The urological team has gained a high level of competence in the surgical area of the urology and has contributed to raising the reputation of the Fertility Center of CHA Bundang Medical Center by closely working together with the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology. Also, it offers specific care for individual conditions such as tumor, micturition disorders like urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction and pediatric urology. The department opened the Prostate Center opened in 2007 as part of its effort to focus on prostate cancer and prostate hypertrophy that have become more common than ever in Korea.

The team of urologists and medical staff at CHA Bundang Medical Center will continue to add Korea’s best specialists to the department and further upgrade its expertise in various areas by facilitating microsurgery, non-invasive endoscopy and highly-complex robot-assisted surgery to provide the highest quality clinical care. At the same time, it will do its best in providing professional training and developing the medical science as a research-driven university hospital.

Succeeded in Lesion Removal Using Gore-Tex without Nephrectomy, Autologous Tumor Vaccination for Renal Cancer

The surgical team succeeded in its first kidney transplantation in collaboration with the Department of Nephrology in 1999. It also successfully removed renal mass inside the kidney without nephrectomy regardless of its location and size by using external graft (Material: expanded polytetrafluoroet-hylene, Product Name: Gore-Tex) on the kidney with cancer or tumor. “Autologous tumor vaccination for renal cancer” with the proven safety and efficacy was also introduced by the team. Such outstanding achievements demonstrate the team’s tireless efforts to adopt advanced medical technologies and develop its own treatment methods for patients.

Korea’s First Bladder Cancer Surgery That Leaves Peritoneum Intact

Approximately 10% to 20% of the patients with bladder cancer typically need to receive cystectomy. In this case, a large area of the peritoneum that covers pelvis is removed together with the bladder, which can cause intestinal adhesions that can entail adverse effects such as enteroplegia, enterocleisis and delay in food intake and recovery. Nevertheless, CHA Bundang Medical Center performed the bladder cancer surgery that preserves the peritoneum for the first time in Korea to keep the peritoneum between the intestine and the artificial bladder and place organs back to original positions. This method brought about excellent clinical results, including fast recovery after surgery and significantly reduced adverse effects related to intestine.

First Interstitial Brachytherapy in Korea

The first brachytherapy in Korea was performed here at CHA Bundang Medical Center. The medical staff now offer laser surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia and single-port prostatectomy. The department currently holds the record for the number of clinical cases for brachytherapy in Korea.

“Brachytherapy for Early-Stage Prostate Cancer, with the Largest Number of Clinical Cases in Korea”

Brachytherapy is a procedure that implants radio isotopes on the whole prostate for cancer treatment. Regarding its cancer treatment efficacy, international medical associations reported that 15-year survival rates and recurrence rates of the procedure are equivalent of those of prostatectomy. Patients can now look for complete recovery from cancer without prostatectomy, with minimized adverse effects such as micturition disorder and proctorrhagia. The Department of Urology of CHA Bundang Medical Center has performed more than 350 clinical cases of brachytherapy, which is the highest record in Korea.

Robotic Surgery System That Improves Post-Operative Recovery and Maximizes Curative Effects

The urinary system is located inside the narrow pelvic cavity, a home of neurovascular bundles, urethral sphincter, rectum and other various organs. They are all located together in a small and complex structure, which makes it very tricky to perform an operation on this area. In case of the robotic laparoscopic surgical system, however, gas is injected to the surgical area to secure enough space. Then, surgeons look at the tridimensional magnified image displayed on the monitor that expands the field of view over the surgical site by more than ten times, making it possible to clearly distinguish nerves from vessels when removing lesions. Therefore, it is highly likely to preserve tissues and leave sufficient length of urethra. It barely causes adverse effects after surgery such as urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction because it reduces bleeding and leaves almost no damage on surrounding tissues.

The team also succeeded in operating on a patient who suffered from both prostate cancer and gallbladder cancer in just one round of robotic surgery, removing cancer in prostate and gallbladder through the same port for the first time in Korea. Likewise, it continuously increases patient satisfaction with innovative surgical technologies in the field of robotic surgery.