SMG Yonsei Hospital Achieves Consecutive Successes in Urology Surgeries for Super-Aged Patients

SMG Yonsei Hospital announced on the 6th that it successfully performed urology surgeries on super-elderly patients.

Oh Jeong-hyun, Head of Urology at SMG Yonsei Hospital, successfully completed a flexible endoscopic kidney stone removal surgery on a super-elderly patient aged 100. The patient had been living a relatively healthy life at home but began experiencing symptoms such as hematuria and flank pain in early July 2023, prompting a visit to Yonsei Hospital.

Flexible endoscopic kidney stone removal is a minimally invasive endoscopic surgery in which an endoscope is inserted through the urethra into the ureter to crush and remove stones. This procedure generally causes less pain and requires a shorter hospital stay. However, since the surgery was performed on a super-elderly patient, deciding to proceed was not easy.

Chief of Medical Affairs, Urology Specialist Oh Jeong-hyun, who treats elderly patients. [Image provided by SMG Yonsei Hospital]

Oh Jeong-hyun, who performed the surgery, said, “It was true that we were concerned because the patient was super-elderly. We reviewed various possibilities before the surgery and proceeded with the belief that it was the best choice, so we are relieved that the outcome was satisfactory.”

Recently, Dr. Oh also successfully performed radical cystectomy and urostomy surgeries on two elderly bladder cancer patients aged 88.

The patient's guardian expressed gratitude, saying, “I thought surgery would be impossible because my mother (grandmother, mother-in-law) is elderly. I am thankful to the medical staff and hospital personnel who gave us trust and confidence during the consultation process with Dr. Oh Jeong-hyun before the surgery.”

Dr. Oh stated, “With advances in medical technology, life expectancy is increasing, and the number of elderly patients is expected to grow. We will continue to do our best for the health of elderly patients in the Gyeongnam and Changwon regions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.