Sudden lower-body paralysis strikes during Korea visit; emergency surgery a success

Patient discharged without complications: 'Very satisfied with Korea's medical system'

American physician Hirom Young, left, poses for a photo with his attending physician, Yonsei Sarang Hospital Spine Center Director Kim Sung-chul. [Yonsei Sarang Hospital]
American physician Hirom Young, left, poses for a photo with his attending physician, Yonsei Sarang Hospital Spine Center Director Kim Sung-chul. [Yonsei Sarang Hospital]

An American doctor living in Hawaii has recovered after undergoing spinal surgery at a Korean hospital during a visit to the country. Swift intervention prevented what doctors feared could become permanent nerve damage.

Yonsei Sarang Hospital announced Tuesday that it had recently completed spinal surgery on Hirom Young, 71, an American physician.

Young, an internist from the United States, had traveled to Korea to attend a friend's wedding and to sightsee. After a long-haul flight of more than eight hours, he developed paralysis in both legs upon arrival and lost sensation in them, prompting him to seek care at Yonsei Sarang Hospital.

According to Kim Sung-chul, director of the hospital's spine center and the surgeon who performed the operation, Young presented with severe lower back pain and radiating pain down both legs. He also experienced progressively worsening loss of sensation in both feet and the perineal area, making it difficult to walk. Imaging revealed serious damage to the third, fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, making emergency surgery urgent.

Young was believed to be suffering from cauda equina syndrome, a condition caused by compression or damage to the bundle of nerves inside the spinal canal.

If left untreated, the syndrome can cause permanent impairment of bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and motor and sensory function in both legs, making prompt treatment critical. Understanding the urgency, Young decided to have surgery in Korea.

Young underwent surgery on Oct. 2 and was discharged Monday after making a full recovery. Yonsei Sarang Hospital said his gait had improved following the operation and that he recovered without any sensory impairment, bladder or bowel dysfunction, or other complications.

"I was lucky and happy to recover even after my condition deteriorated so suddenly in Korea and I had to have surgery quickly," Young said. He added that the same procedure would cost $60,000 to $70,000 in the United States, but that he paid two to three times less in Korea. "I am very satisfied — the medical system here is 'very good,'" he said.

"Sudden lower-body paralysis and loss of sensation indicate progressing nerve damage, which is why rapid assessment and surgical treatment are critical," Kim said. "We plan to continue providing high-quality medical services to patients both at home and abroad, backed by our specialized spine care and surgical capabilities."


ko@heraldcorp.com