Incheon Sejong Hospital, selected as an institution for ventricular assist device

-Received approval from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service as an implementing agency 

-Expected to give hope to patients at the end-stage heart failure through the latest medical technology 

Incheon Sejong Hospital announced on the 17th that they were recently selected as a medical institution which can implement a ventricular assist device (VAD) surgery.

Heart transplantation is the best treatment for patients with severe or end-stage heart failure, but as the number of hearts donated annually is limited, only half of them receive a transplant, and the others should wait.

In addition, a patient may not be selected for transplantation due to old age or comorbid diseases. An alternative treatment in this case is a ventricular assist device (VAD) surgery.

It is also called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) because it is inserted into the left ventricle. It was developed abroad as a method to improve blood circulation, survival rate, and quality of life using a mechanical circulatory support (MCS).

It is an implantable mechanical pump that is directly attached to the abdomen just below the diaphragm and patient's heart. It helps the left ventricle pump well and circulate blood from the left ventricle to the aorta, which carries oxygenated blood to the body. In severe cases, it takes over even the pumping function of the heart completely. 

A Ventricular Assist Device surgery can be performed only at a medical institution approved by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Also more than one medical individual in each department must be on duty at all times including ▲ thoracic surgeon ▲ internal medicine specialist in circulatory disease treatment ▲ ventricular assist device monitoring nurse ▲ social worker. 

In addition, the institution must meet the conditions for performing at least 3 heart transplants within 2 years from the date of application.

Dr. Kyunghee Kim, Director of the heart transplant center at Incheon Sejong Hospital, said, “Considering the increasing number of patients who can not receive a heart transplant or die while waiting for a transplant opportunity, ventricular assist devices can be an excellent alternative.”

He added, “Incheon Sejong Hospital, which is specialized in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and heart transplantation, is expected to give new hope to end-stage heart failure patients by implementing the latest ventricular assist device surgery.” 

Meanwhile, at the Incheon Sejong Hospital Heart Transplant Center, Dr. Kyunghee Kim, Director of the center and Dr. Youngtak Lee and Dr. Jooyeon Kim, the thoracic surgeons, are recognized as masters of  heart surgery in Korea with many years of heart transplantation clinical experience and form a team to carry out the transplant.

His team started with the first heart transplant in August 2020 and has successfully performed the most heart transplants in Incheon in a short period of time. Last month, a patient in his 50s who took extracorporeal circulation (ECMO) along with cardiopulmonary resuscitation successfully underwent a heart transplant and was discharged. 

▲Incheon Sejong Hospital Heart Transplant Team (front row from left: Dr. Kyunghee Kim, Director of heart transplantation center 

(cardiac internal medicine), Dr. Pyowon Park, Head of thoracic surgery (cardiovascular center), Dr. Siwook Sung, 

anesthesiology and pain medicine. back row, from left: Dr. Chae Sanghan, Head of Rehabilitation Pain Treatment Center 

(Director of Rehabilitation Medicine), Dr. Suyeon Lee Director of Cardiology Department, Dr. Chanoh Park, Director of Anesthesiology 

and Pain Medicine, Dr. Heebeom Cho, Director of Infectious Diseases Department, Jooyeon Kim, Director of Thoracic Surgery)