Liver transplant Cost in South Korea

There are many hospitals across the country that offer Liver transplant to international patients. The following are some of the most renowned hospitals for Liver transplant in South Korea:

1. Asan Medical Centre

After Liver transplant in South Korea, the patient is supposed to stay in guest house for another 50 days. This time frame is important to ensure that the surgery was successful and the patient is fit to fly back.

Apart from the Liver transplant cost, there are a few other daily charges that the patient may have to pay. These are the charges for daily meals and accommodation outside the hospital. The per day extra expenses in South Korea per person are about USD 50 per person.

There are many cities that offer Liver transplant in South Korea, including the following:

• Seoul

The patient is supposed to stay at the hospital for about 10 days after Liver transplant for monitoring and care. This phase is important to ensure that the patient is recovering well and is clinically stable. During this time, several tests are performed before the patient is deemed suitable for discharge.

There are more than 1 hospitals that offer Liver transplant in South Korea. These clinics have propoer infrastructure as well as offer good quality of services when it comes to Liver transplant Also, these hospitals follow the necessary guidelines as required by the medical associations for the treatment of Liver transplant patients.

Some of the best medical specialists for Liver transplant in South Korea are:

1. Dr. Yang Won Seok
2. Dr. Kim Soon Bae
3. Dr. Jung Hee Lee
4. Dr. Hwang Shin
5. Dr. Lee Sung Gyu
6. Dr. Kyoo Hyung Lee

South Korea is an emerging destination for living donor liver transplantation. The country has reported the most living donor liver transplants per number of people. The top 10 medical institutions data reveals a 97.6 percent success rate in the last three years. This figure is higher than in the US and other developed countries. Also, the 3 and 1 years survival rate has reached 90% & 94% for patients without liver cancer. It reached 86.3-92.6% for people with liver cancer.

It is necessary for the person aiming to undergo liver transplantation to get themselves thoroughly evaluated before the transplant is performed. First of all, the recipient needs to discuss a team of medical experts. They will deeply examine the medical history of the patient and review the condition of the patient to find if the liver transplantation is the correct option for the patient. A number of diagnostic tests will be performed to determine any underlying conditions. The evaluation process generally includes a medical and surgical history, a psychosocial exam, a physical exam, compatibility tests (blood typing, tissue typing, crossmatching, and diagnostic tests.). Evaluation and diagnostic tests for Liver Transplant in South Korea cost 3000 and 5000 USD respectively.

The liver transplant cost may vary from person to person depending on many factors given below:

• Type of transplantation surgery needed
• Availability of liver for donation
• Country where the transplantation is being performed
• Type of disease affecting the liver
• Extent of liver damage
• Type and location of the hospital where the procedure will be performed
• Experience of the surgeons doing the surgery
• Duration of post-operative care
• Age of the patient
• Post-surgery complications

• Dr. Yang Won Seok : Dr. Yang Won Seok is associated with Asan Medical Centre, Seoul, and has 20 years of experience. Dr. Yang Won has obtained an MD degree from University of Ulsaz and Bachelor of Medicine degree from Seoul National University. The doctor has handled several complicated cases and has a high success rate.
• Dr. Jae Hwang Kim : Dr. Jae Hwang Kim has 38 years of experience and is associated withYeungnam University Medical Center. He is a member of the Korean Society of Surgery, the American Society of Gastrointestinal Surgery and the American Society of Laparoscopy. He graduated at Kyungpook National University and a Doctor of Medicine atYeungnam University.
• Dr. Han-Kwang Yang : Dr. Han-Kwang Yang hasan experience of 36 years and is associated with Seoul National University Hospital. Dr. Han-Kwang is also the Chairman at the Korean GIST Study Group. He earned his M.D. from Seoul National University College of Medicine. He has expertise in areas like Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Gastric cancer, Hernia, Laparoscopic, Gastrointestinal stromal tumor, Robotic Surgery, etc.
• Dr. Kim Sang Woon : Dr. Kim Sang Woon has 37 years of experience, and works as a Surgical Gastroenterologist at Yeungnam University Medical Center. He graduated from Yeungnam University. His main areas of interest are gastrointestinal surgery, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, laparoscopic surgery, and sarcoma. Dr. Sang’s research works assess different aspects of surgical practice.

