▲ Professor Sung Wook Hwang of the Inflammatory Bowerl Disease Center at Asan Medical Center (Division of Gastroenterology)

Professor Sung Wook Hwang of the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center has become the first inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist in Korea to earn certification from both the International Bowel Ultrasound Group (IBUS) and the Gastroenterology Network of Intestinal Ultrasound (GENIUS), which are the leading international accreditation programs for intestinal ultrasound.

In IBD, accurately monitoring the degree of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract is critical for early treatment. Intestinal ultrasound is similar in procedure to a standard abdominal ultrasound but allows for a relatively accurate and objective assessment of inflammation in the colon and small intestine without the need for fasting or bowel preparation. It is a highly convenient diagnostic tool for patients who require regular monitoring. While widely used for point-of-care diagnosis in countries like the U.S. and across Europe, intestinal ultrasound remains rare in Korea for gastroenterologists to perform intestinal ultrasounds themselves. Professor Sung Wook Hwang has conducted over 300 intestinal ultrasound examinations.

Professor Sung Wook Hwang stated “When the physician managing IBD performs intestinal ultrasound themselves, it enables more proactive inflammation monitoring, ultimately improving patients’ quality of life.”