"Providing Every Patient with the Right Treatment Opportunity Through Multidisciplinary Care"

Professor Chung Sik Gong of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Asan Medical Center

Gastric cancer is particularly prevalent in East Asia, including Korea. As the population ages, more patients are becoming hesitant to undergo surgery because of advanced age or underlying medical conditions. Professor Chung Sik Gong of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Asan Medical Center is committed to ensuring that these patients are not denied appropriate treatment opportunities. Even for older patients or those with severe intra-abdominal adhesions from previous surgeries, he strives to identify the safest and most effective treatment approach. By utilizing minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery, he minimizes the burden of treatment while helping patients achieve the best possible outcomes. Having performed more than 4,000 surgeries for gastric cancer, hernias, and metabolic bariatric diseases, Professor Gong shares his philosophy of caring for international patients and his clinical experience.

What principles guide your approach to patient care?

Accurate diagnosis and safe surgery are the foundation of my practice, but I believe what happens after surgery is even more important. Treatment for gastric cancer does not end in the operating room. Patients require lifelong attention to diet, weight management, and nutrition. To me, treatment continues until patients are able to fully return to their daily lives.

Another principle I firmly uphold is ensuring that no patient is denied treatment simply because of advanced age or underlying medical conditions. Through multidisciplinary care, we carefully evaluate each patient's condition to identify the most appropriate treatment option and provide every patient with the opportunity to receive the care they need.

What inspired you to specialize in this field, and what has your experience been like?

For patients with gastric cancer, the surgeon's skill can make the difference between cure and recurrence. During my residency, I met many patients who had fully recovered after gastric cancer surgery and returned to the outpatient clinic in good health. Seeing how a single operation could change a person's life inspired me to pursue gastrointestinal surgery.

Over the years, I have expanded my practice beyond gastric cancer surgery to include laparoscopic and robotic surgery, metabolic bariatric surgery, and hernia surgery. My role extends beyond removing cancer. By treating metabolic diseases such as diabetes and helping patients regain their health and quality of life, I have come to appreciate how much a surgeon can do for patients.

To date, I have performed 4,175 surgeries, including 2,235 gastric cancer surgeries and 1,014 hernia surgeries. At one point, I performed as many as 640 operations in a single year. Most of these procedures have been minimally invasive surgeries using laparoscopic or robotic techniques. I have also authored 52 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals covering gastric and esophageal cancers, metabolic bariatric surgery, and hernia surgery.

One of the most memorable experiences in my career has been participating in medical outreach programs in Cambodia. In 2018, I delivered a lecture on acute abdomen at Hebron Medical Center in Phnom Penh. The following year, as part of the Asan in Asia project, I spoke at the Second Cambodia Asan Joint Symposium on hybrid surgery performed collaboratively by endoscopists and laparoscopic surgeons. The program was designed not only to treat local patients but also to train local physicians.

Teaching Cambodian doctors made me realize that helping more physicians acquire the skills to treat patients can be just as meaningful as treating the patients before us. I sincerely hoped that, even after we left, high quality surgical care would continue and benefit many more people. Since then, I have no longer viewed my role as being confined to the operating room or the clinic.

▲ Professor Chung Sik Gong of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Asan Medical Center performs surgery.

Do you take a different approach when caring for international patients?

Surgery is a field where actions speak louder than words. During daily rounds, I personally examine each patient's abdomen and check the surgical wound. Even when we do not share the same language, I believe there is no better way to build trust than for the surgeon to visit every day and demonstrate genuine care through direct examination.

Recovery after gastric surgery depends greatly on proper postoperative dietary management. Dietary guidance that is familiar to Korean patients cannot simply be applied to international patients. Instead, I tailor my recommendations to each patient's cultural and dietary background, explaining meal plans based on the foods they are accustomed to eating. Religious practices, such as Ramadan fasting and halal dietary requirements, are also incorporated into each patient's postoperative care plan. Because follow up care can be challenging after patients return home, I provide detailed instructions on follow up examinations and precautions to help ensure continuity of care in their home country.

Even when an interpreter is present, I make a point of speaking directly to the patient and maintaining eye contact. Rather than relying on medical jargon, I use simple language, surgical illustrations, and diagrams to help patients clearly understand their condition and treatment.

Is there an international patient you remember most?

One patient who stands out was a Chinese patient with recurrent superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome. The patient had previously undergone surgery in their home country, but the procedure had not followed the standard surgical approach, resulting in recurrence. We performed revision surgery using the established standard technique, and the patient recovered successfully. The case reinforced for me the importance of adhering to fundamental surgical principles.

Another memorable case involved a patient from the United Arab Emirates. After undergoing sleeve gastrectomy in their home country, the patient developed an anastomotic leak that could not be resolved despite stent placement. The patient came to Asan Medical Center seeking a second opinion. We created a feeding jejunostomy to provide long-term enteral nutrition, allowing the leak to heal while the patient returned home. Later, however, the patient developed a hiatal hernia, with the colon herniating through the diaphragm, making another operation necessary.

Because the patient had undergone multiple previous surgeries and experienced severe intra-abdominal inflammation, extensive adhesions were expected, making laparoscopic surgery particularly challenging. Despite these difficulties, we decided to proceed with a minimally invasive approach. Even identifying a safe site for trocar insertion was difficult, but we were able to reduce the herniated colon laparoscopically and repair a 10 cm diaphragmatic defect. The patient recovered without complications and was discharged just five days after surgery.

Having previously performed successful laparoscopic surgery in liver transplant recipients, I was confident in managing cases with severe adhesions. Successfully treating a patient whose surgery had been considered too difficult elsewhere remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

What has been the most rewarding part of caring for international patients?

To be honest, I do not feel a different sense of fulfillment simply because a patient is from another country. In the operating room, there is no distinction based on nationality. Whether they are Korean or international, they are all patients in need of the best possible care.

The greatest satisfaction comes from successfully treating patients who have been told their surgery would be too difficult. When we are able to perform highly complex operations for patients who have traveled from around the world, I also feel a deep sense of pride as a member of Asan Medical Center.

Successfully performing these challenging procedures is never the achievement of a single surgeon alone. It is only possible through the seamless collaboration of a multidisciplinary team, including specialists in gastroenterology, radiology, anesthesiology and pain medicine, and intensive care. That teamwork is one of Asan Medical Center's greatest strengths.

Is there a message you would like to share with international patients?

Korea and Japan have some of the highest incidences of gastric cancer in the world. As a result, both countries have accumulated extensive experience and expertise in the surgical treatment of gastric cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. Among them, Asan Medical Center has performed the largest number of gastric cancer surgeries in Korea.

What I want to emphasize, however, is not simply the volume of surgeries we perform. Asan Medical Center is a place where highly complex and high-risk operations can be carried out safely. Our surgeons have extensive experience with some of the most technically demanding procedures, including liver transplantation, and are supported by a comprehensive multidisciplinary team that includes specialists in gastroenterology, radiology, anesthesiology and pain medicine, and intensive care.

If you have been told that your condition is too difficult to treat in your home country, I hope you will not give up. There may still be treatment options available.

From your first appointment through interpretation services, treatment, and your return home, our International Healthcare Center provides comprehensive support throughout every step of your care, ensuring that you can focus on your treatment with confidence.