There are three main ways a liver transplant is performed in South Korea:

• Living donor liver transplant : In this procedure, a part of liver is removed from the living donor and the removed liver can regenerate itself after some days. Both the transplanted part as well as the remaining part of the donor's liver can regrow into the normal-sized liver. Extensive screening and preparation is done before a living donor transplant to ensure that the best possible liver is obtained from the healthiest possible donor. A living-donor transplant decreases the amount of total time a person has to wait on the national transplant waiting list.
• The cost of a living liver transplant in South Korea is about 235000 USD.
• Deceased donor liver transplant : A liver from the deceased donor comes from an individual after their brain death. Anyone who has given their consent to donate organs for the transplantation at the time of death or if their families provide permission are eligible to donate their liver. The liver is first evaluated for the transplantation, and if found healthy, these are removed and then stored until any recipient is chosen from a waiting list. The cost of a deceased liver transplant in South Korea is about 250000 USD.
• Split donation : In this procedure, the liver is extracted from a person who has died recently and then split into two parts; each part is now transplanted into a different individual, where they grow into a normal size.
• The cost of a deceased liver transplant in South Korea is about 225000 USD.

South Korea is an emerging destination for living donor liver transplantation. The country has reported the most living donor liver transplants per number of people. A multidisciplinary approach taken by hospitals allows patients here to get assistance from a wide range of transplant specialists. Another best advantage in South Korea are the strict protocols to limit recurrences. Local institutions have doubled the overall resources to improve the quality of treatments. Other advances in the field of liver transplantation include dual graft liver transplantation techniques and the modified right lobe graft. Both techniques have improved the success rate and have reduced complications for donor and recipient. These surgeons are highly-experienced and trained and have a great professional experience. The transplant centers are well-equipped with advanced technology to provide top medical facilities. The hospitals provide excellent care to patients. The cost of liver transplants in South Korea is lower than other developed parts of the world.

• Asan Medical Center, Seoul : Asan Medical Center has about 11,680 outpatients, 256 emergency patients and 2,427 inpatients every day on an average. Each year, around 66,838 sophisticated surgeries are done by the well-trained experts at the hospital. The hospital has cutting-edge equipment and is known for its standard across the globe. The facility is fully dedicated to clinical research.
• Samsung Medical Center, Seoul : Samsung Medical Center is known for its patient-centric approach and customer satisfaction. It is a JCI-accredited hospital and is one of the most technologically advanced healthcare centers in the country.

• Hospital Severance : Hospital Severanceis a center of advanced medical technologies, and is a hub of experienced specialists. The hospital receives about 40 000 people. Severance Hospital was the first facility in South Korea to receive accreditation from the Joint Commission International. The patients can get comprehensive treatment programs, including preventive medicine and palliative care and rehabilitation. The hospital has performed a large number of liver transplants successfully.

South Korea procures the integrity of recipients and donors for organ transplantation. The patient should comply with the Act on Organ Transplantation. The law says that the donor must be at least closer to the patient or first cousin. The Korean Network of Organ Sharing must verify the validity of all the documents. In certain cases, KONOS allows third party organ donation. The party needs to prove that the donation is without any kind of monetary intention.

A person who wishes to undergo a liver transplant will have to undergo numerous tests to determine if he/she is a good match with the concerned donor. The liver transplant surgeon will then review your condition by conducting a physical exam. After this, appointments will be made to see doctors from different specialties. You’ll also have to undergo all the final steps of tests as required. When all the tests & appointments are done, the application for the transplant will then be reviewed by the dedicated committee to find if no commercial transaction happens either before or after the transplant. The liver transplant will go ahead after the concerned department has approved the evaluation.