeeds in First CAR-T Cell Therapy for Lymphoma in the Gyeongin Region – Advanced CAR-T Therapy System Linked to Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Unit

Gachon University Gil Medical Center has successfully performed CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy for a lymphoma patient—the first such case in the Gyeongin region. The patient, a 65-year-old woman with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, underwent CAR-T immunotherapy in August. A recent PET-CT scan confirmed complete remission of her lymphoma.

The patient was diagnosed in 2020 with stage 4 lymphoma, with cancer cells spread throughout her body. She was treated with standard therapy under the care of Dr. Jae-Hoon Lee of the Hematology Department. However, the lymphoma relapsed three years later, in September 2023, requiring further chemotherapy. In January of this year, she underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. When the disease relapsed again in July, the medical team selected her as a candidate for CAR-T therapy.

She was admitted to the hospital’s hematopoietic stem cell transplant unit—located on the 17th floor of Gachon AI Hospital—which features sterile rooms. On August 29, she received a CAR-T cell injection. About a month later, a follow-up PET-CT confirmed complete remission, demonstrating a successful therapeutic outcome.

CAR-T therapy is a treatment that utilizes a patient’s own immune cells (T-cells). T-cells are extracted from the patient’s blood and genetically modified by equipping them with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), a molecule that targets cancer cells. These engineered T-cells are then re-infused into the patient. Unlike chemotherapy or targeted therapy, which involve injecting external agents, CAR-T uses the patient’s own cells to selectively attack and destroy cancer cells, thereby minimizing side effects.

Successful CAR-T therapy requires highly experienced medical professionals in lymphoma treatment and a strictly regulated medical infrastructure. Gachon University Gil Medical Center established a dedicated stem cell transplant unit with all single-bed sterile rooms last year and, in March of this year, completed its CAR-T Cell Therapy Center, including a GMP-certified facility approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20241010100405086

Korea’s First Regional Trauma Center in Incheon Celebrates 10th Anniversary – Treated Over 30,000 Trauma Patients 365 Days a Year

To reduce mortality among critically injured patients, Korea’s first regional trauma center in Incheon celebrated its 10th anniversary since opening in 2014. Gachon University Gil Medical Center, which operates the center, held a commemorative ceremony and symposium today (24th) in Songdo, Incheon, to discuss the center’s achievements and ways to improve patient care. 
The Incheon Regional Trauma Center has operated 24/7 for the past decade to ensure that patients suffering from severe injuries due to traffic accidents, falls, and other major incidents can receive immediate emergency surgery and treatment upon arrival. Over the past 10 years, the center has treated approximately 30,200 trauma patients, including more than 5,600 cases of severe trauma. 
The number of severely injured patients in the Incheon region has steadily increased each year, with over 800 cases expected this year alone. Currently, the center is staffed by 21 trauma surgeons and 12 dedicated trauma nurses working in rotating shifts around the clock. 
According to a report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the preventable trauma death rate in the Gyeonggi-Incheon region has significantly declined—from 27.4% in 2015 to 16.75% in 2017, 13.1% in 2019, and 10% in 2021—demonstrating ongoing improvements in trauma care outcomes.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20241024151702711

 

Gachon University Gil Medical Center (GUGMC) Provides Life-Saving Surgery to Three Children with Heart Disease from Uzbekistan –A Total of 451 Children Treated Since 1992

Three children from Uzbekistan with congenital heart disease have successfully undergone surgery and were discharged in good health, thanks to the support of GUGMC All three children suffered from complex congenital heart defects and were in urgent need of surgery, but were unable to receive it due to local medical limitations and financial hardship. They were selected as candidates for surgery through the hospital's invitation program.

The children arrived in Korea with their parents on August 19 and underwent surgery from August 20 to 22, one after another. Among them, a girl named Ashila was diagnosed with multiple heart defects, including a perimembranous ventricular septal defect and a patent or persistent foramen ovale. Her condition had worsened in her home country, but she made a full recovery after surgery and intensive care.

This invitation project was carried out as part of a medical aid program between GUGMC and the city of Incheon, aimed at supporting Asian partner cities. The surgeries were partially funded by the Milal Heart Foundation, the "Finding New Life Movement" headquarters, and Yoido Full Gospel Church.

Since 1996, GUGMC has provided life-saving treatment to a total of 451 children with heart disease from overseas. In November, the hospital plans to invite and treat children with heart disease from Mongolia.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20240904150833654

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) held its "2024 Patient Safety Campaign"

at the hospital’s main building on September 24 to raise awareness of patient safety.

Under the theme "Safer Together, More Valuable Together," the hospital hosted a stamp tour

consisting of four activity stations promoting patient safety.

The event was open to patients, visitors, and all hospital staff. Participants completed four themed activities:

△ Acrostic poem writing on “patient safety” or “diagnostic improvement,”

△ A fun and tricky patient safety OX quiz,

△ Posting personal pledges on a “patient safety message tree,” and

△ Taking photos at a designated patient safety photo zone.

Those who completed all four stations received a small gift. The event provided a meaningful opportunity

for participants to learn accurate information about patient safety and reflect on its importance.

On September 25, the same stamp tour campaign was held in the lobby of the hospital’s cancer center.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20240925073616320

 

 

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) has become the first in the Incheon region to introduce markerless radiation therapy equipment across all treatment rooms in its Department of Radiation Oncology.

Traditionally, for radiation therapy, target lines (markers) are drawn on the patient’s skin using medical ink to ensure consistent positioning throughout treatment. Patients typically undergo daily treatments over 4 to 6 weeks, during which they must keep the markers intact. As a result, they are restricted from bathing or showering, leading to not only hygiene and cosmetic discomfort but also increased anxiety—especially in hot and humid summer months.

To address this, Gil Medical Center introduced the AlignRT system, which enables radiation therapy without drawing markers on the body. This system is currently applied to all cancers except those requiring head masks (e.g., head and neck cancers or brain tumors).

AlignRT is based on Markerless Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT), which uses cameras to detect and match the patient’s body surface without the need for skin markers. The system employs three ceiling-mounted cameras that generate a 3D image of the patient's surface using reflected light, allowing precise targeting of the treatment area.

Gil Medical Center is further enhancing its radiation therapy capabilities through the combined use of AlignRT and the Helical Radiation Therapy System ‘Halcyon’, introduced in October of last year. Halcyon is a real-time image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) device. Compared to conventional systems, it offers four times faster gantry rotation and double the speed of its multileaf collimator, significantly reducing treatment times.

Currently, Gil Medical Center applies Halcyon in the treatment of most tumors, including prostate, lung, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, head and neck, rectal, and metastatic cancers.

 

가천대 길병원, 표식 없는 방사선치료 보조기 도입 - 헬스경향

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) has received medical device manufacturing approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) gastric cancer prediction software (SW). The medical center is participating in the “Dr. Answer 2.0” project, part of the “AI Precision Medical Solutions (Dr. Answer 2.0)” initiative led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. Within the gastric cancer segment of Dr. Answer 2.0, the project is divided into two parts: software for predicting gastric cancer using AI, and AI-assisted early diagnosis during endoscopy. Of these, the software that predicts the possibility of developing gastric cancer using electronic medical records (EMR) and patient questionnaires (AI-Doctor for Gastric Cancer) has recently received medical device certification from the MFDS.

This software calculates an individual’s risk of developing gastric cancer based on blood test results, Helicobacter pylori test outcomes, health screening data, EMR data, and lifestyle survey responses. Utilizing more than 30,000 cases of EMR big data—including lifestyle factors, health screenings, endoscopy, and biopsy results—it conducts multifaceted analysis for gastric cancer prediction. It enables individuals who hesitate to undergo screening due to reasons such as “Do I really need to get tested?” or “Endoscopy is too burdensome” to assess their risk level using only their EMR data and survey responses, and to receive a visualized report of the results.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20240827105830793

 

A North Korean defector who was pregnant with twins gave birth prematurely, facing yet another hardship. Moved by her story, Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) decided to support the mother and her babies, offering heartfelt assistance.

Soo-Yeon Kim (alias, 37 years old) defected from North Korea last October and discovered her twin pregnancy during a medical checkup at a designated hospital for North Korean defectors. On the night of the 3rd, about a month before her due date, her water broke unexpectedly. She rushed to a nearby hospital, but due to the late hour and her high-risk status (including gestational diabetes), she was unable to receive care there.

Eventually, on the morning of the 4th, she was transferred to GUGMC with help from a 119 emergency medical team. Under the care of OB/GYN Dr. Suk-Young Kim, she gave birth to twin girls weighing 1.68kg and 1.64kg. The mother was discharged four days later, while the twins, born at 33 weeks of gestation, remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for treatment and were discharged on the 18th.

Kim currently receives basic living subsidies but will need to earn an income to raise and educate her children. However, with no family in South Korea, raising the twins on her own is expected to be a significant challenge.

Her story was conveyed to Unification Ministry officials and Gachon University President Dr. Gil-Ya Lee through a missionary who has long supported North Korean defectors. President Lee, known for her compassionate care—including past support for a mother of quadruplets—personally visited the NICU on July 11 to meet the twins. She encouraged Kim, saying, “It must be difficult to raise twins on your own, but if the children fall ill or you need help, come to Gil Medical Center anytime.” She also gifted the mother with baby care supplies.

In addition to the national medical support programs for mothers and premature babies, GUGMC covered all medical expenses not supported by the government and provided the mother with a women’s comprehensive health screening voucher. The hospital also pledged to offer partial discounts on the children’s medical fees until they reach adulthood so they can grow up healthy.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20240714142123868